PC Reboot Issue: DHCP Scope Exhaustion

After rebooting a PC, a user is no longer able to connect to the corporate network.

As a test, the technician plugs a different laptop into the same network jack and receives an IP address of 169.254.112.137

Which of the following is MOST likely causing the issue?

A.

DHCP scope exhaustion

B.

Improper DNS setting

C.

Incorrect ACL setting

D.

Port-security violation.

A.

The IP address 169.254.112.137 is an Automatic Private IP Address (APIPA) that a device assigns to itself when it is unable to obtain an IP address from a DHCP server. This address indicates that the laptop is not receiving a DHCP lease from the corporate network.

The most likely cause of this issue is DHCP scope exhaustion, which occurs when all available IP addresses in the DHCP pool have been allocated to devices. As a result, new devices that attempt to connect to the network are unable to obtain an IP address and are assigned an APIPA address.

To confirm that this is the issue, the technician should check the DHCP server logs to determine whether the scope has been exhausted. If the logs indicate that the scope is full, the technician will need to expand the DHCP pool to accommodate additional devices.

Improper DNS settings, incorrect ACL settings, and port-security violations are less likely causes of this issue. Improper DNS settings could prevent the laptop from resolving domain names, but it would not cause the laptop to receive an APIPA address. Incorrect ACL settings could prevent the laptop from communicating with the network, but it would not cause the laptop to receive an APIPA address. Port-security violations could prevent the laptop from connecting to the network, but it would not cause the laptop to receive an APIPA address.