mediumMultiple Choice
220-1201 Practice Question: A network administrator wants to ensure that all…
A network administrator wants to ensure that all devices on a subnet automatically receive IP addresses from a specific range, and that the lease time is set to 8 hours. Which configuration file or service should be modified?
⚠ Common exam trap
CompTIA A+ exams often test the distinction between DHCP scope (which controls IP address assignment and lease time) and DNS zone file (which handles name resolution), leading candidates to confuse the two when the question involves 'automatic IP address' 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
✓
DHCP scope
The DHCP scope defines the range of IP addresses that a DHCP server can assign to clients on a subnet, along with lease duration and other options. By modifying the DHCP scope, the administrator can set the specific IP address range and configure the lease time to 8 hours, ensuring all devices on that subnet automatically receive addresses from that pool.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
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DNS zone file
Why it's wrong here
A DNS zone file maps names to IP addresses; it performs no address allocation and holds no lease parameters. DHCP scope configuration supplies both the range and the eight-hour lease. It tempts because DNS and DHCP are often managed together, but name resolution is unrelated to dynamic addressing.
- ✓
DHCP scope
Why this is correct
A DHCP scope defines the address pool, lease duration and scope options served to clients on a given subnet. Setting the range and the 8-hour lease requires editing the scope on the DHCP server, since these parameters are scope-level, not server-level or reservation-level.
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NAT rules
Why it's wrong here
NAT rules translate private addresses to public ones at the boundary; they neither assign addresses to hosts nor define lease timers. DHCP scope settings do both. It tempts because NAT also manipulates IP addressing on the same gateway device, but translation is not allocation.
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QoS policy
Why it's wrong here
QoS policies manage traffic prioritization, not IP address assignment.
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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
Subnet
A subnet is a logical subdivision of an IP network, created by partitioning a larger network address space using subnet masks.
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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.