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220-1201 Practice Question: A technician is configuring a company-issued…
A technician is configuring a company-issued Android phone for a remote employee. The employee needs to access corporate email via the Gmail app and use a VPN for secure connections. After setup, the user cannot send emails from the Gmail app, but can receive them. What should the technician check first?
⚠ Common exam trap
The 220-1201 exam often tests the distinction between incoming (IMAP/POP) and outgoing (SMTP) mail protocols, trapping candidates who assume a network-level issue (VPN) when the problem is specific to the mail submission path.
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
✓
Check the outgoing mail server (SMTP) settings in the Gmail app.
The Gmail app on Android uses SMTP (Simple Mail Transfer Protocol) for sending emails. Since the user can receive emails (IMAP/POP works) but cannot send, the most likely cause is incorrect SMTP server settings—such as the server address, port (e.g., 587 with STARTTLS), or authentication credentials. The technician should verify these outgoing mail server configurations first, as they are independent of VPN connectivity or storage issues.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Verify that the VPN is connected and routing traffic correctly.
Why it's wrong here
If a Virtual Private Network (VPN) were preventing email traffic, it would typically block both incoming and outgoing connections, or at least cause more general network connectivity issues. The fact that the user can successfully receive emails indicates that the device has a functional network connection and can reach the mail server for inbound traffic. Therefore, a specific issue preventing only outgoing SMTP traffic while allowing IMAP/POP3 through the VPN tunnel is highly improbable.
- ✓
Check the outgoing mail server (SMTP) settings in the Gmail app.
Why this is correct
Email clients utilize distinct server settings for sending and receiving mail. Incoming mail typically uses IMAP (Internet Message Access Protocol) or POP3 (Post Office Protocol version 3), while outgoing mail relies exclusively on the Simple Mail Transfer Protocol (SMTP). A misconfiguration in the SMTP server address, port number (e.g., 587 for secure connections), or authentication credentials would specifically prevent the client from establishing a connection to the outgoing mail server to send messages, without affecting the ability to retrieve new emails.
- ✗
Ensure the device has enough free storage space.
Why it's wrong here
Insufficient storage space on a mobile device typically manifests as broader system performance degradation, app crashes, or an inability to download new content or updates. While extremely low storage might prevent an app from saving drafts or attachments, it would not selectively disable only the sending function of an email client while allowing incoming mail to be processed and displayed normally. This specific symptom points away from a storage-related issue as the primary cause.
- ✗
Reinstall the Gmail app from the Play Store.
Why it's wrong here
Reinstalling an application is a drastic troubleshooting step usually reserved for addressing corrupted app files or persistent software bugs that cannot be resolved through configuration changes. Since the ability to receive emails indicates the core application functionality is working, the problem is almost certainly a specific configuration error within the app's settings, such as incorrect SMTP details. Reinstalling would likely require re-entering these settings, making it an inefficient solution for a configuration-specific issue.
Quick reference
VPN Protocol Comparison
| Protocol | Port | Encryption | Authentication | Use Case |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| IKEv2 / IPsec | UDP 500 / 4500 | AES-256 | Certificates / PSK | Site-to-site & remote access |
| SSL / TLS VPN | TCP 443 | TLS 1.3 | Certificates / MFA | Clientless remote access |
| L2TP / IPsec | UDP 1701 | AES (IPsec) | PSK / Certificates | Legacy remote access |
| WireGuard | UDP 51820 | ChaCha20 | Public keys | Modern high-performance VPN |
| PPTP | TCP 1723 | MPPE (weak) | MS-CHAPv2 | Legacy — avoid in production |
PPTP is considered insecure. IKEv2/IPsec and SSL VPN are the current recommended options.
Go deeper
Related to this question
Learn chapter
Mobile Device Connectivity
Key term
SMTP
SMTP (Simple Mail Transfer Protocol) is the standard internet protocol used to send emails from a client to a server or between email servers.
Key term
VPN
A VPN (Virtual Private Network) creates a secure, encrypted tunnel between your device and a remote server, protecting your data and hiding your online activity.
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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.