hardMultiple Choice
220-1201 Practice Question: A technician is troubleshooting a customer's home…
A technician is troubleshooting a customer's home network where the desktop PC is wired to the router, but the wireless printer intermittently disappears from the network. The printer is connected via Wi-Fi to the same router. After checking, the technician finds that the printer's IP address is in the 169.254.x.x range. Which network type is the printer attempting to use, and what does this indicate?
⚠ Common exam trap
CompTIA A+ often tests the distinction between APIPA (self-assigned address due to DHCP failure) and other network types like ad hoc or peer-to-peer, where candidates may confuse the symptom of a missing DHCP server with a direct connection topology.
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
✓
WLAN with DHCP failure; the printer has self-assigned an APIPA address.
The 169.254.x.x IP address range is reserved for Automatic Private IP Addressing (APIPA), which a device assigns to itself when it fails to obtain an IP address from a DHCP server. Since the printer is connected via Wi-Fi to the same router, this indicates a DHCP failure on the WLAN, causing the printer to use a self-assigned APIPA address and intermittently disappear from the network.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Peer-to-peer network; the printer is sharing directly with the PC.
Why it's wrong here
APIPA indicates DHCP failure on the LAN, not peer-to-peer sharing; the printer still attempts Wi-Fi infrastructure association. Peer-to-peer is tempting because direct device sharing exists, but it would be correct for a USB or ad-hoc link, not for a printer failing to obtain a router lease.
- ✓
WLAN with DHCP failure; the printer has self-assigned an APIPA address.
Why this is correct
The 169.254.x.x address is APIPA, which Windows self-assigns when DHCP fails, so the printer is on the WLAN without a valid lease. This explains its intermittent disappearance, since it cannot communicate reliably with the router's network.
- ✗
PAN network; the printer is using Bluetooth.
Why it's wrong here
A 169.254.x.x address is APIPA, indicating DHCP failure on an IPv4 LAN, not a Bluetooth PAN. PAN is tempting because Bluetooth links nearby devices, but it would be correct for a personal hotspot pairing, not for a Wi-Fi printer that cannot obtain a lease.
- ✗
Ad hoc network; the printer is connecting directly to the PC.
Why it's wrong here
A 169.254.x.x address is an APIPA self-assignment, meaning the printer failed to obtain a DHCP lease from the router; it is not joining an ad hoc network. Ad hoc mode would be relevant only when connecting two devices directly without any router or access point present.
Visual reference
Go deeper
Related to this question
About these practice questions
Courseiva writes every 220-1201 question from scratch — 871 in total, each with an explanation and a wrong-answer breakdown. None are copied from real exams or dumps. Learn why practice questions differ from exam dumps →
JA
Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
This 220-1201 practice question is part of Courseiva's free CompTIA 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 220-1201 exam.