18. A technician installs a new router at a small office. After the installation, the technician notices that all devices have a 169.254.X.X IP address. Printers and fileshares are still working, but PCs cannot access the Internet. Which of the following should the technician configure on the router to enable devices to connect to the internet?
Answer: C
Configuring DHCP on the router will enable devices to connect to the Internet.
To allow devices to connect to the internet, the technician should configure DHCP on the router. DHCP assigns IP addresses to devices on the network, which is necessary since the current 169.254.X.X addresses indicate that devices are using Automatic Private IP Addressing (APIPA), resulting in limited network connectivity.
A) APIPA
APIPA is a feature that allows devices to self-assign an IP address when a DHCP server is not available. While it enables local communication between devices (such as printers and file shares), it does not provide a valid IP address for internet access, thus making it an incorrect choice for enabling internet connectivity.
B) DNS
DNS (Domain Name System) translates domain names into IP addresses, enabling users to access websites using human-readable addresses. However, simply configuring DNS does not resolve the issue of devices receiving 169.254.X.X addresses, as they would still lack valid IP addresses from a DHCP server to access the internet.
C) DHCP
Configuring DHCP on the router is essential because it automatically assigns valid IP addresses to all devices on the network, allowing them to communicate with each other and access the internet. This addresses the issue of devices having APIPA addresses and is the correct solution for restoring internet connectivity.
D) SMB
SMB (Server Message Block) is a network protocol used for file sharing and printer services within a local network. While it is useful for enabling communication between devices, it does not address the need for devices to obtain valid IP addresses for internet access, making it an incorrect option in this context.
Conclusion
Configuring DHCP on the router is the definitive solution to enable internet connectivity for the devices in the small office, as it provides the necessary valid IP addresses. Other options, such as APIPA, DNS, and SMB, do not address the core issue of network configuration required for internet access. Thus, only DHCP effectively resolves the situation presented.