The answer is to say, "Let's work together to check a few things on your router to improve your connection." This is the most effective approach because it directly addresses the challenge of handling defensive non-technical users by replacing blame with collaboration, which de-escalates tension and builds trust. On the CompTIA A+ Core 2 220-1202 exam, this scenario tests your understanding of professionalism and communication best practices during remote troubleshooting, where the technician must guide a user through steps like checking Wi-Fi channel congestion or DHCP lease times without requiring technical jargon. A common trap is choosing a response that sounds efficient but dismissive, such as asking the user to "just reset it," which can increase defensiveness. Instead, remember the memory tip: "Collaborate, not dictate"—when a user feels like a partner rather than a problem, they are far more likely to follow instructions and help resolve the issue.
220-1102 Communication and Professionalism Practice Question
This 220-1202 practice question tests your understanding of communication and professionalism. 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 issue for a remote employee. The employee's internet connection is unstable, and the technician suspects the home router. The employee is not technical and becomes defensive when the technician asks about their router setup. Which approach is MOST effective?
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Say, 'Let's work together to check a few things on your router to improve your connection.'
Option B is correct because it uses a collaborative, non-confrontational approach that respects the employee's lack of technical knowledge and defuses defensiveness. By saying 'Let's work together,' the technician invites the employee to participate without blame, making it easier to guide them through checking the router's configuration (e.g., verifying Wi-Fi channel congestion, checking for firmware updates, or reviewing DHCP lease times) without requiring the employee to understand technical details. This aligns with CompTIA's emphasis on professionalism and effective communication in remote troubleshooting.
Key principle: Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
✗
Tell the employee that their router is probably cheap and needs replacement.
Why it's wrong here
This is insulting and will increase defensiveness.
✓
Say, 'Let's work together to check a few things on your router to improve your connection.'
Why this is correct
This collaborative language reduces blame and invites cooperation.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
Ask the employee to run a command prompt command without explanation.
Why it's wrong here
This may confuse the employee and feels like a test, increasing frustration.
✗
Escalate the issue to a senior technician without further attempts.
Why it's wrong here
This avoids the problem and doesn't develop the technician's communication skills.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
CompTIA often tests the candidate's ability to choose the most professional and effective communication strategy in a stressful or non-technical user scenario, where the trap is that candidates may select a technically correct but socially inappropriate option (like A or C) because they focus on the technical fix rather than the human interaction required to achieve it.
Trap categories for this question
Similar concept trap
This may confuse the employee and feels like a test, increasing frustration.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
In remote troubleshooting, the technician often relies on the user to perform physical checks (e.g., power cycling the router, checking LED indicators for link status, or verifying cable connections). A collaborative approach allows the technician to guide the user through these steps while maintaining rapport; for example, asking the user to look for a blinking 'Internet' LED (which indicates WAN connectivity issues) or to check if the Wi-Fi signal strength is low (suggesting channel interference). This method also reduces the risk of the user making configuration errors, such as accidentally resetting the router to factory defaults, which can occur if instructions are unclear or the user feels pressured.
KKey Concepts to Remember
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Find the constraint that changes the correct option.
Eliminate answers that are true in general but not in this case.
TExam Day Tips
→Watch for words such as best, first, most likely and least administrative effort.
→Review why wrong options are wrong, not only why the correct option is correct.
Key takeaway
Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Real-world example
How this comes up in practice
A small business has 20 workstations on the 192.168.1.0/24 network and one public IP from its ISP. The router uses PAT (NAT overload) so all 20 devices share one public address using different source ports. NAT questions test whether you understand the four address terms and which direction each translation applies.
Related glossary terms
Concepts from this question explained
These glossary pages explain the core terms tested in this 220-1202 question in full detail.
Communication and Professionalism — This question tests Communication and Professionalism — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Say, 'Let's work together to check a few things on your router to improve your connection.' — Option B is correct because it uses a collaborative, non-confrontational approach that respects the employee's lack of technical knowledge and defuses defensiveness. By saying 'Let's work together,' the technician invites the employee to participate without blame, making it easier to guide them through checking the router's configuration (e.g., verifying Wi-Fi channel congestion, checking for firmware updates, or reviewing DHCP lease times) without requiring the employee to understand technical details. This aligns with CompTIA's emphasis on professionalism and effective communication in remote troubleshooting.
What should I do if I get this 220-1202 question wrong?
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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 technician is troubleshooting a printer that is not printing. The user insists that the printer was working yesterday and nothing has changed. The technician finds that the printer's IP address has changed due to a DHCP lease renewal. What is the best way to explain this to the user?
hard
✓ A.Explain that the printer's IP address changed because of DHCP, and that you will assign a static IP to prevent future issues.
B.Tell the user that the network changed the printer's address and it is not your fault.
C.Use technical jargon like 'DHCP lease expiration' and 'subnet mask misconfiguration' to sound authoritative.
D.Say that the printer is faulty and needs to be replaced.
Why A: Option A is correct because it directly addresses the root cause (DHCP lease renewal changing the printer's IP) and provides a clear, non-technical explanation to the user while outlining the solution (assigning a static IP). This demonstrates effective communication and professionalism by taking ownership of the issue and preventing recurrence, aligning with CompTIA's troubleshooting methodology.
Last reviewed: Jun 30, 2026
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This 220-1202 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 220-1202 exam.
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