easyMultiple ChoiceObjective-mapped
220-1201 Practice Question: That they cannot access the internet, but they…
A user reports that they cannot access the internet, but they can ping other devices on the local network. The technician checks the IP configuration and sees: IP: 192.168.1.25, Subnet Mask: 255.255.255.0, Default Gateway: 192.168.2.1. What is the issue?
⚠ Common exam trap
The 220-1201 exam often tests the concept that a host can only communicate directly with devices on its own subnet; the trap here is that candidates see a valid IP and gateway and assume the issue is DNS or the subnet mask, overlooking the subnet mismatch between the host and gateway.
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 default gateway is on a different subnet.
The default gateway 192.168.2.1 is not on the same subnet as the host IP 192.168.1.25 with subnet mask 255.255.255.0. For a /24 network, the host's subnet is 192.168.1.0/24, while the gateway belongs to 192.168.2.0/24. The host will ARP for the gateway but never receive a reply because the gateway is on a different Layer 2 broadcast domain, making internet access impossible despite local connectivity.
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 subnet mask is incorrect.
Why it's wrong here
Given an IP address like 192.168.1.25, a subnet mask of 255.255.255.0 correctly defines a /24 network, meaning the network portion is 192.168.1.0. This configuration is standard and valid, allowing the device to correctly identify other devices on its local segment. Therefore, an incorrect subnet mask is not the cause of the internet access issue in this scenario.
- ✓
The default gateway is on a different subnet.
Why this is correct
A device determines if a destination IP address is on its local subnet by comparing the destination IP with its own IP and subnet mask. If the default gateway's IP address (192.168.2.1) falls outside the device's local subnet (192.168.1.0/24), the device will attempt to send traffic to a gateway it cannot directly reach. This fundamental routing misconfiguration prevents the device from forwarding any packets outside its local network segment, thus blocking internet access.
- ✗
The IP address is a broadcast address.
Why it's wrong here
The IP address 192.168.1.25 is a valid host address within a 192.168.1.0/24 network. A broadcast address for this subnet would be 192.168.1.255, which is reserved for sending data to all devices on the local network. Assigning a broadcast address to a host would cause network communication issues, but 192.168.1.25 is clearly not a broadcast address and is a perfectly acceptable IP for a client device.
- ✗
The DNS server is misconfigured.
Why it's wrong here
DNS (Domain Name System) is responsible for translating human-readable domain names into numerical IP addresses. While a misconfigured DNS server would prevent users from accessing websites by name, it would not impede direct IP-based communication, such as pinging an IP address or the default gateway. The inability to reach the default gateway indicates a fundamental Layer 3 connectivity or routing problem, not a name resolution issue.
Visual reference
Quick reference
IPv4 Address Class Summary
| Class | First Octet Range | Default Mask | Networks | Hosts per Network |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| A | 1–126 | /8 (255.0.0.0) | 126 | 16,777,214 |
| B | 128–191 | /16 (255.255.0.0) | 16,384 | 65,534 |
| C | 192–223 | /24 (255.255.255.0) | 2,097,152 | 254 |
| D | 224–239 | N/A | Multicast groups | — |
| E | 240–255 | N/A | Reserved / experimental | — |
127.x.x.x is reserved for loopback. Modern networks use CIDR (classless) rather than classful addressing.
Go deeper
Related to this question
Learn chapter
Mobile Device Connectivity
Key term
ARP
Address Resolution Protocol (ARP) is a network protocol used to map a device's IP address to its physical MAC address so data can be delivered correctly on a local network.
Key term
Ping
Ping is a network utility used to test whether a remote computer or device is reachable across an IP network and to measure the round-trip time of data packets.
About these practice questions
Courseiva writes every 220-1201 question from scratch — 972 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 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.