High number of arp queries directed to 169.254.169.254

JRS 5 Reputation points
2023-02-21T17:00:14.4833333+00:00

I work as a network admin at a .edu We have a department that runs their own IT and lately we have seen the switch that services their devices bog down under a high number of arp queries. A Wireshark capture shows many of these are arp queries asking who has the ip address 169.254.169.254. The clients use publically routable ip addresses from our dhcp server and are not using apipa. Any suggestions what I can ask them to check for as to why their Windows 10 devices are querying for this address?

Windows 10
Windows 10
A Microsoft operating system that runs on personal computers and tablets.
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  1. Limitless Technology 43,971 Reputation points
    2023-02-23T09:42:59.24+00:00

    Hi. Thank you for your question and reaching out. I’d be more than happy to help you with your query

    The ARP query for the IP address 169.254.169.254 is most likely related to the Windows 10 Automatic Private IP Addressing (APIPA) feature. This feature is enabled by default, and it allows Windows 10 devices to automatically assign themselves a private IP address if they are unable to obtain a valid IP address from a DHCP server. This feature is used as a fallback if the DHCP server is not available or if the DHCP request fails.

    To troubleshoot this issue, you should first check that the DHCP server is available and that the Windows 10 devices are able to obtain a valid IP address from it. Additionally, you should check that the DHCP server is configured correctly and that the Windows 10 devices are configured to use the DHCP server. You should also look for any network connectivity issues that may be causing the DHCP requests to fail. Finally, you can also disable the APIPA feature on the Windows 10 devices if it is not necessary.

    If the reply was helpful, please don’t forget to upvote or accept as answer, thank you.

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  3. JRS 5 Reputation points
    2023-02-24T15:52:15.7766667+00:00

    Thanks for you reply, The hosts do have valid ip addresses from a dhcp server and are able to reach the internet so I know that isn't the issue. I'll ask them to try disabling apipa.

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  4. Nandan Pillai 0 Reputation points
    2023-03-28T16:20:16.3133333+00:00

    Just curious to know if you got a resolution to this issue? I am having the same issue too where multiple computers are trying to ask who has 169.254.X.X. They all have a valid IP from the DHCP server.

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  5. JRS 5 Reputation points
    2023-05-25T17:26:18.02+00:00

    Still seeing the same issue. If we reach a resolution I'll update the forum.

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