What does DHCP provide?

• A. Only IP address.
• B. Only DNS information.
• C. IP address, subnet mask, default gateway, and DNS servers.
• D. A secure channel between client and server.

Answer: (C)

DHCP automates network configuration by delivering the settings a host needs to operate on the network. When a client joins, it doesn’t manually enter everything; it gets an IP address so it can be uniquely identified on the local network, a subnet mask to define which portion of the address identifies the network, a default gateway so it can reach other networks, and DNS server addresses so domain names can be resolved to IPs. These parameters are provided in one streamlined process from a DHCP server, and they can be renewed automatically as leases expire. While DHCP can offer other options like domain names or additional services, the essential configuration it supplies is that combination of IP address, subnet mask, default gateway, and DNS servers. It isn’t meant to establish a secure channel between client and server, which is outside DHCP’s purpose.