Question

Two Macs on the same LAN have self-assigned IP addresses, can they still communicate with each other?

A) Yes, they can communicate with each other.
B) No, they cannot communicate with each other.
C) Communication may be intermittent but possible.
D) Only if a DHCP server is available on the network.

Answer 1

Two Mac computers with self-assigned IP addresses on the same LAN can indeed communicate with each other using their link-local addresses without the need for a DHCP server.

Step-by-step explanation:

When two Mac computers on the same LAN (Local Area Network) have self-assigned IP addresses, the typical range for these addresses is the 169.254.x.x block. This is known as a link-local address, which is used when the computer fails to obtain an IP address from a DHCP server. In this case, as long as both devices are within the same subnet, they can communicate with each other without the need for a DHCP server. Hence, the answer to the student’s question would be A) Yes, they can communicate with each other. The self-assigned IP allows for local network communication because the devices can create their IP addresses without external assistance and still be able to locate and communicate with other devices on the same link-local network.