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220-1201 Practice Question: That they cannot access a website hosted on a…
A user reports that they cannot access a website hosted on a remote server. The technician finds that the firewall allows HTTP and HTTPS traffic, but the website uses a non-standard port. The user's browser shows 'connection refused'. Which tool can the technician use to verify if the remote port is open?
⚠ Common exam trap
The trap is choosing Ping because it 'tests connectivity'; 220-1201 tests whether you distinguish ICMP reachability from TCP port reachability, which requires a tool like Telnet.
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
✓
Telnet
Telnet can open a TCP connection to a specific host and port (e.g., 'telnet host 8080'), so it directly verifies whether the remote port is listening and reachable. A successful connection confirms the port is open; 'connection refused' or a timeout confirms it is closed or filtered. This makes Telnet the correct tool for port-level reachability testing.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Ping
Why it's wrong here
Ping is a fundamental network utility that leverages Internet Control Message Protocol (ICMP) echo requests and replies to assess the basic reachability of an IP host on a network. While it can confirm if a device is online and responsive at the network layer, Ping operates independently of TCP ports. Consequently, it cannot determine if a specific application service, such as a web server, is actively listening on its designated TCP port (e.g., 80 or 443) or if a firewall is selectively blocking that particular port, making it unsuitable for diagnosing service-level connectivity issues.
- ✓
Telnet
Why this is correct
Telnet is a versatile command-line utility that can establish a raw Transmission Control Protocol (TCP) connection to a specified host and port number. By attempting to connect to a web server's IP address on its standard HTTP (port 80) or HTTPS (port 443) port, an administrator can directly verify if the server is actively listening for connections on that specific port. A successful connection, even if no data is subsequently exchanged, definitively indicates that the port is open and a service is running, thereby helping to isolate whether the problem lies with network connectivity to the port or a higher-level application issue.
- ✗
Nslookup
Why it's wrong here
Nslookup (Name Server Lookup) is a dedicated network administration command-line tool designed exclusively for querying the Domain Name System (DNS). Its primary function is to resolve domain names to IP addresses, obtain IP address to domain name mappings, or retrieve other specific DNS resource records. While accurate DNS resolution is a prerequisite for accessing websites, Nslookup provides no mechanism or capability to test the status of specific ports on the resolved IP address, nor can it determine if a service is listening on those ports.
- ✗
Tracert
Why it's wrong here
Tracert (Traceroute) is a diagnostic tool that maps the network path and measures the transit delays of packets across an Internet Protocol (IP) network. It identifies each router (hop) that packets traverse from the source to the destination, along with the round-trip time for each hop, which is invaluable for pinpointing network latency or routing problems. However, Tracert, similar to Ping, primarily utilizes ICMP and does not establish a TCP connection to a specific port, rendering it incapable of assessing whether a web server's application port is open and actively responding to connection attempts.
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Key term
HTTPS
HTTPS (Hypertext Transfer Protocol Secure) is the secure version of HTTP that encrypts data between a web browser and a web server using SSL/TLS protocols.
Key term
Telnet
Telnet is a network protocol that provides a bidirectional, interactive text-based communication session between two machines over a network, typically used for remote access and management of network devices.
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Courseiva writes every 220-1201 question from scratch — 871 in total, each with an explanation and a wrong-answer breakdown. None are copied from real exams or dumps. Learn why practice questions differ from exam dumps →
JA
Written and reviewed by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
Last reviewed September 2026 · checked against the official CompTIA exam blueprint
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.