hardMultiple ChoiceObjective-mapped
220-1201 Practice Question: A company's remote employees use VPN to connect…
A company's remote employees use VPN to connect to the office network. Recently, some users report that they can connect to the VPN but cannot browse the internet or access internal servers by name, though they can ping internal IP addresses. The VPN is configured to push DNS settings. Which protocol is likely misconfigured on the VPN server?
⚠ Common exam trap
The trap in this CompTIA A+ question is that candidates often confuse connectivity (ping to IPs works) with full network functionality, and incorrectly assume the issue is with the VPN tunnel encryption (IPsec) or authentication (SSL/TLS), rather than recognizing that name resolution is a separate service that relies on DNS configuration.
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
✓
DNS
(DNS) because the users can connect to the VPN and ping internal IP addresses, but cannot resolve hostnames to IP addresses. This indicates that the DNS resolution is failing, which is caused by the VPN server not correctly pushing DNS server settings to the VPN clients. Without proper DNS configuration, clients cannot translate domain names (e.g., internal server names or internet URLs) into IP addresses, even though the network layer connectivity (ping to IPs) works.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
DHCP
Why it's wrong here
DHCP (Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol) is responsible for automatically assigning IP addresses, subnet masks, default gateways, and other network configuration parameters to devices on a network. While essential for establishing initial network connectivity, DHCP does not handle the translation of human-readable hostnames into numerical IP addresses. Therefore, a DHCP issue would typically prevent a device from obtaining any network address, rather than specifically failing to resolve server names once an IP is acquired.
- ✓
DNS
Why this is correct
DNS (Domain Name System) is the fundamental service for name resolution, translating domain names and hostnames into the IP addresses that computers use to locate resources. When remote employees connect via VPN, the VPN server must push the correct internal DNS server addresses to the client's network adapter. If these DNS settings are incorrect or not properly applied, the client cannot resolve the names of internal company servers, leading to access failures even if the VPN tunnel is otherwise established.
- ✗
IPsec
Why it's wrong here
IPsec (Internet Protocol Security) is a suite of protocols that provides cryptographic security services for IP communications, including authentication, integrity, and confidentiality. It is widely used to create secure VPN tunnels by encrypting data packets and verifying their authenticity as they travel between the remote client and the corporate network. However, IPsec operates at the network layer to secure the data transmission itself and has no direct role in the process of resolving hostnames to IP addresses.
- ✗
SSL/TLS
Why it's wrong here
SSL/TLS (Secure Sockets Layer/Transport Layer Security) protocols are used to establish secure, encrypted communication channels over a network, commonly for web traffic (HTTPS) and many client-based VPNs. These protocols ensure data confidentiality and integrity by encrypting the data stream between the client and the VPN server, protecting against eavesdropping and tampering. While crucial for securing the VPN connection, SSL/TLS does not participate in the mechanism of translating hostnames to IP addresses, which is a distinct network service.
Visual reference
Quick reference
VPN Protocol Comparison
| Protocol | Port | Encryption | Authentication | Use Case |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| IKEv2 / IPsec | UDP 500 / 4500 | AES-256 | Certificates / PSK | Site-to-site & remote access |
| SSL / TLS VPN | TCP 443 | TLS 1.3 | Certificates / MFA | Clientless remote access |
| L2TP / IPsec | UDP 1701 | AES (IPsec) | PSK / Certificates | Legacy remote access |
| WireGuard | UDP 51820 | ChaCha20 | Public keys | Modern high-performance VPN |
| PPTP | TCP 1723 | MPPE (weak) | MS-CHAPv2 | Legacy — avoid in production |
PPTP is considered insecure. IKEv2/IPsec and SSL VPN are the current recommended options.
Go deeper
Related to this question
Learn chapter
Mobile Device Connectivity
Key term
CAN
A CAN (Controller Area Network) is a robust vehicle bus standard designed to allow microcontrollers and devices to communicate with each other without a host computer.
Key term
Internet Protocol
Internet Protocol (IP) is the set of rules that governs how data is addressed, routed, and sent from one device to another across networks, including the internet.
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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.