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220-1201 Practice Question: A small business uses a router with a default IP…
A small business uses a router with a default IP of 192.168.1.1. The owner wants to set up a new printer with a static IP of 192.168.1.50. After configuring the printer, it cannot be accessed from any computer on the network. All computers are set to obtain IP addresses automatically. What is the most likely problem?
⚠ Common exam trap
The trap here is that candidates may not realize the risk of setting a static IP address within the router's DHCP range, which can lead to IP conflicts when the DHCP server assigns the same address to another device. Best practice is to assign static IPs outside the DHCP pool.
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 printer's IP address conflicts with an address already assigned by DHCP.
The printer's static IP (192.168.1.50) likely falls within the router's default DHCP pool (commonly 192.168.1.2–192.168.1.254 or a subset like 192.168.1.100–199). If the router has already assigned 192.168.1.50 to another device via DHCP, a duplicate IP conflict occurs, causing the printer to be unreachable. The printer may appear to have an IP, but the conflict prevents proper ARP resolution and communication.
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 printer's subnet mask is set to 255.0.0.0.
Why it's wrong here
A 192.168.x.x IP address range is classified as a Class C private network, which conventionally uses a 255.255.255.0 subnet mask. Setting the printer's subnet mask to 255.0.0.0 would incorrectly define the network as a Class A, making the printer perceive a much larger local network than actually exists. While this misconfiguration would certainly cause communication issues with devices on the actual 192.168.1.x subnet, it doesn't directly explain an IP conflict as the primary problem preventing access to a specific assigned IP.
- ✗
The printer's IP address is outside the router's DHCP range.
Why it's wrong here
If the printer's static IP address (e.g., 192.168.1.50) were intentionally configured outside the router's dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) scope, it would actually prevent a DHCP conflict. This is a common best practice for devices requiring a fixed address, as it ensures the DHCP server will not assign that specific IP to another device. Therefore, this scenario would not be the cause of the printer being unreachable due to an IP conflict, as the IP would be reserved from dynamic assignment.
- ✓
The printer's IP address conflicts with an address already assigned by DHCP.
Why this is correct
When a device, such as a printer, is manually configured with a static IP address that falls within the router's dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) assignment range, a conflict can occur. If the DHCP server subsequently assigns that same IP address to another device on the network, both devices will experience intermittent or complete loss of network connectivity. This duplicate IP address prevents reliable communication with the printer, making it unreachable and is a very common cause of such issues.
- ✗
The printer is not connected to the network via an Ethernet cable.
Why it's wrong here
A physical disconnection, such as an unplugged or faulty Ethernet cable, would prevent the printer from establishing any network communication whatsoever, including obtaining an IP address or being configured. While this would certainly make the printer unreachable, the question implies a logical configuration issue where an IP address has been assigned but is causing problems. A complete lack of physical connection would typically manifest as a 'media disconnected' status rather than an IP conflict.
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Mobile Device Types and Features
Key term
ARP
Address Resolution Protocol (ARP) is a network protocol used to map a device's IP address to its physical MAC address so data can be delivered correctly on a local network.
Key term
IP conflict
An IP conflict occurs when two devices on the same network attempt to use the same IP address, causing communication disruptions.
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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.