CompTIA Network+ Practice Test

The difference between DHCP in IPv6 and in IPv4 primarily lies in the incorporation of stateless addressing in IPv6. In IPv6, DHCP can operate in two modes: stateful and stateless. Stateful DHCPv6 functions similarly to DHCP for IPv4, where the server maintains a record of the addresses it assigns. However, the stateless configuration allows devices to use the Neighbor Discovery Protocol to generate their own addresses based on network prefix information announced by routers, while DHCPv6 can provide additional configuration parameters, such as DNS information, without actually assigning an IPv6 address to the devices.

This stateless address autoconfiguration capability is a key enhancement over traditional DHCP in IPv4, which relies entirely on a centralized server for address assignment. By allowing devices to autonomously create their own addresses while still receiving other necessary configuration information, IPv6 improves efficiency and reduces reliance on DHCP servers for IP address management.

In contrast, options that refer to extensive server configuration, the requirement for stateful addressing for every device, or the use of broadcast messages for address discovery do not accurately reflect how IPv6’s DHCP operates. In IPv6, the addressing can often be stateless and the communication is done via multicast rather than broadcast, differentiating it further from