What feature in Windows allows for self-assigned IP addresses in the absence of a DHCP server?

The correct answer is Automatic Private IP Addressing (APIPA). This feature enables a device to assign itself an IP address automatically when a Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) server is unavailable.

When a device configured to use DHCP fails to receive an IP address from a server, APIPA kicks in and assigns an IP address from a predefined range (specifically, 169.254.0.1 to 169.254.255.254). This allows the device to communicate on the local network segment, even without a DHCP server present. APIPA simplifies network configuration by ensuring that devices can still establish local connections without extensive manual setup.

Other options like static IP configuration require manual input of the IP address, making them unsuitable for situations where DHCP is unavailable. Link-local addressing is a term generally used to describe addresses that are valid only within a single network segment but doesn't specifically refer to the automatic assignment of addresses. Zero Configuration, often associated with networking protocols like Apple's Bonjour, refers to various methods for seamless connection and identification on a network, but it does not specifically handle IP address assignment in the absence of a DHCP server. Thus, APIPA is the most accurate feature for self-assigned IP addresses without a DHCP server.