What should be checked if a PC displays an IP address starting with 169.254.x.x?

An IP address that begins with 169.254.x.x indicates that the PC is using Automatic Private IP Addressing (APIPA). This typically occurs when a device is configured to obtain an IP address automatically via DHCP but fails to receive a valid address from a DHCP server.

In this scenario, the device is self-assigning an address from the APIPA range because it could not locate a DHCP server to provide a valid IP address. Checking the DNS server setting would not address this issue directly, as the immediate problem is with the lack of a valid IP address rather than a DNS-related issue.

When a device has a 169.254.x.x address, the appropriate steps usually involve checking network connectivity, such as ensuring the network cable is properly connected or there are no issues with the network hardware. If the physical connection is good, it could be helpful to restart the networking equipment or the device itself. Checking for Windows updates may be useful for system maintenance but doesn’t relate directly to the immediate networking problem indicated by the APIPA address.