CompTIA Network+ Practice Test

Which IP address configuration method does DHCP NOT utilize in IPv6?

1. Dynamic IP assignment

2. Stateless address assignment

3. Lease time management

4. IPv6 prefix configuration

The correct answer is: Lease time management

The correct answer highlights that lease time management is not utilized by DHCP in the context of IPv6. In IPv4, the Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) assigns IP addresses along with a specified lease time during which the address is granted to the client. This lease time can be renewed or released, which is a fundamental mechanism of DHCP for IPv4. However, when it comes to IPv6, there are two primary address configuration methods: stateful address configuration (which involves the traditional DHCP) and stateless address configuration. In stateless address autoconfiguration, a device can generate its own IP address using a combination of the prefix information from a router advertisement and the device's MAC address. This means that there’s no need for a lease or management of IP addresses, as each device autonomously sets its address. While DHCPv6 can still be used for dynamic assignments in IPv6, it does not manage leases in the same way that it does in IPv4, since the concept of lease times does not apply in the same manner to stateless configurations. Therefore, the absence of lease time management in DHCP's operation for IPv6 makes this choice the correct answer in the context of the question.