Which method allows a laptop to use different IP and DNS settings when switching between office and home networks?

The method that allows a laptop to use different IP and DNS settings when switching between office and home networks is the alternate IP configuration. This feature is particularly useful in environments where a device frequently moves between different networks that may have varying IP addressing schemes.

When a laptop is on a network that employs Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP), it typically obtains its IP address and DNS settings automatically. However, when the device is connected to a network that does not provide DHCP (like in some home networks), the alternate IP configuration ensures that the device can still communicate effectively by using predefined settings configured for that specific network.

In this scenario, users can set one configuration for their office network (which may involve specific IP addresses and DNS servers needed for work) and a different configuration for their home network. When the laptop detects that it is not receiving an IP address via DHCP on a new network, it automatically uses the alternate settings configured for that network.

Other methods, such as static IP configuration, would not be ideal for switching between diverse networks as they require manual changes each time. DHCP reservations offer consistent IP addresses for specific devices on a DHCP network but do not facilitate connectivity when switching networks. Dynamic DNS relates more to updating DNS records dynamically for IP addresses but does not