Question

What does an assigned ip address 169.254.x.x indicate?

Answer 1

Generally, a 169 IP address means that your computer wasn't able to talk to a DHCP server. Usually that means that your router is wedged and needs to be rebooted, or that your Wi-Fi isn't working at all. A good starting point is to reboot your router and your laptop.

Answer 2

Following are some addresses that indicate a problem with your connection: 169.254.x.x: This is what's called an Automatic Private IP address. An IP in this range means that the computer cannot see the network. A computer using DHCP needs to have an external server tell it what IP address to use.