In IPv6, what feature allows devices to configure their own addresses without a DHCP server?

• A. IPv6 Packet Switching
• B. Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCPv6)
• C. Stateless Address Autoconfiguration (SLAAC)
• D. Neighbor Discovery Protocol (NDP)

Answer: (C)

Stateless Address Autoconfiguration lets devices set up their own IPv6 addresses without a DHCP server. When a host connects, it listens for Router Advertisement messages from local routers. These advertisements carry the network prefix, which the host combines with an interface identifier (often derived from the MAC address or generated randomly) to form a complete IPv6 address. This process is stateless because no server keeps track of each device’s address; the host generates it based on the prefix information it receives.

DHCPv6 would rely on a DHCP server to assign addresses, which is not what you want when a server isn’t present. NDP (Neighbor Discovery Protocol) provides the mechanisms for discovery and for delivering Router Advertisements, but the act of autoconfiguring an address is accomplished by SLAAC, i.e., Stateless Address Autoconfiguration. IPv6 Packet Switching is not a mechanism used for address configuration.