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220-1201 Practice Question: A small business uses a router with DHCP enabled,…
A small business uses a router with DHCP enabled, issuing addresses in the 192.168.1.0/24 range. A technician installs a new server with a static IP of 192.168.1.50, but users cannot connect to it. The technician pings 192.168.1.50 from the server itself successfully. What is the most likely cause?
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
✓
Another device on the network has the same IP address.
If the DHCP server assigned 192.168.1.50 to another device, there is an IP address conflict. The server can ping itself because it uses its own IP, but other devices may have the same IP or the server's address is already in use. This tests understanding of IP conflicts and static vs. DHCP assignments.
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 server's subnet mask is set to 255.255.255.0.
Why it's wrong here
A subnet mask of 255.255.255.0 is standard for a /24 network, commonly used in small business environments. This mask correctly defines the network and host portions of an IP address, allowing devices on the same subnet to communicate directly. Setting this mask would not inherently cause intermittent connectivity issues; rather, an incorrect mask would typically lead to consistent inability to communicate with devices outside the defined local subnet, or even within it if misconfigured.
- ✗
The server's default gateway is missing.
Why it's wrong here
A missing default gateway primarily prevents a server from communicating with devices located on different subnets or accessing the internet. The default gateway acts as the exit point for traffic destined outside the local network segment. However, devices within the same local subnet can still communicate directly with the server using its IP address and subnet mask, as this communication does not require routing through the gateway. Therefore, a missing gateway would not explain intermittent local connectivity.
- ✓
Another device on the network has the same IP address.
Why this is correct
An IP address conflict occurs when two or more devices on the same network are configured with identical IP addresses. This situation leads to intermittent and unpredictable connectivity issues because network switches and routers become confused about which physical MAC address corresponds to the conflicting IP, causing packets to be misdirected or dropped. Such conflicts often arise when a static IP is assigned to a device within a DHCP server's dynamic allocation pool, resulting in the DHCP server assigning that same address to another client.
- ✗
The server's network cable is faulty.
Why it's wrong here
A faulty network cable would result in a complete and consistent loss of physical layer connectivity for the server. If the cable were truly defective, the server would be unable to establish a link with the network switch, preventing any network communication, including pinging other devices or responding to external pings. The ability of the server to ping itself, as implied by the problem context (assuming it can sometimes communicate), indicates that its internal network stack is functional and the physical link is at least intermittently present, making a consistently faulty cable unlikely.
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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.