easyMultiple Choice
200-901 Practice Question: A network technician runs the command 'ping…
A network technician runs the command 'ping 8.8.8.8' from a workstation and receives 'Reply from 192.168.1.1: Destination host unreachable.' What does this indicate?
⚠ Common exam trap
Cisco often tests the distinction between 'Destination host unreachable' (routing issue at a router) and 'Request timed out' (no response received), leading candidates to incorrectly assume the default gateway is misconfigured or that there is no connectivity at all.
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
✓
There is a routing issue beyond the local network.
The 'Reply from 192.168.1.1: Destination host unreachable' message indicates that the local router (192.168.1.1) received the ICMP echo request for 8.8.8.8 but could not find a route to that destination in its routing table. This means the router has a valid path back to the workstation (so the default gateway is reachable), but it lacks a route to the remote network, pointing to a routing issue beyond the local subnet.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✓
There is a routing issue beyond the local network.
Why this is correct
The reply originates from the local gateway 192.168.1.1, meaning the packet reached the default router but no route existed onward to 8.8.8.8. This confirms a routing failure beyond the local subnet, matching the stem's destination-unreachable output.
- ✗
DNS resolution is failing.
Why it's wrong here
The reply came from the local gateway, proving the packet left the host and DNS was never consulted — ping used a literal IP address, so name resolution plays no part. DNS failure would instead produce a name-resolution error for a hostname, not an ICMP unreachable from 192.168.1.1.
- ✗
The default gateway is misconfigured.
Why it's wrong here
The gateway answered, so it is reachable and configured; the unreachable message means it has no route to 8.8.8.8 or its own upstream path failed. A misconfigured gateway would typically yield no reply at all, or a reply from a different address.
- ✗
The workstation has no internet connectivity.
Why it's wrong here
The gateway responded, proving the workstation reached its default router and holds a valid local configuration; the failure lies in forwarding beyond it, such as a missing route or upstream outage. It is tempting because the ping failed, but no internet connectivity is correct when the workstation cannot even reach its own gateway.
- ✗
The remote server is down.
Why it's wrong here
The reply originates from the local gateway 192.168.1.1, which cannot forward the packet or resolve a route to 8.8.8.8; the destination itself was never contacted, so its operational state is unknown. It is tempting because unreachable destinations often are offline, and a down server is correct when the echo request reaches the host and receives no response.
Visual reference
About these practice questions
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JA
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.