A technician is configuring a new server on the network. The technician wants the server to be a default gateway for network devices. Which of the following should the technician use to BEST provide…

A static IP configured outside the DHCP scope works functionally but is not tracked by the DHCP server, increasing the risk of undocumented IP conflicts and making address management inconsistent across the environment.

A DHCP scope reservation binds a specific IP address to the server's MAC address within the DHCP server, ensuring the server always receives the same IP on every lease renewal. This is preferred over a purely manual static IP because it centralizes IP address management, reduces the risk of undocumented conflicts, and keeps the address visible and controlled within the DHCP infrastructure.

A dynamic IP assigned by DHCP can change between lease renewals, making the server unreliable as a default gateway since all network devices depend on a fixed, unchanging gateway IP.

A publicly routable IP is only necessary for internet-facing hosts and is not required or appropriate for a default gateway serving devices on an internal network segment.