This 220-1201 practice question tests your understanding of network services. The scenario asks you to isolate a root cause — eliminate options that address a different problem before choosing. After answering, compare your reasoning against the explanation and wrong-answer breakdown below. Once you have made your selection, read the full explanation to reinforce the concept and understand why each distractor is designed to mislead on exam day.
A customer reports that their laptop can connect to the internet via a wired connection but cannot access any network shares or printers by hostname. They can ping the IP address of the file server. Which network service is most likely misconfigured?
Clue words in this question
Noticing these words before you look at the options changes how you read each choice.
Clue: "most likely"
Why it matters: Probability qualifier — the question wants the most probable cause or outcome, not a guaranteed one. Eliminate low-probability options.
Why wrong: DHCP assigns IP addresses and other network settings, but the customer already has a valid IP and can ping by IP, so DHCP is not the issue.
B
DNS
DNS resolves hostnames to IP addresses. Since the customer can access resources by IP but not by hostname, DNS is misconfigured or not resolving local names.
C
NAT
Why wrong: NAT translates private IPs to public IPs for internet access, but the customer can already reach the internet via wired connection, so NAT is working.
D
ARP
Why wrong: ARP resolves IP addresses to MAC addresses on the local network. Since the customer can ping by IP, ARP is functioning correctly.
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
DNS
This scenario describes a failure in name resolution for local network resources. DNS translates hostnames to IP addresses; since the customer can ping by IP but not by name, the DNS service is the likely culprit. DHCP provides IP configuration, not name resolution, and ARP resolves IP to MAC addresses.
Key principle: NAT direction and interface roles matter as much as the IP address mapping. Inside/outside designation controls which traffic is translated.
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 assigns IP addresses and other network settings, but the customer already has a valid IP and can ping by IP, so DHCP is not the issue.
✓
DNS
Why this is correct
DNS resolves hostnames to IP addresses. Since the customer can access resources by IP but not by hostname, DNS is misconfigured or not resolving local names.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "most likely" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Static NAT maps one inside address to one outside address.
✗
NAT
Why it's wrong here
NAT translates private IPs to public IPs for internet access, but the customer can already reach the internet via wired connection, so NAT is working.
✗
ARP
Why it's wrong here
ARP resolves IP addresses to MAC addresses on the local network. Since the customer can ping by IP, ARP is functioning correctly.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: NAT rules depend on direction and matching traffic
NAT is not only about the public address. The inside/outside interface roles and the ACL or rule that matches traffic are just as important.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
NAT questions usually test address translation, overload/PAT behaviour, static mappings and whether the right traffic is being translated. Read the interface direction and address terms carefully.
KKey Concepts to Remember
Static NAT maps one inside address to one outside address.
PAT allows many inside hosts to share one public address using ports.
Inside local and inside global describe the private and translated addresses.
NAT ACLs identify traffic for translation, not always security filtering.
TExam Day Tips
→Identify inside and outside interfaces first.
→Check whether the scenario needs static NAT, dynamic NAT or PAT.
→Do not confuse NAT matching ACLs with normal packet-filtering intent.
Key takeaway
NAT direction and interface roles matter as much as the IP address mapping. Inside/outside designation controls which traffic is translated.
Real-world example
How this comes up in practice
A small business has 20 workstations on the 192.168.1.0/24 network and one public IP from its ISP. The router uses PAT (NAT overload) so all 20 devices share one public address using different source ports. NAT questions test whether you understand the four address terms and which direction each translation applies.
Related glossary terms
Concepts from this question explained
These glossary pages explain the core terms tested in this 220-1201 question in full detail.
Review the four NAT address types (inside local, inside global, outside local, outside global), PAT port overload, and static vs dynamic NAT use cases. Then practise related 220-1201 NAT questions on configuration and troubleshooting.
Network Services — This question tests Network Services — Static NAT maps one inside address to one outside address..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: DNS — This scenario describes a failure in name resolution for local network resources. DNS translates hostnames to IP addresses; since the customer can ping by IP but not by name, the DNS service is the likely culprit. DHCP provides IP configuration, not name resolution, and ARP resolves IP to MAC addresses.
What should I do if I get this 220-1201 question wrong?
Review the four NAT address types (inside local, inside global, outside local, outside global), PAT port overload, and static vs dynamic NAT use cases. Then practise related 220-1201 NAT questions on configuration and troubleshooting.
Are there clue words in this question I should notice?
Yes — watch for: "most likely". Probability qualifier — the question wants the most probable cause or outcome, not a guaranteed one. Eliminate low-probability options.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Static NAT maps one inside address to one outside address.
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