APIPA stands for Automatic Private IP Addressing. It is a feature found in some operating systems, particularly Windows, that allows a device to automatically assign itself a private IP address when a DHCP (Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol) server is unavailable or unreachable.
There are some key points about APIPA:-
Purpose: APIPA enables devices on a network to communicate with each other even when they cannot access a DHCP server to obtain a valid IP address. This is particularly useful in small home or office networks where a DHCP server may not be configured or available.
IP Address Range: The IP address range used by APIPA is from 169.254.1.0 to 169.254.254.255, with the subnet mask automatically set to 255.255.0.0 (meaning the network portion is 169.254.0.0/16). Devices assign themselves an IP address within this range if they cannot obtain one from a DHCP server.
Automatic Assignment: When a device with APIPA enabled cannot find a DHCP server during its startup process or network configuration, it will assign itself a random IP address within the APIPA range.
Limited Functionality: Devices using APIPA can communicate with each other on the same subnet but cannot access devices outside their subnet or the internet. This is because APIPA addresses are not routable on the public internet.
Disabling APIPA: While APIPA is generally beneficial in small networks or as a fallback mechanism, it can be disabled if a DHCP server is always available and providing IP addresses. Disabling APIPA ensures that devices do not randomly assign IP addresses, which could potentially cause conflicts on the network.
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