CCNA Switching and Network Access Practice Question
An AP broadcasts the correct SSID, but many clients on one floor experience poor performance while the same SSID works well on another floor. Which category of issue is most strongly suggested first?
⚠ Common exam trap
Avoid assuming that SSID issues are always configuration-related; consider environmental factors when performance issues are location-specific.
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 radio-frequency or local wireless environment issue on that floor
The issue is location-specific, with performance problems only on one floor. This strongly suggests a local radio frequency (RF) or wireless environment issue such as interference, signal attenuation, or channel congestion on that floor. The SSID is correctly broadcast because clients on other floors connect successfully, so option B (misspelling) is not plausible. Options C and D are unrelated to wireless performance: BGP is a routing protocol not used in basic WLAN deployments, and IPv6 loopback addressing does not affect client connectivity or throughput. Therefore, the most direct and likely first suspect is an RF or environmental issue on that specific floor.
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 radio-frequency or local wireless environment issue on that floor
Why this is correct
The problem is strictly local to that floor while the AP continues to broadcast the correct SSID, which isolates the fault to Layer 1 RF conditions rather than the WLAN configuration. Interference from co-channel neighboring APs, physical obstructions, or RF absorption by building materials can degrade signal-to-noise ratio enough to cause client disconnects or poor throughput even though the beacon remains visible. This matches the symptom of a location-specific environmental issue.
- ✗
The SSID name must be misspelled only on that floor
Why it's wrong here
If the SSID were misspelled only on that floor, the AP would advertise a different network name, and clients on that floor would not see the correct SSID as stated in the question. Because the correct SSID is being broadcast and clients on other floors connect successfully, the issue cannot be a typographical configuration error. This option conflates a configuration mistake with a symptom where the SSID is present but performance is degraded.
When this WOULD be correct
In a scenario where a question specifies that clients are unable to connect to the SSID at all on one floor while it works perfectly on another, and the problem is attributed to a typo in the SSID configuration on that specific floor, then this option would be correct.
- ✗
BGP autonomous system mismatch
Why it's wrong here
BGP (Border Gateway Protocol) is an exterior gateway protocol used to exchange routing information between autonomous systems on the public internet or between provider networks. An ASN mismatch would prevent interdomain routing, but it has no bearing on the operation of an enterprise campus WLAN or the radio-frequency behavior of a specific floor. Since the SSID is reachable and working elsewhere, the fault lies at the wireless layer, not in Layer 3 routing policies.
When this WOULD be correct
If the exam question described a scenario where multiple networks are interconnected and clients on one floor are unable to reach external resources due to routing issues, a BGP autonomous system mismatch could be the correct answer, indicating a problem with inter-network routing.
- ✗
IPv6 loopback addressing on the clients
Why it's wrong here
An IPv6 loopback address (::1) is only used for local host testing and cannot be assigned to a client's network interface as a valid global or link-local address. Misconfiguration of IPv6 addressing would not affect the AP's beacon transmission or the association process, nor would it produce a floor-specific RF problem. This option is incompatible with the observed wireless behavior and incorrectly targets client IP stack settings instead of the local radio environment.
When this WOULD be correct
In a different question scenario where clients are unable to connect to the network at all, and the question specifies that the issue is related to IPv6 configurations, a focus on loopback addressing could be correct if the loopback address is incorrectly configured, preventing proper communication over the network.
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 radio-frequency or local wireless environment issue on that floorCorrect answer▾
Why this is correct
The problem is strictly local to that floor while the AP continues to broadcast the correct SSID, which isolates the fault to Layer 1 RF conditions rather than the WLAN configuration. Interference from co-channel neighboring APs, physical obstructions, or RF absorption by building materials can degrade signal-to-noise ratio enough to cause client disconnects or poor throughput even though the beacon remains visible. This matches the symptom of a location-specific environmental issue.
✗The SSID name must be misspelled only on that floorWrong answer — click to see why▾
Why this is wrong here
This option is wrong because the SSID is correctly broadcasted, indicating that the name is not misspelled. Poor performance on one floor suggests environmental issues rather than naming errors.
★ When this WOULD be the correct answer
In a scenario where a question specifies that clients are unable to connect to the SSID at all on one floor while it works perfectly on another, and the problem is attributed to a typo in the SSID configuration on that specific floor, then this option would be correct.
Why candidates choose this
Candidates may choose this option due to a common misconception that connectivity issues often stem from simple configuration errors, such as misspellings, rather than more complex environmental factors.
✗BGP autonomous system mismatchWrong answer — click to see why▾
Why this is wrong here
BGP autonomous system mismatch is unrelated to the performance issues experienced by clients on a specific floor since BGP primarily deals with routing between different networks rather than local wireless connectivity.
★ When this WOULD be the correct answer
If the exam question described a scenario where multiple networks are interconnected and clients on one floor are unable to reach external resources due to routing issues, a BGP autonomous system mismatch could be the correct answer, indicating a problem with inter-network routing.
Why candidates choose this
Candidates may confuse the symptoms of poor performance with broader network issues, leading them to incorrectly associate routing protocols like BGP with local connectivity problems, especially if they lack familiarity with wireless troubleshooting.
✗IPv6 loopback addressing on the clientsWrong answer — click to see why▾
Why this is wrong here
IPv6 loopback addressing is not relevant to the performance issues experienced by clients on a specific floor, as loopback addresses are used for internal testing and do not affect wireless connectivity or performance in a multi-floor environment.
★ When this WOULD be the correct answer
In a different question scenario where clients are unable to connect to the network at all, and the question specifies that the issue is related to IPv6 configurations, a focus on loopback addressing could be correct if the loopback address is incorrectly configured, preventing proper communication over the network.
Why candidates choose this
Candidates may choose this option due to a misunderstanding of how IPv6 addressing works, mistakenly believing that loopback addressing could impact client connectivity in a wireless environment, especially if they are familiar with IPv4 addressing concepts.
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?”
Quick reference
Routing Protocol Comparison
| Protocol | Metric | Max Hops | Algorithm | Type |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| RIP v2 | Hop count | 15 | Bellman-Ford | Distance vector |
| OSPF | Cost (bandwidth) | Unlimited | Dijkstra (SPF) | Link state |
| EIGRP | Composite metric | Unlimited | DUAL | Hybrid |
| IS-IS | Cost | Unlimited | Dijkstra | Link state |
| BGP | Policy / attributes | Unlimited | Path vector | Path vector |
RIP's 15-hop limit makes it unsuitable for large networks. OSPF and EIGRP dominate modern enterprise deployments.
Go deeper
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Key term
Throughput
Throughput is the rate at which data is successfully transferred from one point to another over a network, typically measured in bits per second.
Key term
Border Gateway Protocol
Border Gateway Protocol (BGP) is the routing protocol that directs data packets between the autonomous systems that make up the global internet.
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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.