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220-1201 Practice Question: A user's laptop frequently disconnects from a 5…
A user's laptop frequently disconnects from a 5 GHz Wi-Fi network when they move to a room two walls away from the access point. The 2.4 GHz network remains stable throughout the office. Which of the following best explains this behavior?
⚠ Common exam trap
The CompTIA A+ exam often tests the misconception that 5 GHz is 'better' in all scenarios, trapping candidates who overlook the fundamental physics of signal propagation and attenuation at higher frequencies.
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 5 GHz signal has weaker penetration through walls.
The 5 GHz band uses higher frequency radio waves that attenuate more rapidly when passing through solid obstacles like walls, resulting in weaker signal penetration compared to the 2.4 GHz band. This physical property causes the laptop to disconnect from the 5 GHz network when moving two walls away, while the 2.4 GHz signal remains stable due to its longer wavelength and better ability to diffract around obstacles.
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 overloaded with users.
Why it's wrong here
An overloaded 5 GHz network typically manifests as significantly reduced data speeds, increased latency, and occasional timeouts due to excessive contention for airtime among numerous devices. However, it is less likely to cause frequent, complete disconnections, which usually point to a loss of signal integrity or range issues. Furthermore, 5 GHz generally offers more non-overlapping channels than 2.4 GHz, making it inherently more resilient to channel congestion in many environments.
- ✗
The laptop's Wi-Fi adapter is faulty.
Why it's wrong here
A faulty Wi-Fi adapter in a laptop would generally impact its ability to connect reliably across all supported frequency bands, including both 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz. If the issue is exclusively observed on the 5 GHz band while the 2.4 GHz connection remains stable, it strongly suggests that the adapter itself is functional, and the problem lies specifically with the 5 GHz signal environment or the laptop's interaction with it, rather than a general hardware failure.
- ✓
The 5 GHz signal has weaker penetration through walls.
Why this is correct
Higher frequency radio waves, such as those used by 5 GHz Wi-Fi, exhibit greater attenuation and less effective penetration through common building materials like walls, floors, and dense furniture compared to lower frequency 2.4 GHz signals. This increased signal degradation significantly reduces the effective range and signal strength of the 5 GHz network. Consequently, as the laptop moves further from the access point or into areas with more physical obstructions, the weaker signal can easily drop below a usable threshold, leading to frequent disconnections.
- ✗
The access point is configured to prioritize 2.4 GHz traffic.
Why it's wrong here
Configuring an access point to prioritize 2.4 GHz traffic through Quality of Service (QoS) settings would influence how network resources are allocated, potentially leading to slower performance or higher latency for 5 GHz clients during peak usage. However, prioritization mechanisms manage bandwidth and packet scheduling; they do not actively terminate established connections or prevent a device from maintaining a signal. Frequent disconnections are symptomatic of signal loss or authentication issues, not a traffic management policy.
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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.