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220-1201 Practice Question: During a network upgrade, a technician installs a…
During a network upgrade, a technician installs a new wireless access point. Users on the new AP can access local resources but cannot browse the internet. The technician verifies that the AP has a valid IP address and can ping an external website by IP address. Which protocol is most likely misconfigured?
⚠ Common exam trap
CompTIA A+ often tests the distinction between IP connectivity (verified by ping to an IP) and name resolution (DNS), leading candidates to incorrectly suspect DHCP or routing issues when the real problem is DNS misconfiguration.
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
✓
DNS
The technician can ping an external website by IP address, which confirms that IP routing, ICMP, and internet connectivity are working. However, users cannot browse the internet, which typically relies on domain name resolution. Since the AP has a valid IP address and local resources are accessible, the most likely misconfiguration is DNS, as the AP or its clients are not receiving the correct DNS server addresses to resolve domain names to IP addresses.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✓
DNS
Why this is correct
DNS (Domain Name System) is essential for resolving human-readable domain names into numerical IP addresses that computers use to locate resources on the internet. If the access point or its connected clients receive incorrect DNS server configurations, they will be unable to translate domain names, leading to failures when attempting to browse external websites by name. However, since IP connectivity to local resources and successful pings by IP address are still possible, the underlying network layer is functional, isolating the problem specifically to name resolution.
- ✗
DHCP
Why it's wrong here
DHCP (Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol) is responsible for automatically assigning IP addresses, subnet masks, default gateways, and DNS server information to network clients. Since users can successfully access local network resources and ping by IP address, their devices have clearly obtained valid IP configurations. This indicates that the DHCP service is functioning correctly and successfully providing the necessary network parameters for basic connectivity, making it unlikely to be the cause of name resolution failures.
- ✗
ICMP
Why it's wrong here
ICMP (Internet Control Message Protocol) is a network layer protocol primarily used for diagnostic purposes, such as the `ping` command, and for reporting errors. The question explicitly states that users can successfully ping by IP address, which directly confirms that ICMP is functioning as expected. Therefore, ICMP is not the component causing the inability to browse external websites by name, as its role is unrelated to domain name resolution.
- ✗
ARP
Why it's wrong here
ARP (Address Resolution Protocol) is a crucial Layer 2 protocol used to map IP addresses to physical MAC addresses within a local network segment. The ability for users to access local resources confirms that ARP is successfully resolving MAC addresses for local communication. Since ARP's function is confined to the local network and does not extend to resolving external domain names, it cannot be the cause of the failure to browse external websites by name.
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Mobile Device Connectivity
Key term
Fully Qualified Domain Name
A Fully Qualified Domain Name is the complete and unambiguous website or server name that includes the host, domain, and top-level domain, leaving no room for guesswork.
Key term
Name Server
A name server is a specialized server that translates human-readable domain names into machine-readable IP addresses so that computers can find each other on a network.
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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.