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220-1201 Practice Question: A user complains that their laptop's Wi-Fi…
A user complains that their laptop's Wi-Fi connection drops frequently when a Bluetooth mouse is active. The laptop is a recent model with built-in Wi-Fi and Bluetooth. What is the most likely cause?
⚠ Common exam trap
Candidates often assume the issue is a driver problem (Option C) because it's a common troubleshooting step, but the CompTIA A+ exam tests the specific technical relationship between Bluetooth and Wi-Fi sharing the 2.4 GHz band, requiring knowledge of RF interference rather than generic software fixes.
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
✓
Interference between Bluetooth and Wi-Fi on the 2.4 GHz band.
The most likely cause is interference between Bluetooth and Wi-Fi on the 2.4 GHz band. Both Bluetooth and Wi-Fi (802.11b/g/n) share the same 2.4 GHz ISM band, and Bluetooth uses adaptive frequency hopping (AFH) to avoid collisions, but when a Bluetooth device is active, it can still cause co-channel interference with Wi-Fi, leading to dropped connections. This is a well-known issue, especially with older or poorly shielded hardware.
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 Bluetooth mouse is out of range.
Why it's wrong here
If a Bluetooth mouse is out of range, its connection to the laptop would become unstable or drop entirely, leading to the mouse ceasing to function. However, an out-of-range Bluetooth device does not directly impact the laptop's Wi-Fi adapter or its ability to connect to an access point. Wi-Fi operates independently of Bluetooth range limitations, even though they share spectrum.
- ✓
Interference between Bluetooth and Wi-Fi on the 2.4 GHz band.
Why this is correct
Both Bluetooth and Wi-Fi commonly operate within the crowded 2.4 GHz Industrial, Scientific, and Medical (ISM) radio band. When a Bluetooth mouse is actively transmitting, its signals can interfere with Wi-Fi signals, especially if the Wi-Fi adapter is also using a channel within the same frequency range. This co-channel or adjacent-channel interference can lead to increased Wi-Fi packet loss, reduced throughput, and intermittent disconnections for the laptop.
- ✗
The laptop's Wi-Fi driver is outdated.
Why it's wrong here
While an outdated Wi-Fi driver can certainly cause connectivity problems, such as dropped connections or poor performance, it typically manifests as a consistent issue regardless of other peripheral activity. The specific complaint linking Wi-Fi problems to the use of a Bluetooth mouse strongly suggests a hardware-level interaction or interference, rather than a software-level driver bug that would likely affect Wi-Fi independently. A driver update would be a general troubleshooting step, but not the most direct explanation here.
- ✗
The Bluetooth mouse uses a proprietary frequency.
Why it's wrong here
Standard Bluetooth devices, including mice, are designed to operate within the globally recognized 2.4 GHz ISM band, adhering to the IEEE 802.15.1 standard. They do not utilize proprietary frequencies, as this would prevent interoperability with other Bluetooth-compliant devices and violate regulatory spectrum allocations. Therefore, the premise that a Bluetooth mouse uses a non-standard frequency is incorrect in this context.
Go deeper
Related to this question
Learn chapter
Laptop Hardware and Components
Key term
Bluetooth
Bluetooth is a short-range wireless technology used to connect devices like keyboards, mice, headphones, and smartphones without cables.
Key term
CAN
A CAN (Controller Area Network) is a robust vehicle bus standard designed to allow microcontrollers and devices to communicate with each other without a host computer.
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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.