CompTIA Network+ (N10-007) — Question 342

A network technician receives reports indicating some users are unable to gain access to any network resources. During troubleshooting, the technician discovers the workstations have an IP address of 169.254.x.x. Which of the following is the MOST likely cause?

Answer options

• A. Expired IP address
• B. Exhausted dynamic scope
• C. Misconfigured VLSM
• D. Rogue DHCP server

Correct answer: B

Explanation

The IP address range 169.254.x.x indicates that the devices are using Automatic Private IP Addressing (APIPA) because they cannot obtain an IP address from the DHCP server, which suggests that the dynamic IP address pool may be exhausted. An expired IP address (A) would not lead to the use of APIPA, misconfigured VLSM (C) pertains to address planning, and a rogue DHCP server (D) would typically assign a different range, not APIPA.