A network administrator boots up a newly installed network printer configured to obtain IP settings dynamically. Upon reviewing the printer's status panel, the administrator sees an IP address of 169.254.88.12 and a subnet mask of 255.255.0.0. The printer cannot communicate with any local workstations. Which of the following is the most likely cause of this issue?
- The printer was unable to contact a DHCP server and automatically assigned itself an Automatic Private IP Addressing (APIPA) address.Answer
- BThe primary DNS server successfully assigned a standard public IP lease to the printer.
- CThe printer received a valid private IP lease, but requires an unmanaged Layer 2 switch to resolve 169.254.x.x subnet boundaries.
- DThe printer is attempting to negotiate network configuration parameters over port 443 instead of HTTP port 80.
Answer
The printer failed to reach a DHCP server and automatically generated a link-local Automatic Private IP Addressing (APIPA) address.
The correct answer identifies that the address 169.254.88.12 is an Automatic Private IP Addressing (APIPA) address. When a client set to obtain an IP address dynamically cannot contact a DHCP server, it self-assigns a link-local address in the 169.254.0.0/16 range.
Step-by-Step Solution
Key Concept
Automatic Private IP Addressing (APIPA)