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220-1201 Practice Question: A technician is configuring a company-issued…
A technician is configuring a company-issued Android tablet for a field worker who needs to use a VPN to access internal resources. The tablet connects to the internet via cellular data. After setting up the VPN, the user cannot access any internal websites. What should the technician check first?
⚠ Common exam trap
Many exam-takers assume a network-level issue (like Wi-Fi or firewall) is the cause, when the real problem is almost always a misconfigured VPN server address or credentials, especially after a fresh setup.
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 VPN server address and authentication credentials.
The most common cause of VPN connectivity failure after initial setup is incorrect server address or authentication credentials. Since the tablet connects via cellular data (not Wi-Fi), the VPN must be reachable over the internet; a typo in the server hostname/IP or wrong username/password/PSK will prevent the tunnel from establishing, blocking access to internal resources.
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 tablet's Wi-Fi is enabled.
Why it's wrong here
A VPN establishes a secure connection over any active internet link, whether it's Wi-Fi, cellular data, or Ethernet. If the Android tablet has an active cellular data connection, Wi-Fi enablement is irrelevant for initiating or maintaining the VPN tunnel. The primary requirement is a functional internet connection, not a specific type of network interface.
- ✓
Check the VPN server address and authentication credentials.
Why this is correct
Incorrect VPN server addresses or authentication credentials are the most frequent culprits for connection failures. The server address directs the tablet to the correct VPN gateway, while accurate credentials, such as username, password, or client certificates, are essential for the VPN server to authenticate the device and establish the encrypted tunnel. Without these precise details, the secure connection cannot be initiated or maintained.
- ✗
Ensure the tablet's date and time are set automatically.
Why it's wrong here
While an incorrect system date and time can potentially interfere with certificate validation, causing valid certificates to appear expired or invalid, this is a less common issue than incorrect server details or credentials. Certificate-based authentication relies on accurate time synchronization to verify validity periods. However, it is not the primary troubleshooting step when a VPN fails to connect, as fundamental network parameters are usually the first point of failure.
- ✗
Disable the firewall on the tablet.
Why it's wrong here
Disabling a firewall on a company-issued Android tablet is generally not a recommended or effective troubleshooting step for VPN connectivity issues. Most mobile operating systems, including Android, do not feature a user-configurable firewall that would typically block outbound VPN traffic by default. Furthermore, disabling security features without a clear understanding of the root cause can introduce significant security vulnerabilities to the device.
Go deeper
Related to this question
Learn chapter
Mobile Device Connectivity
Key term
Tablet
A tablet is a portable computing device with a touchscreen interface, typically larger than a smartphone but smaller than a laptop, used for browsing, media consumption, and light productivity tasks.
Key term
Wi-Fi
Wi-Fi is a technology that lets devices like laptops and phones connect to the internet or communicate with each other wirelessly using radio waves.
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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.