The answer is that the router’s WAN connection is down or misconfigured. A successful ping to the default gateway (192.168.1.1) proves that the workstation’s local network stack, cable, and switch are all working correctly, so the failure is not on the LAN side. When you can reach the gateway but cannot ping an external IP like 8.8.8.8, the problem lies beyond the router’s internal interface—typically a lost WAN link, an ISP outage, or misconfigured WAN settings. On the CompTIA A+ Core 1 220-1201 exam, this scenario tests your ability to isolate network faults using a layered troubleshooting approach; a common trap is to blame the workstation’s DNS or IP configuration when the real issue is upstream. Remember the memory tip: “Local ping good, external ping bad? The WAN is what’s sad.”
220-1101 IP Addressing Practice Question
This 220-1201 practice question tests your understanding of ip addressing. The scenario asks you to isolate a root cause — eliminate options that address a different problem before choosing. After answering, compare your reasoning against the explanation and wrong-answer breakdown below. Once you have made your selection, read the full explanation to reinforce the concept and understand why each distractor is designed to mislead on exam day.
A technician is troubleshooting a network where a user cannot access the internet. The user's workstation has an IP of 192.168.1.15, subnet mask 255.255.255.0, and default gateway 192.168.1.1. The technician pings 192.168.1.1 successfully but cannot ping 8.8.8.8. What is the most likely cause?
Clue words in this question
Noticing these words before you look at the options changes how you read each choice.
Clue: "most likely"
Why it matters: Probability qualifier — the question wants the most probable cause or outcome, not a guaranteed one. Eliminate low-probability options.
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
The router's WAN connection is down or misconfigured.
Successful ping to the gateway indicates local network connectivity is fine. Failure to ping an external IP like 8.8.8.8 suggests the router cannot reach the internet, possibly due to an ISP issue or misconfigured WAN settings.
Key principle: Count usable hosts — not total addresses — and remember that the network and broadcast addresses are not available to hosts in standard IPv4 subnets.
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 workstation's subnet mask is incorrect.
Why it's wrong here
Incorrect. If the subnet mask were wrong, the ping to the gateway might fail, but it succeeded.
✓
The router's WAN connection is down or misconfigured.
Why this is correct
Correct. Since local connectivity works but external fails, the router likely has no internet connection.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "most likely" in the question point toward this answer.
The DNS server is not configured on the workstation.
Why it's wrong here
Incorrect. DNS is not needed for pinging an IP address; the technician used 8.8.8.8, not a domain name.
✗
The workstation's IP address is a duplicate.
Why it's wrong here
Incorrect. An IP conflict would likely cause intermittent issues, but the successful ping to the gateway suggests no conflict.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: usable hosts are not the same as total addresses
Subnetting questions often tempt you into counting all addresses. In normal IPv4 subnets, the network and broadcast addresses are not usable host addresses.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Subnetting questions test whether you can identify the network, broadcast address, usable range, mask and correct subnet. Slow down enough to calculate the block size correctly.
KKey Concepts to Remember
CIDR notation defines the prefix length.
Block size helps identify subnet boundaries.
Network and broadcast addresses are not usable hosts in normal IPv4 subnets.
The required host count determines the smallest suitable subnet.
TExam Day Tips
→Write the block size before choosing the subnet.
→Check whether the question asks for hosts, subnets or a specific address range.
→Do not confuse /24, /25, /26 and /27 host counts.
Key takeaway
Count usable hosts — not total addresses — and remember that the network and broadcast addresses are not available to hosts in standard IPv4 subnets.
Real-world example
How this comes up in practice
A network engineer segments a warehouse floor into three subnets: 20 scanners, 5 printers, and 2 management hosts. Picking the wrong mask wastes addresses or leaves too few usable hosts. Exam questions test whether you can apply CIDR notation, calculate block size, and identify the correct usable-host range for a given prefix.
Related glossary terms
Concepts from this question explained
These glossary pages explain the core terms tested in this 220-1201 question in full detail.
Review block sizes, usable host formulas (2^n − 2), and how to find network and broadcast addresses for /24 through /30. Then practise related 220-1201 subnetting questions on CIDR, address ranges, and subnet selection.
IP Addressing — This question tests IP Addressing — CIDR notation defines the prefix length..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: The router's WAN connection is down or misconfigured. — Successful ping to the gateway indicates local network connectivity is fine. Failure to ping an external IP like 8.8.8.8 suggests the router cannot reach the internet, possibly due to an ISP issue or misconfigured WAN settings.
What should I do if I get this 220-1201 question wrong?
Review block sizes, usable host formulas (2^n − 2), and how to find network and broadcast addresses for /24 through /30. Then practise related 220-1201 subnetting questions on CIDR, address ranges, and subnet selection.
Are there clue words in this question I should notice?
Yes — watch for: "most likely". Probability qualifier — the question wants the most probable cause or outcome, not a guaranteed one. Eliminate low-probability options.
What is the key concept behind this question?
CIDR notation defines the prefix length.
About these practice questions
Courseiva creates original exam-style practice questions with explanations and wrong-answer analysis. It does not publish real exam questions, exam dumps, or protected exam content. Learn why practice questions differ from exam dumps →
These questions test the same concept from different angles. Work through them to make sure you can recognise it however the exam phrases it.
Variation 1. A user reports that they can only access the internet intermittently. The technician runs ipconfig and sees an IPv4 address of 192.168.1.105 with a subnet mask of 255.255.255.0 and a default gateway of 192.168.1.1. The technician pings the gateway successfully, but pings to 8.8.8.8 fail. What is the most likely issue?
medium
A.The user's computer has a duplicate IP address.
B.The DNS server is not resolving addresses.
✓ C.The router's WAN connection is down or misconfigured.
D.The user's firewall is blocking ICMP traffic.
Why C: Successful ping to the gateway indicates local network connectivity is fine. Failure to ping an external IP like 8.8.8.8 suggests the router is not forwarding traffic to the internet, possibly due to a WAN configuration issue or ISP problem.
Last reviewed: Jun 18, 2026
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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.
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