SESKStuff Everyone Should Know
SESK: Stuff Everyone Should Know · sesk.info/aplus-apipa-range

A PC cannot reach a DHCP server and gives itself an address. What does that address start with?

169.254, the link-local range used by APIPA.

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  1. 169.254 ✔
  2. 192.168
  3. 10.0

Why: When no DHCP answer arrives, the host can configure itself in the 169.254/16 block. Windows calls this Automatic Private IP Addressing (APIPA). Such an address only works for talking to neighbors on the same link.

Huh, didn't know that: RFC 3927 defines the 169.254/16 link-local block for this kind of automatic setup.

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References

Answer: 169.254. When no DHCP answer arrives, the host can configure itself in the 169.254/16 block. Windows calls this Automatic Private IP Addressing (APIPA). Such an address only works for talking to neighbors on the same link.

  1. RFC 3927 www.rfc-editor.org/rfc/rfc3927
    automatically configure an interface with an IPv4 address in the 169.254/16 prefix
    Checked 2026-10-10.
  2. CompTIA A+ Core 1 (220-1201) V15 Exam Objectives lecbyo.files.cmp.optimizely.com/download/34be017cb73211ef8985a6f347fbf652
    Automatic Private IP Addressing (APIPA)
    Checked 2026-10-10.

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