DHCP (Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol) is a network service that automatically assigns IP addresses and other configuration parameters to devices that request them. DHCP simplifies the management of IP addresses and avoids conflicts and errors. An APIPA (Automatic Private IP Addressing) is a feature of Windows that assigns a default IP address in the range of 169.254.x.x to a device when it cannot obtain a valid IP address from a DHCP server. An APIPA indicates that there is a problem with the DHCP service or the network connectivity between the device and the DHCP server.