easyMultiple ChoiceObjective-mapped
220-1201 Practice Question: A customer reports that their laptop can connect…
A customer reports that their laptop can connect to the internet at home via Wi-Fi, but at a coffee shop it cannot connect to the guest network. They have not changed any settings. Which network type is most likely causing this issue?
⚠ Common exam trap
The trap for this question is that many candidates think a guest network is a WAN because it provides internet access, but the coffee shop's Wi-Fi is still a LAN, and the issue is with local network 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
✓
Local Area Network (LAN)
(LAN) is correct because the coffee shop's guest network is a Local Area Network (LAN) that the laptop must join via Wi-Fi. Since the laptop works at home but not at the coffee shop, the issue is likely with the LAN configuration—such as a mismatched SSID, security type (e.g., WPA2 vs. WPA3), or IP address assignment (DHCP) on that specific LAN. The user's unchanged settings may not be compatible with the coffee shop's LAN setup.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Personal Area Network (PAN)
Why it's wrong here
A PAN is used for short-range connections like Bluetooth, not for Wi-Fi internet access.
- ✓
Local Area Network (LAN)
Why this is correct
The coffee shop's guest Wi-Fi is a LAN that the laptop is trying to join; the issue is likely with that LAN's configuration, not the internet (WAN).
- ✗
Wide Area Network (WAN)
Why it's wrong here
The WAN is the internet itself; the laptop can access the internet at home, so the WAN is not the problem.
- ✗
Metropolitan Area Network (MAN)
Why it's wrong here
A MAN covers a city area and is not typically used for a single coffee shop's guest network.
Visual reference
Go deeper
Related to this question
Learn chapter
Laptop Hardware and Components
Key term
DHCP
Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) automatically assigns IP addresses and network settings to devices on a network, so they can communicate without manual configuration.
Key term
IP address
An IP address is a unique numerical label assigned to each device connected to a computer network that uses the Internet Protocol for communication.
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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.