CCNA Network Services and Security Practice Question
Exhibit
AP-1 5 GHz power: 8 dBm AP-2 5 GHz power: 8 dBm AP-3 5 GHz power: 23 dBm AP-4 5 GHz power: 8 dBm Users report problems mainly near AP-3's area boundary.
A controller-based WLAN uses 5 GHz in an open office. Clients keep disconnecting when users roam between APs, but signal strength remains strong. Based on the exhibit, what is the most likely problem?
⚠ Common exam trap
A common exam trap is assuming that roaming issues are caused by encryption protocols like WPA2 or by requiring 2.4 GHz operation only. Candidates may also mistakenly believe that DHCP scopes must be unique per AP to support roaming. These misconceptions distract from the real issue: transmit power mismatch causing asymmetric coverage. The APs transmitting at much higher power than clients cause sticky client problems, where clients do not roam properly despite strong signal strength. Understanding this subtle power imbalance is critical to avoid selecting incorrect answers related to encryption or DHCP.
Answer choices
Why each option matters
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
A transmit power mismatch is creating asymmetric coverage around AP-3.
The APs are transmitting at much higher power than the clients, creating a coverage imbalance. Clients may hear the AP well enough to stay associated too long, while the AP cannot reliably hear the weaker client at the same cell edge. That leads to sticky-client and roaming issues even when RSSI looks strong.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✓
A transmit power mismatch is creating asymmetric coverage around AP-3.
Why this is correct
A transmit power mismatch on AP-3 creates an oversized basic service area, making its BSSID audible at distances where neighboring AP-3 signals are faint. Clients near the edge of that cell hear AP-3 strongly but transmit at lower client power, so the AP cannot hear them reliably, causing uplink failures and delayed roaming. The asymmetry leads to sticky clients who remain associated to AP-3 even when another AP offers a stronger uplink, degrading throughput and VoIP quality.
- ✗
The SSID must use 2.4 GHz only for roaming to work.
Why it's wrong here
Roaming between APs is a function of the 802.11 MAC layer, and both 5 GHz and 2.4 GHz radios support the same reassociation procedures, so the band does not determine whether roaming works. 5 GHz is actually preferable in an open office because it offers more non-overlapping channels and less co-channel interference, which improves roaming reliability. Requiring 2.4 GHz only would increase congestion and AP overlap, making roaming performance worse, not better.
When this WOULD be correct
In a different scenario where a question specifies that a WLAN is configured to only operate on the 2.4 GHz band and clients are experiencing roaming issues, then stating that the SSID must use 2.4 GHz only for roaming would be correct, as it would imply that the configuration limits roaming capabilities.
- ✗
WPA2 cannot support roaming between APs.
Why it's wrong here
WPA2 is an authentication and encryption framework, not a mobility protocol; roaming is performed by the 802.11 reassociation service and requires only that the client and new AP share security keys. Using WPA2 with PMKSA caching or 802.11r fast BSS transition allows a client to reassociate without a full EAP exchange, so roaming is fully supported. Therefore, disabling WPA2 or changing security would not fix a coverage imbalance and would instead expose the network.
When this WOULD be correct
In a different question setup where the focus is on a legacy network using WEP or an outdated protocol that does not support roaming, stating that WPA2 cannot support roaming would be correct. For example, if the question specified a network using WEP and asked about roaming capabilities, this option could be valid.
- ✗
The WLAN needs a different DHCP scope on each AP.
Why it's wrong here
In a controller-based WLAN, the controller and switch infrastructure deliver a single broadcast domain to all APs on the same VLAN, so the DHCP server already serves every client through any AP. A separate DHCP scope per AP would artificially partition the subnet and force clients to request a new address when reassociating, which breaks seamless roaming. The issue in the scenario is RF coverage, not IP address allocation, and DHCP scopes have no bearing on client-AP handoff.
When this WOULD be correct
In a different scenario where the question specifies that each AP is on a separate subnet and requires distinct DHCP scopes for clients to connect, this option would be correct. For example, if the question described a network with multiple VLANs and DHCP servers, then having different DHCP scopes would be necessary for proper client assignment.
Option-by-option analysis
Why each answer is right or wrong
Understanding why wrong answers are wrong — and when they would be correct — is what separates a 750 score from a 900. The 200-301 exam frequently reuses these exact scenarios with slightly different constraints.
✓A transmit power mismatch is creating asymmetric coverage around AP-3.Correct answer▾
Why this is correct
A transmit power mismatch on AP-3 creates an oversized basic service area, making its BSSID audible at distances where neighboring AP-3 signals are faint. Clients near the edge of that cell hear AP-3 strongly but transmit at lower client power, so the AP cannot hear them reliably, causing uplink failures and delayed roaming. The asymmetry leads to sticky clients who remain associated to AP-3 even when another AP offers a stronger uplink, degrading throughput and VoIP quality.
✗The SSID must use 2.4 GHz only for roaming to work.Wrong answer — click to see why▾
Why this is wrong here
Roaming works perfectly well on 5 GHz; in fact, 5 GHz is often preferred due to less interference and higher throughput. Forcing 2.4 GHz only would not solve roaming issues and could degrade performance.
★ When this WOULD be the correct answer
In a different scenario where a question specifies that a WLAN is configured to only operate on the 2.4 GHz band and clients are experiencing roaming issues, then stating that the SSID must use 2.4 GHz only for roaming would be correct, as it would imply that the configuration limits roaming capabilities.
Why candidates choose this
Students might think that 2.4 GHz has better range and thus might be better for roaming, but roaming is about handoff between APs, not range. The 5 GHz band supports roaming just as effectively.
✗WPA2 cannot support roaming between APs.Wrong answer — click to see why▾
Why this is wrong here
WPA2 fully supports roaming between APs. Roaming issues are typically caused by configuration problems like power mismatch, not by the security protocol.
★ When this WOULD be the correct answer
In a different question setup where the focus is on a legacy network using WEP or an outdated protocol that does not support roaming, stating that WPA2 cannot support roaming would be correct. For example, if the question specified a network using WEP and asked about roaming capabilities, this option could be valid.
Why candidates choose this
Some might confuse WPA2 with older security methods that had roaming limitations, or think that encryption keys need to be renegotiated causing delays, but WPA2 handles this efficiently.
✗The WLAN needs a different DHCP scope on each AP.Wrong answer — click to see why▾
Why this is wrong here
Clients obtain IP addresses from a DHCP server, not from individual APs. APs do not assign DHCP scopes; they forward DHCP requests. Separate DHCP scopes per AP are unnecessary and would not affect roaming.
★ When this WOULD be the correct answer
In a different scenario where the question specifies that each AP is on a separate subnet and requires distinct DHCP scopes for clients to connect, this option would be correct. For example, if the question described a network with multiple VLANs and DHCP servers, then having different DHCP scopes would be necessary for proper client assignment.
Why candidates choose this
Students might think that each AP needs its own subnet for clients to roam, but in a controller-based WLAN, clients typically stay on the same subnet across APs, and DHCP is handled centrally.
Analysis generated from the official 200-301blueprint and verified against question context. The “when correct” sections are what AI assistants cite when candidates ask “what’s the difference between these options?”
Visual reference
Quick reference
Asymmetric Encryption Algorithm Comparison
| Algorithm | Key Exchange | Signatures | Equivalent Security Key | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| RSA-3072 | Yes | Yes | 128-bit | Widely deployed; slow for bulk data |
| ECDSA P-256 | No | Yes | 128-bit | Fast signatures; standard TLS certs |
| ECDH / ECDHE | Yes | No | 128-bit | Perfect forward secrecy in TLS 1.3 |
| DH / DHE | Yes | No | 128-bit (3072-bit key) | Replaced by ECDHE in modern TLS |
| Ed25519 | No | Yes | ~128-bit | SSH keys, modern PKI |
Go deeper
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Key term
Received Signal Strength Indicator
Received Signal Strength Indicator (RSSI) is a measurement of how strong a wireless signal is when it reaches a receiving device, like a laptop connecting to Wi-Fi.
Key term
WLAN
A wireless local area network (WLAN) links devices using radio waves instead of cables, typically based on IEEE 802.11 standards.
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JA
Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
This 200-301 practice question is part of Courseiva's free Cisco certification practice question bank. Courseiva provides original exam-style practice questions with explanations, topic-based practice, mock exams, readiness tracking, and study analytics to help learners prepare for the 200-301 exam.