DHCP Option 66 allows you to redirect a VoIP phone that is just starting up, grabbing and IP and needs provisioning from the server. The most common way to do this is to just add a value for Option 66 in your DHCP scope and you're set.  .... BUT .... What if you have multiple devices that need pointed in different directions depending on if they are a VoIP device, WAP, or any other devices that can boot and download their configurations via BOOTP? The answer? Policy Filters!


For this example, we'll be applying the Option 66 server setting to all Polycom devices rather than every single device that acquires a DHCP lease from our server. (You can easily adapt this to offer multiple option 66 entries... we'll also be showing this with screenshots from Windows Server 2016. Your DHCP server may vary slightly from the workflow seen here.) In 2015, Polycom ran out of MAC Addresses for their voice products. (For those that are counting, that's nearly 16 million devices!) This means we will need to apply this policy to two sets of MAC pre-fixes.


To get started, open the DHCP too through server manager or by going to the run dialog, typing mmc, and then add the DHCP snap-in. Expand your tree under IPv4 so that you can see the policies group. (Note: We're filtering these leases, but applying a specific policy to the specific devices. Confused? Don't be. You can't actually do what we're trying to do in the filter section anyway, so if something doesn't look quite right, keep poking around. I'm sure it's in there... somewhere.....


Right click on Policies and then create a new policy with the DHCP Policy Configuration Wizard. Make sure to give it a name and description. It's not shown in this example, but I often add the date a change was applies to the network at the end of my description line.

The next screen is where you configure the conditions for the policy. Be sure the OR radio button is selected, we want to make sure this policy is applied to both the legacy and new groups of MAC addresses for Polycom. 


Click on the add button and you will be at the Add/Edit Condition screen. Depending on your DHCP server, you may need to place two entries. For this example, we were able to add both as one line. In Windows Server, set the criteria to MAC Address and the Operator to Equals. Then enter in the two values for Polycom devices:  00:04:F2:xx:xx:xx  and  64:16:7F:xx:xx:xx. Not that in windows, you will enter the address without colons. Type in 64167F, check the box for Append wildcard, and hit add. Do the same for 0004:f2, click Add, and then click Ok.

Finally, the next screen is where you configure the settings for the policy. Under Vendor Class, select DHCP Standard Options and then scroll down the list until you reach Option 066. Put a check in the box to enable the option, and enter your PBX server in the string value field.

Finally, review your work, and click Finish to apply the changes.

And there you go! To add more policy/filters, just go through the steps again. Your Polycom devices should now be able to contact your PBX/Provisioning server, while every other device that receives a DHCP lease will be none the wiser.

Hey, you. Yeah, you. Are phone bills getting the best of you? What if I told you that at Clear Voice One we have no contracts, and just one low monthly fee per device that is connected to our service. Can't afford to purchase new equipment? No problem! We also do leasing!


For more information on what Clear Voice One can do to help save your company money on your monthly phone bills, give us a call at (844) 5060-SIP or send an inquiry to orders@clearvoice1.com.