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220-1201 Practice Question: A technician is configuring a small network with…
A technician is configuring a small network with five computers and a printer. The network must use private IP addresses and allow all devices to communicate. The technician assigns IPs manually but forgets to set a default gateway on one computer. Which functionality will be lost on that computer?
⚠ Common exam trap
A common misconception is that a missing default gateway prevents all communication, but the trap here is that local subnet communication (like with a printer) works fine because it uses ARP and direct MAC addressing, not 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
✓
Ability to access the internet
The default gateway is the router's IP address that provides a path to networks outside the local subnet. Without a default gateway, the computer can still communicate with other devices on the same local network (like the printer and other computers) using ARP and direct MAC addressing, but it cannot reach any destination outside its own subnet, including the internet. The technician manually assigned IPs, so DHCP is not involved, and DNS resolution would still work for local names but would fail for external names only because the DNS query packets cannot leave the subnet without a gateway.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Ability to communicate with the printer
Why it's wrong here
The ability to communicate with a printer on the same subnet is not affected by the absence of a default gateway. Devices within the same local network segment communicate directly using their MAC addresses, which are resolved via the Address Resolution Protocol (ARP). A default gateway is only necessary for sending traffic to destinations outside the local subnet.
- ✓
Ability to access the internet
Why this is correct
Without a default gateway configured, a computer cannot send packets to any destination IP address that is not on its local subnet. The internet comprises numerous external networks, making the default gateway essential as the exit point for all traffic destined beyond the local area network. Consequently, internet access is completely lost.
- ✗
Ability to obtain an IP address via DHCP
Why it's wrong here
The ability to obtain an IP address via DHCP is unrelated to the default gateway setting. If an IP address is assigned manually, DHCP is not involved at all. Even if DHCP were in use, the DHCP client broadcasts requests on the local network to find a DHCP server, and the default gateway is a parameter *provided* by DHCP, not a prerequisite for the client to acquire an IP address.
- ✗
Ability to resolve DNS names
Why it's wrong here
DNS resolution itself is a protocol for translating domain names to IP addresses, separate from network routing. If the configured DNS server resides on the same local subnet as the client, DNS queries will still successfully resolve names without a default gateway. However, if the DNS server is located on an external network, the queries will fail to reach it due to the lack of a routing path out of the local subnet.
Visual reference
Quick reference
Access Control Model Comparison
| Model | Acronym | Who Controls Access? | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| Discretionary Access Control | DAC | Resource owner | Small teams, file shares |
| Mandatory Access Control | MAC | System / security labels | Classified govt / military |
| Role-Based Access Control | RBAC | Administrator (via roles) | Enterprise environments |
| Attribute-Based Access Control | ABAC | Policy engine (user + resource attributes) | Fine-grained, dynamic policies |
| Rule-Based Access Control | RuBAC | System rules / ACLs | Firewall rules, network ACLs |
Go deeper
Related to this question
Learn chapter
Network Configuration: IP, DNS, DHCP
Key term
Router
A router is a networking device that connects different networks together and directs data traffic between them by choosing the best path for data to travel.
Key term
Fully Qualified Domain Name
A Fully Qualified Domain Name is the complete and unambiguous website or server name that includes the host, domain, and top-level domain, leaving no room for guesswork.
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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.