easyMultiple ChoiceObjective-mapped
220-1102 Practice Question: That their workstation cannot connect to the…
A user reports that their workstation cannot connect to the company file server after a scheduled network maintenance window last night. The technician checks the change management records and finds no mention of any changes to the file server. What is the most likely cause of the issue?
⚠ Common exam trap
CompTIA often tests the concept that change management records only reflect changes to the specific device in question, not to the broader network infrastructure, leading candidates to overlook network-level causes like a switch misconfiguration during maintenance.
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 maintenance window affected a network switch that the file server relies on
The scheduled network maintenance window is the key clue: it likely involved changes to network infrastructure such as switches, routers, or VLAN configurations. If a network switch that the file server depends on was modified or rebooted during maintenance, the workstation would lose connectivity even though the file server itself was untouched. Change management records only track changes to the file server, not to network devices, so the absence of file server changes does not rule out a network-level cause.
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 file server requires a firmware update
Why it's wrong here
While a firmware update for a file server might be performed during a maintenance window, it would typically be a planned and documented activity. If the update failed or caused an incompatibility, it could lead to issues. However, the prompt implies an undocumented or unexpected issue post-maintenance. Furthermore, a server merely 'requiring' a firmware update doesn't inherently prevent network connectivity unless the update process itself failed catastrophically or the server was taken offline for the update and not brought back up correctly, which would be a direct consequence of the maintenance, not just a general requirement.
- ✓
The maintenance window affected a network switch that the file server relies on
Why this is correct
A maintenance window implies changes were made to systems or infrastructure. If an undocumented or unannounced change occurred on a critical network device, such as a switch, router, or firewall, that provides the network path to the file server, it would directly explain a sudden loss of network access for user workstations. Even if the file server itself was untouched, its network connectivity could be severed or reconfigured incorrectly, leading to the workstation's inability to establish a connection post-maintenance.
- ✗
The user’s account password has expired
Why it's wrong here
An expired user account password would prevent the user from successfully authenticating to the file server and accessing shared resources, typically resulting in an 'access denied' or 'incorrect credentials' error message. However, the workstation would still be able to establish a network connection to the server's IP address or hostname. The problem statement indicates a complete inability to *connect*, which is a lower-level network issue, not an authentication failure.
- ✗
The file server’s hard drive has failed
Why it's wrong here
A hard drive failure on the file server would typically manifest as the server becoming unresponsive, failing to boot, or generating specific disk I/O errors in its event logs. While this would certainly prevent users from accessing files, it is a hardware fault that is generally unrelated to a scheduled maintenance window unless the maintenance involved physical server work that inadvertently caused the failure. Furthermore, the user's report of 'cannot connect' suggests a network-level issue rather than a server-level application or storage failure.
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Related to this question
Learn chapter
File Systems: NTFS, FAT32, exFAT
Key term
VLAN
A VLAN (Virtual Local Area Network) is a logical grouping of network devices that behave as if they are on the same physical network segment, regardless of their actual physical location.
Key term
Change management
Change management is the structured process of planning, approving, implementing, and reviewing changes to IT systems to minimize risk and disruption.
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Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
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.