hardMultiple Choice
220-1201 Practice Question: A network administrator needs to segment traffic…
A network administrator needs to segment traffic between the accounting and HR departments to prevent unauthorized access, while still allowing both to reach the internet. The company uses a single managed switch and a router. Which configuration approach meets these requirements?
⚠ Common exam trap
Test-takers frequently think VLANs alone provide security without considering that inter-VLAN routing must be explicitly configured on the router to enable internet access, or they may confuse MAC address filtering with network segmentation.
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
✓
Configure VLANs on the switch and set up a trunk port to the router with subinterfaces
VLANs logically segment traffic between departments on a single switch, and configuring a trunk port to the router with subinterfaces (using VLAN tagging) allows inter-VLAN routing for internet access while maintaining isolation between the accounting and HR VLANs. This approach meets the requirement of preventing unauthorized access between departments while enabling shared internet connectivity through the router.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Create two separate subnets and connect each department to a different physical switch
Why it's wrong here
Creating two subnets on separate physical switches fails because the scenario explicitly states the company uses a single managed switch, so adding a second physical switch is not an available resource. This approach is tempting because VLANs are often confused with physical separation; in a multi-switch environment, subnetting across distinct switches would indeed enforce isolation without VLAN configuration.
- ✓
Configure VLANs on the switch and set up a trunk port to the router with subinterfaces
Why this is correct
VLANs logically separate accounting and HR broadcast domains on the single switch, and 802.1Q trunking to router subinterfaces provides inter-VLAN routing plus internet access. This satisfies segmentation without extra hardware, since the router enforces policy between subnets.
- ✗
Assign static IPs to all devices and enable MAC address filtering on the switch
Why it's wrong here
Static IPs plus MAC filtering restrict which devices connect but do not segment accounting from HR traffic; both remain on one broadcast domain and can reach each other. It tempts as a host-hardening control, and would be correct for blocking specific unauthorised devices, not inter-department separation.
- ✗
Use a firewall between the two departments and disable inter-VLAN routing
Why it's wrong here
Disabling inter-VLAN routing also blocks the router from forwarding either department's traffic to the internet, since that path depends on routed VLAN interfaces. A firewall between departments suits scenarios needing stateful inspection of permitted inter-segment traffic, not total isolation with shared internet egress.
Visual reference
Go deeper
Related to this question
Learn chapter
Shared Responsibility Model
Key term
VLAN tagging
VLAN tagging is a method used to identify which VLAN a network frame belongs to as it travels across a trunk link, allowing multiple VLANs to share the same physical connection without mixing their traffic.
Key term
Router
A router is a networking device that connects different networks together and directs data traffic between them by choosing the best path for data to travel.
About these practice questions
One of 871 original 220-1201 practice questions on Courseiva, each with a full explanation and wrong-answer analysis — not exam dumps or protected exam content. Learn why practice questions differ from exam dumps →
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.