easyMultiple Choice
220-1201 Practice Question: A customer reports that their laptop connects to…
A customer reports that their laptop connects to the office Wi-Fi but cannot access the internet. Other devices on the same network work fine. The technician checks the laptop's IP configuration and sees an IP address of 169.254.15.22. What is the most likely cause of this issue?
⚠ Common exam trap
CompTIA A+ often tests the distinction between a DHCP server being out of addresses (which would affect all clients) versus a client-specific DHCP failure (which results in an APIPA address only for that client), leading candidates to incorrectly choose 'DHCP server is out of available IP addresses' when the symptom is isolated to one device.
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 laptop's DHCP client is failing to obtain an IP address.
The IP address 169.254.15.22 falls within the Automatic Private IP Addressing (APIPA) range (169.254.0.0/16), which Windows assigns when the DHCP client fails to receive a valid IP from a DHCP server. Since other devices on the same network work fine, the DHCP server is not exhausted; rather, this specific laptop's DHCP client could not complete the DORA process, likely due to a misconfiguration, firewall blocking DHCP traffic, or a driver issue. Option D correctly identifies that the DHCP client is failing to obtain an IP address, as evidenced by the APIPA address.
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 DNS server is misconfigured.
Why it's wrong here
DNS misconfiguration would cause name resolution failures, but the IP address would still be a valid one from DHCP, not a 169.254 address.
- ✗
The laptop's network adapter is faulty.
Why it's wrong here
A faulty adapter would prevent the Wi-Fi association entirely, yet the laptop connects successfully and other devices work. The 169.254 address indicates the DHCP request or offer was lost, so the adapter is functioning; hardware failure is diagnosed when no link or association occurs.
- ✗
The DHCP server is out of available IP addresses.
Why it's wrong here
A DHCP pool exhaustion would still yield a valid leased address for this client, since the laptop did receive configuration from somewhere. The 169.254 address is an APIPA self-assignment, meaning no DHCP offer arrived at all — typically a failed DHCP server or unreachable relay.
- ✓
The laptop's DHCP client is failing to obtain an IP address.
Why this is correct
The 169.254.x.x address is an APIPA self-assignment, generated when the DHCP client receives no response from a server. Since other devices work, the fault lies with this laptop's DHCP client, not the network, matching the stem's symptom of Wi-Fi connectivity without internet access.
Visual reference
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Related to this question
Learn chapter
Laptop Hardware and Components
Key term
DHCP server
A DHCP server is a network device or service that automatically assigns IP addresses and other network configuration parameters to devices on a network, eliminating the need for manual configuration.
Key term
Automatic Private Internet Protocol Addressing
A fallback method used by a device to automatically assign itself an IP address when it cannot obtain one from a DHCP server.
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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.