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169.254.0.0/16

169.254.0.0/16 is link-local

Last updated 2 Nov 2026 from the IANA IPv4 Special-Purpose Address Registry

Short answer

169.254.0.0/16 is link-local: a device picks one itself when it could not get an address from the network.

Block169.254.0.0/16
First – last169.254.0.0 – 169.254.255.255
Size65,536 addresses
Name in the registryLink Local
Defined inRFC 3927
Allocated2005-05
Valid as source / destinationTrue / True
ForwardableFalse
Globally reachableFalse

What it means

RFC 3927 lets a device assign itself an address in 169.254.0.0/16 when no DHCP server answers. Windows calls this APIPA. Devices on the same cable or Wi-Fi can still talk to each other, but nothing is routed beyond that link.

Seeing a 169.254 address almost always means the device has no working connection to the router.

What to do

  • Restart the router and the device, or reconnect to Wi-Fi.
  • Check the cable or that the router’s DHCP server is turned on.

Want the address websites actually see for you? Open the Truth Check.

Sources

  1. IANA IPv4 Special-Purpose Address Registry (CC0) · checked 2 Nov 2026
  2. RFC 3927