What protocol provides IP addresses to hosts on a network?

• A. Address Resolution Protocol (ARP)
• B. Arpspoof
• C. Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP)
• D. Yersinia

Answer: (C)

DHCP handles dynamic IP address assignment, letting hosts obtain an IP address and other network settings automatically when they join a network. When a device connects, it participates in the DHCP process (Discover, Offer, Request, Acknowledge) to get an IP, subnet mask, default gateway, and often DNS servers, along with a lease duration. This automatic provisioning makes it easy to bring devices onto a network without manual configuration.

ARP, by contrast, is used after addressing is established to map IP addresses to MAC addresses on the local network; it doesn’t assign IPs. Arpspoof is a tool used to perform ARP spoofing for attack scenarios, not to assign addresses. Yersinia is a network testing tool for probing protocol vulnerabilities, not for IP allocation.