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220-1201 Practice Question: A technician is troubleshooting a user's laptop…
A technician is troubleshooting a user's laptop that cannot obtain an IP address via DHCP. The laptop shows an Automatic Private IP Addressing (APIPA) address of 169.254.x.x. Other devices on the same network obtain IPs correctly. Which protocol should the technician verify is functioning on the laptop?
⚠ Common exam trap
A common misconception is that an APIPA address indicates a network-wide DHCP server failure. However, since other devices obtain IPs correctly, the issue is client-side. The technician must verify that the DHCP protocol is functioning on the laptop, not DNS, ARP, or ICMP.
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
✓
DHCP
The laptop has an APIPA address (169.254.x.x), which is assigned when a DHCP client fails to receive a DHCPOFFER from any DHCP server. Since other devices on the same network obtain IPs correctly, the DHCP server and network infrastructure are functional, so the issue is isolated to the laptop's DHCP client service or its ability to send and receive DHCP messages (UDP ports 67/68). The technician must verify that the DHCP protocol is functioning correctly on the laptop, including checking that the DHCP client service is running and that no firewall is blocking DHCP traffic.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
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DNS
Why it's wrong here
DNS (Domain Name System) is a foundational service that translates human-readable domain names, such as www.example.com, into numerical IP addresses that computers use to identify each other on a network. It is crucial for navigating the internet but plays no direct role in the initial process of a device obtaining its own IP address from a network server. Therefore, a DNS issue would manifest as an inability to reach named resources, not a failure to acquire an IP configuration.
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ARP
Why it's wrong here
ARP (Address Resolution Protocol) is a Layer 2 protocol used to map a known IP address to its corresponding physical MAC address on a local network segment. This resolution is essential for devices to communicate directly with each other within the same broadcast domain once they already possess an IP address. However, ARP does not participate in the initial assignment of an IP address to a host, making it irrelevant to a laptop's inability to acquire an IP configuration.
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DHCP
Why this is correct
DHCP (Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol) is the standard network protocol used to automatically assign IP addresses and other crucial network configuration parameters, such as subnet masks, default gateways, and DNS server addresses, to devices on a network. If a DHCP server is unavailable or unresponsive, a client device will fail to obtain a valid IP address from the network. This often results in the device self-assigning an Automatic Private IP Addressing (APIPA) address, which prevents communication with other devices outside its immediate link-local segment.
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ICMP
Why it's wrong here
ICMP (Internet Control Message Protocol) is a network layer protocol primarily used for sending error messages and operational information concerning network conditions. Common uses include the 'ping' utility to test host reachability and 'traceroute' to map network paths. While vital for network diagnostics and troubleshooting, ICMP is purely an informational and control protocol and has no function whatsoever in the process of assigning or configuring IP addresses to client devices.
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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.