What protocol provides IP addresses to hosts on a network?

What protocol provides IP addresses to hosts on a network?

• A. Address Resolution Protocol (ARP)
• B. Arpspoof
• C. Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP)
• D. Yersinia

Answer: (C)

DHCP handles dynamic IP address assignment, letting hosts obtain an IP address and other network settings automatically when they join a network. When a device connects, it participates in the DHCP process (Discover, Offer, Request, Acknowledge) to get an IP, subnet mask, default gateway, and often DNS servers, along with a lease duration. This automatic provisioning makes it easy to bring devices onto a network without manual configuration. ARP, by contrast, is used after addressing is established to map IP addresses to MAC addresses on the local network; it doesn’t assign IPs. Arpspoof is a tool used to perform ARP spoofing for attack scenarios, not to assign addresses. Yersinia is a network testing tool for probing protocol vulnerabilities, not for IP allocation.

DHCP handles dynamic IP address assignment, letting hosts obtain an IP address and other network settings automatically when they join a network. When a device connects, it participates in the DHCP process (Discover, Offer, Request, Acknowledge) to get an IP, subnet mask, default gateway, and often DNS servers, along with a lease duration. This automatic provisioning makes it easy to bring devices onto a network without manual configuration.

ARP, by contrast, is used after addressing is established to map IP addresses to MAC addresses on the local network; it doesn’t assign IPs. Arpspoof is a tool used to perform ARP spoofing for attack scenarios, not to assign addresses. Yersinia is a network testing tool for probing protocol vulnerabilities, not for IP allocation.