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220-1201 Practice Question: A technician is configuring a new printer on a…
A technician is configuring a new printer on a network with the IP 172.16.0.50 and subnet mask 255.255.0.0. The router's LAN IP is 172.16.0.1. A workstation with IP 172.16.1.10 can ping the printer, but a workstation with IP 172.17.0.10 cannot. What is the most likely reason?
⚠ Common exam trap
The 220-1201 exam often tests the misconception that a printer's default gateway is required for any communication, but the trap here is that the default gateway is only needed for traffic leaving the local subnet, not for receiving replies from a host on the same subnet, and the real issue is the workstation being on a different network without proper routing.
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 workstation with IP 172.17.0.10 is on a different network and needs a router to reach the printer.
The workstation with IP 172.17.0.10 has a subnet mask of 255.255.0.0, so it considers its local network to be 172.17.0.0/16. The printer's IP 172.16.0.50 is on the 172.16.0.0/16 network. Since these are different classful networks (172.16.0.0 vs 172.17.0.0), the workstation will send traffic to its default gateway (the router) for delivery. If the router is not configured to route between these subnets, or if the workstation lacks a default gateway, the ping fails. Option B correctly identifies that the workstation is on a different network and requires a router to reach the printer.
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 wrong.
Why it's wrong here
The printer's subnet mask of 255.255.0.0, which corresponds to a /16 prefix, is correctly configured for a 172.16.0.0 network. This mask properly defines the network and host portions, allowing the printer to communicate within its local 172.16.0.0/16 segment. Therefore, the subnet mask itself is not the underlying cause of the communication failure with a workstation on a different network.
- ✓
The workstation with IP 172.17.0.10 is on a different network and needs a router to reach the printer.
Why this is correct
The workstation with IP 172.17.0.10 resides on the 172.17.0.0/16 network, which is a distinct IP network segment from the printer's 172.16.0.0/16 network. For devices on different IP networks to communicate, a Layer 3 device, specifically a router, is required to forward traffic between these separate subnets. Without a router, direct communication between these two networks is impossible.
- ✗
The printer has a duplicate IP address.
Why it's wrong here
There is no indication of a duplicate IP address. If the printer had a duplicate IP, it would likely experience intermittent connectivity issues, or neither workstation would be able to reliably reach it. The fact that the printer is reachable from one workstation suggests its IP configuration is unique and functional within its own network segment, ruling out an IP conflict as the problem.
- ✗
The default gateway on the printer is missing.
Why it's wrong here
A default gateway is essential for a device to send traffic to IP addresses outside its local network segment. However, the problem describes a workstation on a *different* network trying to reach the printer. The printer's ability to be reached by a workstation on its own network confirms its basic local connectivity. A missing default gateway on the printer would prevent the printer from initiating communication to other networks, but it does not prevent a remote workstation from reaching it if a router is correctly configured to forward traffic.
Visual reference
Quick reference
IPv4 Address Class Summary
| Class | First Octet Range | Default Mask | Networks | Hosts per Network |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| A | 1–126 | /8 (255.0.0.0) | 126 | 16,777,214 |
| B | 128–191 | /16 (255.255.0.0) | 16,384 | 65,534 |
| C | 192–223 | /24 (255.255.255.0) | 2,097,152 | 254 |
| D | 224–239 | N/A | Multicast groups | — |
| E | 240–255 | N/A | Reserved / experimental | — |
127.x.x.x is reserved for loopback. Modern networks use CIDR (classless) rather than classful addressing.
Go deeper
Related to this question
Learn chapter
Network Configuration: IP, DNS, DHCP
Key term
LAN
Local Area Network — a network confined to a single physical location such as an office, building, or campus.
Key term
Ping
Ping is a network utility used to test whether a remote computer or device is reachable across an IP network and to measure the round-trip time of data packets.
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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.