Short answer
PXE discovery relies on network traffic that does not cross routers as a normal broadcast. For clients on a different subnet, configure and validate router IP helpers to forward the required traffic to the DHCP service and PXE-enabled Configuration Manager distribution point. Compare a same-subnet client with a remote-subnet client before changing boot images or task sequences.
Symptoms
- PXE works on the distribution point’s local VLAN but fails on another routed VLAN.
- The client does not receive a PXE response or never reaches the Configuration Manager boot menu.
SMSPXE.logshows no request from the remote client, or the request reaches the server but does not produce an expected response.
Error and log evidence
There is no single error code for this topology issue. Start with the client’s on-screen PXE message, DHCP lease evidence, packet capture if available, and SMSPXE.log on the intended PXE-enabled distribution point.
Environment
Microsoft Configuration Manager current branch, PXE-enabled distribution point, DHCP service, and one or more routed client subnets. This guide is about network discovery and forwarding; it does not diagnose every PXE boot failure.
Evidence to collect
- Test one client on the distribution point’s subnet and one on the failing subnet with the same model and boot image.
- Confirm DHCP address assignment on the failing subnet.
- Inspect the router or layer-3 switch configuration for IP helpers to the required DHCP and PXE endpoints.
- Check whether the PXE-enabled distribution point receives the remote client request in
SMSPXE.log. - If possible, capture DHCP/PXE traffic on both sides of the routed boundary and verify the helper forwards it to the intended servers.
- Confirm the target distribution point is PXE-enabled and its boot images are distributed.
Likely root cause
The router does not forward the PXE discovery traffic from the client subnet to the relevant services, or forwards it to an incomplete/wrong destination. DHCP options 60, 66, and 67 are not the general substitute for correctly configured IP helpers in this Configuration Manager design. Microsoft notes a narrow option 60 exception when DHCP and Windows Deployment Services run on the same server; verify current vendor guidance for the actual topology.
Remediation
Coordinate with the network owner to configure the router’s IP helper addresses for the DHCP service and PXE-enabled distribution point required by the design. Avoid blanket changes to DHCP options 66/67; incorrect boot server or filename values can break clients and may not support the Configuration Manager scenario.
Recheck the PXE-enabled distribution point, boundary groups, boot image distribution, and network ACLs only after proving the request reaches the expected endpoint.
Verification
Repeat the controlled test from the remote VLAN. Verify DHCP assignment, PXE request arrival in SMSPXE.log, boot image selection, and progression to the task-sequence wizard. Test another representative subnet before broad deployment.
Version notes
The networking principle applies across Configuration Manager current branch releases, but supported PXE architecture and console settings can change. Check Microsoft’s current troubleshooting article.
Sources
Evidence status
This is an original guide based on linked Microsoft documentation. It is not a report of a field investigation or a validated network change.