What is the function of DHCP in a network?

The function of DHCP (Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol) in a network is to automatically assign IP addresses to devices. This protocol alleviates the need for a network administrator to manually configure IP addresses for each device on the network.

When a device connects to a network, it sends a request to the DHCP server, which then assigns an available IP address from a pre-defined range (known as a DHCP pool) along with other necessary network configuration information such as subnet masks, default gateways, and DNS server addresses. This dynamic assignment process significantly reduces configuration errors and simplifies network management, especially in environments with a large number of devices.

The other options involve network functions but do not reflect the primary purpose of DHCP. Assigning static IP addresses is a manual process not associated with DHCP. Specifying DNS servers is one aspect of the configuration data that DHCP can supply, but it is not the core function of DHCP. Routing traffic between networks is a responsibility of routers, which is unrelated to the address assignment functions of DHCP.