What does an IP address in the 169.254.x.x range indicate?

An IP address in the 169.254.x.x range indicates that the device has assigned itself an Automatic Private IP Addressing (APIPA) address. This typically occurs when a device configured to obtain an IP address automatically via DHCP is unable to communicate with a DHCP server. As a result, it defaults to an IP address within this specific range, which allows the device to communicate with other devices on the same local network that may also be using APIPA. This self-assignment enables limited local networking capabilities, but the device will not be able to connect to the internet or other networks until proper DHCP configuration is restored.