What is DHCP Network Hint?

[AWS]

With the increase in popularity of laptops, it is very common for users to frequently reconnect to a previously visited network. In order to improve user experience in roaming scenarios, where the user connects back to a previously visited network where the user had a valid DHCP lease, DHCP network hint has been implemented in Windows 7 OS. DHCP network hint helps in identifying the correct DHCP configuration for a previously visited network and then using the configuration opportunistically. Network hint used in order to uniquely identify different network is SSID (Service Set Identifier) of a network

Scope:

Scope of the feature is limited to all the networks that have associated SSID. So presently it is restricted to all Wireless (WLAN) networks.

Also, the feature is supported currently only for IPv4.

 

Limitations

At present only Wireless (WLAN) networks are capable of providing the appropriate network hint. In lieu, the feature is applicable for Wireless (WLAN) networks only. The performance optimization will be seen only when a laptop machine revisits a network where he had a valid lease.

Advantages

This feature enables improvement in laptop machine’s network connectivity experience in connecting to different Wireless (WLAN) networks in mobile/roaming scenarios by substantially reducing the time taken to acquire an IP address on revisit to a network.

Example Scenario

A user roaming with his laptop from office to home and back to office is a very common situation. This feature will be of good significance in such scenario.

1)A user is in Wireless (WLAN) A network (office network).

2)He moves to Wireless (WLAN) B network (home network).

3)Now when he comes back to Wireless (WLAN) A network, he will see significant improvement in the time taken to get the connectivity as compared to time taken to get the network connectivity when moved in a network for the first time.