- \item A third alternative is the use of a distributed protocol which enables
- the devices on the network to choose addresses in accordance with other
- devices on the same network, so no IP address is used more than once. In
- respect to the Internet of Things, this approach has the advantage that
- those devices can easily be used in different scenarios without needing
- central deployment at all, and also allowing them to change their addresses
- dynamically, therefore easily reacting to changes in the network. \\
- There are two major protocols which are used for dynamic configuration of IP
- addresses. In the IPv4 world, Link-Local Addressing~\cite{rfc3927} is often
- used, and in IPv6 networks, Stateless Address
- Autoconfiguration~\cite{rfc4862} is a fundamental feature built into every
- device.
-
-\end{itemize}
+Considering the TCP/IP protocol suite, in order to be able to communicate on the
+IP layer, a device needs to configure one of its network interfaces with an IP
+address that can be reached from the network that the device wants to connect
+to. Letting the user choose and configure IP addresses manually is a cumbersome
+when it comes to several devices. Deploying a central server for assigning IP
+addresses automatically from a pre-configured address pool is possible (e.~g.
+using the DHCP protocol~\cite{rfc2131}), however, there is also the alternative
+to use a distributed protocol which enables the devices on a network to choose
+addresses in accordance with each other so no IP address is used twice.
+
+In respect to the Internet of Things, this decentralized approach has the
+advantage that devices can easily be used in different scenarios, even when
+central deployment does not exist, and it also allows them to change their
+addresses dynamically in order to react to changes in the network.
+
+There are two major protocols which are used for dynamic configuration of IP
+addresses. In the IPv4 world, Link-Local Addressing~\cite{rfc3927} is often
+used, and in IPv6 networks, Stateless Address Autoconfiguration~\cite{rfc4862}
+is a fundamental feature specified in the IPv6 protocol.