How many CALs needed for DHCP server?

[isaacgrover]

Good afternoon from Wisconsin,

We are moving our aging Windows 2000 DHCP/DNS server over to Windows Server 2003, and need some insight into how many Client Access Licenses (CALs) we actually need. For those of you who haven't read the CAL guidelines, it seems you need a law degree to understand them.

In any case, we have between 35 to 40 devices that are grabbing IP addresses from the DHCP server and/or connecting to the DNS server at any given point in time, but only about 20 users. So my understanding is that we need 40 Device CALs for the maximum number of devices we have in service. However, would it be more cost effective to get 2 packs of 25 Device CALs or should we get an Open License for all our devices?

Thank you in advance,


--
Isaac Grover, Owner
Quality Computer Services of River Falls, Wisconsin
Web:

http://www.qcs-rf.com

 

[markdmac]

Why not get the 20 CALs as USER CALs instead of Device CALs? You don't need to have CALs for devices such as Printers, and it only makes sense to purchase for the number of users you have.

I hope you find this post helpful.

Regards,

Mark

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[reynolwi]

we went with the user cal instead of device cal. with 75+ something devices over 40 users its easier to handle.

Wm. Reynolds
Premise Communications
Texas Public Safety Solutions

http://www.rrwds.com

http://www.txpubsafety.com

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[Davetoo]

Do you need a CAL for DHCP and DNS only?

I'm Certifiable, not cert-ified.
It just means my answers are from experience, not a book.

There are no more PDC's! There are DC's with FSMO roles!

 

[58sniper]

No

Pat Richard MVP
Plan for performance, and capacity takes care of itself. Plan for capacity, and suffer poor performance.

http://www.ucblogs.net/blogs/exchange/

 

[PScottC]

I think you only need a CAL for more advanced services, such as AD, File & Print, RADIUS/IAS/RAS, etc... My rule of thumb would be: If it requires authentication, it requires a CAL. So as long as clients aren't dynamically updating DNS, you're probably fine with only the OS license.

PSC

Governments and corporations need people like you and me. We are samurai. The keyboard cowboys. And all those other people out there who have no idea what's going on are the cattle. Mooo! --Mr. The Plague, from the movie "Hackers

 

[58sniper]

The creation of a user account requires a CAL. OR, the creation of a machine account. That's it unless you're going to be using Terminal Services.

Pat Richard MVP
Plan for performance, and capacity takes care of itself. Plan for capacity, and suffer poor performance.

http://www.ucblogs.net/blogs/exchange/

 

[Zelandakh]

To clarify what Pat has said, a computer or a person needs a CAL (device vs user).

Other devices such as printers or other DHCP enabled devices don't need a CAL.