What is commonly used to manage IP address allocation in a network?

Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) is a network management protocol used to automate the process of configuring devices on IP networks, allowing them to use IP addresses and other communication parameters. When a device connects to a network, DHCP assigns an IP address from a predefined range, which helps avoid conflicts and reduces the need for manual configuration. This automation streamlines network management, especially in environments with a large number of devices, making it the preferred solution for IP address allocation.

Subnetting divides a larger network into smaller segments or subnets, which can aid in network organization and efficiency but does not directly manage IP address allocation on its own. Network Address Translation (NAT) serves to map private IP addresses to a public IP address and allows multiple devices on a local network to share a single public IP address but does not allocate IP addresses dynamically. Transmission Control Protocol (TCP) is a core protocol for reliable data transmission in networking but does not play a role in IP address management. Thus, DHCP is the essential protocol for managing IP address allocation due to its dynamic, automated capabilities.