Which protocol is used to automatically assign IP addresses to hosts on a network?

• A. DNS
• B. FTP
• C. ARP
• D. DHCP

Answer: (D)

Automatic IP address configuration on a network is handled by DHCP, the Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol. When a device connects, it can broadcast a request to obtain an IP address, and a DHCP server offers an available address along with other network settings such as the subnet mask, default gateway, and DNS servers. The device then requests to use that address, and the server acknowledges it, leasing the IP for a specific period. This process lets devices join networks without manual configuration and helps prevent address conflicts by assigning addresses from a managed pool and tracking leases. Leases can be renewed automatically, so devices keep their IPs as needed. In contrast, DNS translates human-friendly names to IP addresses, ARP maps IPs to MAC addresses on the local link, and FTP is a file transfer protocol rather than a method for provisioning addressing.