Which protocol uses stateful address auto-configuration to assign IPv6 addresses?

Which protocol uses stateful address auto-configuration to assign IPv6 addresses?

• A. SLAAC
• B. DHCPv6
• C. NDP
• D. ICMPv6

Answer: (B)

Stateful address configuration means a server assigns and keeps track of each host’s address. DHCPv6 does exactly that: a DHCPv6 server hands out IPv6 addresses to clients, maintains leases, and can provide additional settings like DNS servers. That’s why it’s the correct choice for stateful address assignment. In contrast, SLAAC builds an address on the host using the network prefix advertised by routers, without a central server tracking leases (stateless). NDP is about neighbor discovery, duplicate address detection, and on-link determination, not assigning addresses. ICMPv6 handles error messages and diagnostics, not address assignment.

Stateful address configuration means a server assigns and keeps track of each host’s address. DHCPv6 does exactly that: a DHCPv6 server hands out IPv6 addresses to clients, maintains leases, and can provide additional settings like DNS servers. That’s why it’s the correct choice for stateful address assignment.

In contrast, SLAAC builds an address on the host using the network prefix advertised by routers, without a central server tracking leases (stateless). NDP is about neighbor discovery, duplicate address detection, and on-link determination, not assigning addresses. ICMPv6 handles error messages and diagnostics, not address assignment.