easyMultiple Choice
220-1201 Practice Question: That their laptop can see several neighboring…
A user reports that their laptop can see several neighboring Wi-Fi networks but cannot see their own office's SSID, which is a 5 GHz-only network. Other users in the same office can connect without issue. What is the most likely cause?
⚠ Common exam trap
CompTIA A+ exams often test the misconception that encryption or SSID broadcast settings are the cause when the real issue is frequency band incompatibility, leading candidates to overlook the adapter's hardware limitations.
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 laptop only supports 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi.
The user's laptop can see neighboring 2.4 GHz networks but not the office's 5 GHz-only SSID, while other users connect fine. This indicates the laptop's wireless adapter lacks 5 GHz support, making option C correct because 5 GHz-only networks are invisible to 2.4 GHz-only adapters.
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 router's SSID broadcast is disabled.
Why it's wrong here
Disabling SSID broadcast hides the network from every client in range, yet colleagues connect fine, so the beacon is being transmitted. It is tempting because hidden SSIDs do cause visibility failures, but that would affect all users equally, not one laptop.
- ✗
The laptop's wireless adapter is set to airplane mode.
Why it's wrong here
Airplane mode disables the wireless radio entirely, so the laptop could not see any neighbouring networks; the user sees several. It is tempting because it is a common cause of no connectivity, but it would suppress all SSIDs, not just the office one.
- ✓
The laptop only supports 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi.
Why this is correct
A 2.4 GHz-only adapter cannot see or associate with a 5 GHz-only SSID, yet it still detects neighbouring 2.4 GHz networks, exactly matching the reported symptom. Other users' laptops support 5 GHz, so the office network itself is functioning correctly.
- ✗
The office router is using WPA3 encryption.
Why it's wrong here
WPA3 is backward compatible with WPA2 clients and does not prevent a 5 GHz-capable adapter from seeing the SSID; colleagues connect, so encryption is not blocking discovery. It is tempting because WPA3 is a security upgrade, but it affects association, not beacon visibility.
Go deeper
Related to this question
Learn chapter
Printer Connection Types: USB, Network, Wireless
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.
Key term
SSID
An SSID is the public name of a Wi-Fi network that devices use to identify and connect to it.
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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.