- A
The user's PC has an incorrect subnet mask.
Why wrong: An incorrect subnet mask could prevent reaching the default gateway if it placed the gateway outside the subnet, but the user can ping the gateway and local hosts, confirming the mask is correct.
- B
The default gateway lacks a route to the 10.10.20.0/24 network.
Since the client can ping the gateway but traceroute fails immediately after the first hop, the gateway does not know how to forward packets to 10.10.20.0/24. It either drops the packets or returns an ICMP destination unreachable, causing the observed behavior.
- C
The remote server at 10.10.20.50 is powered off.
Why wrong: If the server were down, intermediate routers between the gateway and the server would still respond to traceroute probes, showing a path before timeouts at the server. The trace only showing the gateway and then timeouts is inconsistent with a powered-off server.
- D
The user's DNS server is unreachable.
Why wrong: DNS is used for name resolution, but the user is connecting directly to an IP address. DNS failure would not affect pings or traceroute by IP.
Quick Answer
The answer is that the default gateway lacks a route to the 10.10.20.0/24 network. This is correct because the user’s PC can reach local hosts and the default gateway itself, proving Layer 2 and local IP configuration are fine, but the traceroute stops at 192.168.1.1 with timeouts—meaning the gateway receives the packets but has no entry in its routing table for the remote network, so it drops them. On the CCNA 200-301 v2 exam, this scenario tests your understanding of how a default gateway must have a specific or default route to forward traffic beyond the local subnet; a common trap is to blame the PC’s subnet mask or DNS, but the symptom of a single hop followed by silence always points to a missing route on the gateway. Remember the mnemonic: “One hop, then stop—the router’s table’s a flop.”
CCNA Network Infrastructure and Connectivity Practice Question
This 200-301 practice question tests your understanding of network infrastructure and connectivity. The scenario asks you to isolate a root cause — eliminate options that address a different problem before choosing. After answering, compare your reasoning against the explanation and wrong-answer breakdown below. Once you have made your selection, read the full explanation to reinforce the concept and understand why each distractor is designed to mislead on exam day.
A user reports that they cannot access a remote server at IP address 10.10.20.50. The user's PC has IP address 192.168.1.25/24, and the default gateway is 192.168.1.1. The user can successfully ping the default gateway and other hosts on the local subnet. However, pings to 10.10.20.50 fail, and a traceroute shows only the first hop (192.168.1.1) followed by timeouts. Which of the following is the most likely cause?
Clue words in this question
Noticing these words before you look at the options changes how you read each choice.
Clue:
"first"Why it matters: Order matters here. You are being tested on which action comes before the others — not which action is generally useful.
Clue:
"most likely"Why it matters: Probability qualifier — the question wants the most probable cause or outcome, not a guaranteed one. Eliminate low-probability options.
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
The default gateway lacks a route to the 10.10.20.0/24 network.
The user can reach local hosts and the default gateway, confirming that the PC's IP configuration and local switching are functional. The traceroute stopping at 192.168.1.1 with subsequent timeouts indicates that the default gateway receives the packets but does not know how to forward them to the 10.10.20.0/24 network. Therefore, the most likely cause is that the default gateway lacks a route to that remote subnet.
Key principle: Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
The user's PC has an incorrect subnet mask.
Why it's wrong here
An incorrect subnet mask could prevent reaching the default gateway if it placed the gateway outside the subnet, but the user can ping the gateway and local hosts, confirming the mask is correct.
- ✓
The default gateway lacks a route to the 10.10.20.0/24 network.
Why this is correct
Since the client can ping the gateway but traceroute fails immediately after the first hop, the gateway does not know how to forward packets to 10.10.20.0/24. It either drops the packets or returns an ICMP destination unreachable, causing the observed behavior.
Clue confirmation
The clue words "first", "most likely" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
The remote server at 10.10.20.50 is powered off.
Why it's wrong here
If the server were down, intermediate routers between the gateway and the server would still respond to traceroute probes, showing a path before timeouts at the server. The trace only showing the gateway and then timeouts is inconsistent with a powered-off server.
- ✗
The user's DNS server is unreachable.
Why it's wrong here
DNS is used for name resolution, but the user is connecting directly to an IP address. DNS failure would not affect pings or traceroute by IP.
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.
✓The default gateway lacks a route to the 10.10.20.0/24 network.Correct answer▾
Why this is correct
Since the client can ping the gateway but traceroute fails immediately after the first hop, the gateway does not know how to forward packets to 10.10.20.0/24. It either drops the packets or returns an ICMP destination unreachable, causing the observed behavior.
✗The user's PC has an incorrect subnet mask.Wrong answer — click to see why▾
Why this is wrong here
The user can communicate with the default gateway and other local devices, so the subnet mask is correctly configured for the local network.
✗The remote server at 10.10.20.50 is powered off.Wrong answer — click to see why▾
Why this is wrong here
A powered-off server would cause timeouts only after the last router before the server, not immediately after the first hop.
✗The user's DNS server is unreachable.Wrong answer — click to see why▾
Why this is wrong here
Because the user is using the server's IP address, DNS is not involved in this connectivity test.
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?”
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
Cisco often tests the distinction between local connectivity issues (subnet mask, ARP) and routing issues (missing routes), trapping candidates who assume a failed ping to a remote IP must be due to the destination being down or a DNS problem.
Trap categories for this question
Command / output trap
If the server were down, intermediate routers between the gateway and the server would still respond to traceroute probes, showing a path before timeouts at the server. The trace only showing the gateway and then timeouts is inconsistent with a powered-off server.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
When a router receives a packet destined for a network not in its routing table, it drops the packet and sends an ICMP Destination Unreachable (Network Unreachable) message back to the source. In this case, the default gateway (192.168.1.1) likely has no static or dynamic route for 10.10.20.0/24, causing the traceroute to time out after the first hop. A common real-world scenario is when a corporate network uses a firewall or router as the default gateway but fails to configure a route to a remote branch or cloud subnet.
KKey Concepts to Remember
- Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- Find the constraint that changes the correct option.
- Eliminate answers that are true in general but not in this case.
TExam Day Tips
- Watch for words such as best, first, most likely and least administrative effort.
- Review why wrong options are wrong, not only why the correct option is correct.
Key takeaway
Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Real-world example
How this comes up in practice
A network engineer segments a warehouse floor into three subnets: 20 scanners, 5 printers, and 2 management hosts. Picking the wrong mask wastes addresses or leaves too few usable hosts. Exam questions test whether you can apply CIDR notation, calculate block size, and identify the correct usable-host range for a given prefix.
What to study next
Got this wrong? Here's your next step.
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
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FAQ
Questions learners often ask
What does this 200-301 question test?
Network Infrastructure and Connectivity — This question tests Network Infrastructure and Connectivity — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: The default gateway lacks a route to the 10.10.20.0/24 network. — The user can reach local hosts and the default gateway, confirming that the PC's IP configuration and local switching are functional. The traceroute stopping at 192.168.1.1 with subsequent timeouts indicates that the default gateway receives the packets but does not know how to forward them to the 10.10.20.0/24 network. Therefore, the most likely cause is that the default gateway lacks a route to that remote subnet.
What should I do if I get this 200-301 question wrong?
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
Are there clue words in this question I should notice?
Yes — watch for: "first", "most likely". Order matters here. You are being tested on which action comes before the others — not which action is generally useful.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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Last reviewed: Jun 25, 2026
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.
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