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200-901 Practice Question: A company has a DHCP server that assigns IP…
A company has a DHCP server that assigns IP addresses from a scope of 192.168.10.0/24. A new device receives IP 192.168.10.100/24 but cannot access the internet. The default gateway is 192.168.10.1. What is the most likely issue?
⚠ Common exam trap
Cisco often tests the concept that a valid IP address and subnet mask do not guarantee internet access; the default gateway must be reachable, and candidates may mistakenly blame DNS or DHCP exhaustion when the real issue is Layer 3 connectivity to the gateway.
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 is not reachable from the device.
The device received a valid IP address (192.168.10.100/24) and subnet mask from the DHCP server, but it cannot access the internet. Since the default gateway is 192.168.10.1, the most likely cause is that the device cannot reach the gateway, which is required to route traffic outside the local subnet. Without connectivity to the default gateway, the device cannot forward packets to external networks, even though its IP configuration is otherwise correct.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
DNS server is unreachable.
Why it's wrong here
Even with DNS issues, IP-based access would work if gateway is reachable.
- ✗
The DHCP scope is exhausted.
Why it's wrong here
The device received an IP, so scope is not exhausted.
- ✗
The device has a duplicate IP address.
Why it's wrong here
Duplicate IP would cause intermittent issues, not complete inability to access internet.
- ✓
The default gateway is not reachable from the device.
Why this is correct
This is the most direct cause: if the gateway is down or not on the same VLAN, traffic cannot exit.
- ✗
The device's subnet mask is incorrect.
Why it's wrong here
/24 is correct for that range.
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Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
This 200-901 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 200-901 exam.