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220-1201 Practice Question: A small office has a network with a single switch…
A small office has a network with a single switch and a wireless access point (WAP). Users on the wired network can access the internet, but wireless users cannot. The WAP shows a solid green power LED and a blinking amber activity LED. What is the most likely cause?
⚠ Common exam trap
The 220-1201 exam often tests the distinction between LED indicators (power vs. activity vs. link) to trick candidates into assuming a powered device is fully functional, when in fact the blinking amber LED specifically points to a Layer 1 or Layer 2 issue like a bad cable.
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 Ethernet cable from the WAP to the switch is faulty or not securely connected.
The solid green power LED indicates the WAP is receiving power, and the blinking amber activity LED typically signals a Layer 1 issue, such as a faulty or loose Ethernet cable. Since wired users have internet access, the switch and upstream connectivity are fine, isolating the problem to the link between the WAP and the switch. A faulty cable prevents the WAP from communicating with the network, so wireless clients cannot reach the internet even though the WAP is powered on.
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 WAP is configured with the wrong SSID.
Why it's wrong here
If the WAP's SSID is incorrect, wireless clients would be unable to discover or connect to the intended network. However, this misconfiguration primarily affects the wireless layer (Layer 2) and would not typically impact the physical Ethernet connection between the WAP and the switch. The WAP's activity LED, indicating its connection to the wired network, would likely remain steady green or show normal operational blinking, as its physical link to the switch would still be active and functional. This scenario does not align with a blinking amber LED, which often signifies a physical layer issue.
- ✓
The Ethernet cable from the WAP to the switch is faulty or not securely connected.
Why this is correct
A faulty or improperly connected Ethernet cable between the Wireless Access Point (WAP) and the network switch is a common cause of connectivity problems. Such an issue would disrupt the physical layer (Layer 1) communication, preventing the WAP from establishing a stable link with the switch. This often manifests as a blinking amber activity LED on the WAP, indicating link errors, negotiation failures, or a complete loss of physical connectivity. Consequently, wireless clients would be unable to access the wired network or the internet through the WAP.
- ✗
The switch port is configured as a trunk port.
Why it's wrong here
Configuring a switch port as a trunk port primarily affects how VLAN-tagged traffic is handled, allowing multiple VLANs to traverse a single link. While a WAP connected to a trunk port might require specific VLAN configurations to operate correctly, it would not inherently prevent the physical link from establishing or cause a blinking amber activity LED indicative of a physical layer error. If the WAP is not configured for VLANs or is on the native VLAN, it might still pass untagged traffic, and the link light would typically be stable green, not blinking amber. This is a Layer 2 configuration issue, not a Layer 1 physical problem.
- ✗
The WAP's wireless radio is disabled in the firmware.
Why it's wrong here
If the WAP's wireless radio is disabled via its firmware settings, it would cease broadcasting SSIDs and accepting wireless client connections. However, this internal software setting primarily affects the WAP's wireless functionality (Layer 1/2 wireless) and would not typically impact its wired Ethernet connection to the switch. The WAP's activity LED indicating its wired link status would likely remain steady green, signifying a healthy physical connection to the switch, or perhaps a steady amber if the device is in a fault state, but not a blinking amber that suggests ongoing physical layer errors on the Ethernet port.
Go deeper
Related to this question
Learn chapter
Mobile Device Connectivity
Key term
Light-emitting Diode
A light-emitting diode (LED) is a semiconductor device that emits light when an electric current passes through it, commonly used as an indicator or illumination source in electronic devices.
Key term
Switch
A switch is a networking device that connects devices on a local area network and uses MAC addresses to forward data only to the intended recipient.
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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.