200-901 Network Fundamentals Practice Question
A developer is writing a script that must resolve a hostname to an IPv4 address before making an HTTP request. The script uses a DNS resolver library and needs to query for the appropriate record type. Which DNS record type should the script query to obtain the IPv4 address?
⚠ Common exam trap
The trap here is mixing up A and AAAA records, or assuming that a CNAME directly returns an IP address, when only the A record provides IPv4 resolution.
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
The A record is the DNS record type that maps a hostname to an IPv4 address. When a script needs to resolve a hostname to an IPv4 address for an HTTP request, it should query for an A record. Other record types serve different purposes, such as AAAA for IPv6, CNAME for aliases, and MX for mail routing.
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
Why this is correct
An A record maps a hostname to an IPv4 address. Querying for an A record returns the IPv4 address needed to establish the HTTP connection. This is the standard record type for IPv4 resolution and directly answers the scenario's requirement.
- ✗
CNAME
Why it's wrong here
A CNAME record creates an alias from one hostname to another. It does not directly provide an IP address; the resolver would need to follow the alias and then query for an A or AAAA record. Therefore, it does not satisfy the need to obtain an IPv4 address directly.
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MX
Why it's wrong here
An MX record specifies mail exchange servers for a domain. It is used for email routing and has no role in resolving a hostname to an IPv4 address for HTTP. Querying MX would return mail server information, which is irrelevant to the scenario.
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AAAA
Why it's wrong here
An AAAA record maps a hostname to an IPv6 address, not an IPv4 address. While IPv6 is increasingly common, the scenario specifically asks for an IPv4 address, so querying AAAA would return the wrong address family and fail the requirement.
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JA
Written and reviewed by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
Last reviewed September 2026 · checked against the official Cisco exam blueprint
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.