This is a bare minimum guide to setup a DHCP server.
1. Install the dhcp package:
yum install dhcp
2. Replace the /etc/dhcpd.conf with the following:
ddns-update-style interim;
ignore client-updates;
subnet 192.168.1.0 netmask 255.255.255.0 {
authoritative;
option routers 192.168.1.1;
option subnet-mask 255.255.255.0;
option domain-name "domain.com";
option domain-name-servers 192.168.1.5;
option time-offset -18000; # Eastern Standard Time
range dynamic-bootp 192.168.1.32 192.168.1.47;
default-lease-time 21600;
max-lease-time 43200;
}
3. Alter the values as needed.
4. Set the server to start on boot:
/sbin/chkconfig dhcpd on
5. Start the server:
/sbin/service dhcpd start
6. Review /var/log/messages for any errors.
Make sure you have port 67/udp open if you are using a host-based firewall.