An administrator has just installed a new NIC into the server. The system POSTs fine and the NIC is recognized by the OS, but it does not receive an IP address. Which of the following is the MOST like

If the NIC were not on the Hardware Compatibility List (HCL), it might not be recognized by the OS at all or would exhibit driver-related errors, not just a failure to obtain an IP address once recognized.

An incorrect driver might prevent the NIC from being recognized or functioning at all, but since the OS recognizes it, a fundamental physical connectivity issue is more likely than a driver preventing *only* IP address acquisition.

If the patch cable is not properly seated, the physical link to the network switch or router cannot be established. Without a physical link, the NIC cannot communicate with a DHCP server to request an IP address, even if the NIC hardware and drivers are correctly recognized by the OS.

If the NIC were not seated properly in its slot, the server would likely not POST correctly, or the NIC would not be recognized by the OS in the first place.