hardMultiple ChoiceObjective-mapped
220-1201 Practice Question: A technician is troubleshooting a laptop that…
A technician is troubleshooting a laptop that cannot connect to a 5 GHz Wi-Fi network, but it connects to 2.4 GHz networks without issue. The laptop's Wi-Fi adapter supports both bands. What is the most likely cause?
⚠ Common exam trap
The 220-1201 exam often tests the misconception that 5 GHz connectivity issues are always due to hardware incompatibility or configuration, when in reality the most common cause is the physical limitation of 5 GHz signal propagation — distance and obstructions.
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 laptop is too far from the access point, or there are obstructions blocking the 5 GHz signal.
The most likely cause is distance or obstructions because 5 GHz signals have higher attenuation and shorter range compared to 2.4 GHz. Since the laptop connects to 2.4 GHz but not 5 GHz, and the adapter supports both bands, the physical environment is the primary suspect — 5 GHz is more easily blocked by walls, furniture, or simply being too far from the access point.
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 5 GHz network is using a channel not supported by the laptop's Wi-Fi adapter.
Why it's wrong here
While 5 GHz Wi-Fi utilizes numerous channels, including Dynamic Frequency Selection (DFS) channels, most contemporary Wi-Fi adapters support the commonly used channels. It is highly improbable for a laptop to completely fail to detect or connect to a 5 GHz network solely due to an unsupported channel, especially if the access point is configured for standard, non-DFS channels. This scenario is less common than signal attenuation issues causing connection problems.
- ✓
The laptop is too far from the access point, or there are obstructions blocking the 5 GHz signal.
Why this is correct
5 GHz Wi-Fi signals operate at a higher frequency, which inherently results in shorter effective range and poorer penetration through physical obstructions like walls, floors, and furniture compared to 2.4 GHz signals. Consequently, if a laptop is located at a significant distance from the access point or separated by multiple barriers, the 5 GHz signal strength may degrade below a usable threshold, preventing a stable connection while a 2.4 GHz connection might still be viable. This is a very common reason for 5 GHz connectivity issues.
- ✗
The laptop's Bluetooth is interfering with the 5 GHz Wi-Fi.
Why it's wrong here
Bluetooth technology operates exclusively within the 2.4 GHz Industrial, Scientific, and Medical (ISM) radio band. Since 5 GHz Wi-Fi networks transmit and receive signals on a completely different frequency spectrum, Bluetooth devices cannot directly interfere with 5 GHz Wi-Fi communications. Any interference from Bluetooth would be limited to the 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi band, potentially affecting 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi performance, but not 5 GHz.
- ✗
The 5 GHz network requires WPA3, which the laptop does not support.
Why it's wrong here
WPA3 (Wi-Fi Protected Access 3) is the latest Wi-Fi security protocol, designed with enhanced cryptographic strength. While a laptop might not support WPA3, most WPA3-enabled access points offer a transition mode that allows backward compatibility with WPA2 devices. Even if WPA3-only mode were enforced, the laptop would typically still *detect* the network and attempt to connect, but then fail during the authentication phase, rather than being unable to see or initiate a connection to the network entirely.
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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.