Which service automatically assigns IP addresses to workstations?

The service that automatically assigns IP addresses to workstations is Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol, commonly known as DHCP. DHCP is used in networks to allow devices to request and obtain an IP address dynamically without requiring manual configuration by a network administrator.

When a workstation connects to a network, it sends a broadcast request to find a DHCP server. The server then assigns an available IP address from a predefined range (also known as a DHCP pool) and communicates this information to the workstation. This process simplifies the management of IP addresses in a network, particularly in environments with a large number of devices that frequently connect and disconnect.

In contrast, DNS (Domain Name System) is responsible for translating human-readable domain names into IP addresses, which helps browsers locate the desired resources on the internet. FTP (File Transfer Protocol) is used for transferring files over a network, while HTTP (Hypertext Transfer Protocol) is the foundation of data communication on the web, handling request-response actions between clients and servers. None of these services are involved in the automatic assignment of IP addresses like DHCP is.