Highline School District 401 Replaces Windows DHCP for Security and Reliability
Highline School District 401, serving 11,000–15,000 clients daily, needed to modernize its network infrastructure while reducing security risks. Authentication moved to Microsoft Entra (formerly Azure AD), but DHCP and DNS still required an on-premises solution to ensure seamless network operations.
Keeping Windows Server solely for DHCP was inefficient—it required frequent patches, reboots, and security updates for a lightweight service. Any failure could disrupt classroom learning, so the district sought a more reliable, appliance-based alternative with built-in failover.
After evaluating alternatives, Highline's IT team ruled out Palo Alto firewall-based DHCP and Ruckus switch DHCP due to lack of redundancy and missing features. The district required full feature parity with Microsoft DHCP, particularly support for Vendor-Specific Option Codes used by their Aruba access points.
The district deployed a high-availability pair of DNSBOX220 appliances, ensuring dedicated, secure DHCP and local DNS services with seamless failover. Unlike Windows, DNSBOX runs as a hardened appliance—eliminating unnecessary server maintenance while maintaining full DHCP functionality.
With DNSBOX in place, Highline eliminated Windows vulnerabilities, ensured continuous network availability, and gained a simpler, more resilient DHCP/DNS solution purpose-built for schools.
