easyMultiple Choice
220-1201 Practice Question: A technician is setting up a wireless network for…
A technician is setting up a wireless network for a home office that requires the fastest possible speeds for streaming 4K video. The router supports 802.11ac and has three antennas. Which configuration will yield the highest throughput?
⚠ Common exam trap
A common misconception is that 802.11ac can use the 2.4 GHz band or that wider channels on 2.4 GHz are beneficial, when in fact 802.11ac is 5 GHz only and 40 MHz on 2.4 GHz is prone to interference and rarely yields throughput gains.
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
✓
Use the 5 GHz band with MIMO enabled and a channel width of 80 MHz.
802.11ac operates exclusively on the 5 GHz band, and combining MIMO (multiple-input multiple-output) with an 80 MHz channel width maximizes throughput by increasing spatial streams and spectral bandwidth. This configuration supports the high data rates required for 4K video streaming, typically exceeding 1 Gbps aggregate throughput.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Set the router to 802.11n mode only.
Why it's wrong here
802.11n caps throughput well below 802.11ac, so it cannot deliver the fastest 4K streaming speeds the router's hardware supports. It is tempting because 802.11n offers wider compatibility with older client devices, and would be the right choice when legacy adapters must connect reliably rather than for maximum throughput.
- ✗
Enable 40 MHz channel width on the 2.4 GHz band.
Why it's wrong here
40 MHz on 2.4 GHz overlaps adjacent channels and suffers heavy interference from neighbouring networks, Bluetooth and microwaves, lowering real throughput despite the wider channel. It tempts because wider channels carry more data in clean spectrum. For 4K streaming, 80 MHz on the 5 GHz band with 802.11ac delivers the required speed.
- ✓
Use the 5 GHz band with MIMO enabled and a channel width of 80 MHz.
Why this is correct
The 5 GHz band avoids 2.4 GHz congestion and supports wider channels, while 80 MHz doubles throughput versus 40 MHz. MIMO with three antennas multiplies spatial streams, directly satisfying the demand for the fastest possible 4K streaming speeds.
- ✗
Disable SSID broadcast to reduce overhead.
Why it's wrong here
Disabling SSID broadcast hides the network name but does not reduce frame overhead or raise throughput; beacon frames still transmit, and clients must probe actively, adding latency. It tempts as a perceived security and performance tweak. Highest throughput comes from wider channels, 5 GHz operation and MIMO, not from hiding the SSID.
Go deeper
Related to this question
Learn chapter
Troubleshoot: Wireless Connectivity Issues
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
Multiple Input Multiple Output
Multiple Input Multiple Output (MIMO) is a wireless technology that uses multiple antennas at both the sender and receiver to increase data throughput and connection reliability without needing more bandwidth or power.
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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.