CompTIA A+ Core 1 (220-1201)NetworkingHard
A network administrator is troubleshooting connectivity and notices a workstation has been assigned the IP address 169.254.34.12. What does this address indicate?
- AThe workstation is configured with an IPv6 tunneling address
- BThe workstation failed to contact a DHCP server and self-assigned an address
- CThe workstation is using a statically configured private address
- DThe workstation received a valid address from the DHCP server
Show answer & explanationAnswer & explanation
Correct answer: B. The workstation failed to contact a DHCP server and self-assigned an address
Addresses in the 169.254.0.0/16 range are APIPA (Automatic Private IP Addressing) addresses, which a Windows host assigns itself when it cannot reach a DHCP server. This indicates a DHCP failure or network connectivity issue, not proper configuration.
Why the other options are wrong
- A. IPv6 tunneling addresses use different formats entirely and are not IPv4-based.
- C. Static private addresses are typically in ranges like 192.168.x.x or 10.x.x.x, not 169.254.x.x.
- D. A valid DHCP-assigned address would not fall in the 169.254.x.x APIPA range.
APIPA
Automatic Private IP Addressing assigns a host an address in the 169.254.0.0/16 range when it cannot obtain an address from a DHCP server, indicating a network or DHCP problem.
- Range: 169.254.0.1 to 169.254.255.254
- Indicates DHCP server unreachable
- Also called link-local address (self-assigned)
Memory trick: 169.254 means 'I gave up waiting for DHCP.'