What is a DHCP scope?

A DHCP scope refers to a specific range of IP addresses that a Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) server is configured to hand out to clients on a network. When a device connects to the network and requests an IP address, the DHCP server assigns an address from this predefined range, ensuring that the same address is not assigned to multiple devices simultaneously. This dynamic assignment simplifies network management and helps prevent IP address conflicts.

The choice about static IP configurations is not correct because a DHCP scope specifically deals with dynamic assignments, while static configurations involve fixed addresses that do not change over time. Similarly, while reserved IP addresses are a part of DHCP, they represent specific addresses set aside for particular devices (for example, printers or servers), rather than the overall range that can be assigned dynamically. Lastly, tracking network usage is unrelated to the concept of a DHCP scope, as it pertains more to monitoring traffic rather than the allocation of IP addresses. Thus, the definition that encapsulates the essence of what a DHCP scope represents is the range of IP addresses designated for distribution by a DHCP server.