Editing IP address (section)

===Address autoconfiguration===
Address block {{IPaddr|169.254.0.0|16}} is defined for the special use of link-local addressing for IPv4 networks.{{Ref RFC|6890}} In IPv6, every interface, whether using static or dynamic addresses, also receives a link-local address automatically in the block {{IPaddr|fe80::|10}}.<ref name=rfc6890 /> These addresses are only valid on the link, such as a local network segment or point-to-point connection, to which a host is connected. These addresses are not routable and, like private addresses, cannot be the source or destination of packets traversing the Internet.

When the link-local IPv4 address block was reserved, no standards existed for mechanisms of address autoconfiguration. Filling the void, [[Microsoft]] developed a protocol called [[Automatic Private IP Addressing]] (APIPA), whose first public implementation appeared in [[Windows 98]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=DHCP and Automatic Private IP Addressing |url=https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/previous-versions/windows/it-pro/windows-2000-server/cc958957(v%3dtechnet.10) |access-date=3 September 2023 |website=Microsoft Learn |language=en-us}}</ref> APIPA has been deployed on millions of machines and became a [[de facto standard|''de facto'' standard]] in the industry. In May 2005, the [[IETF]] defined a formal standard for it.{{Ref RFC|3927}}