220-1102 Operating Systems Practice Question

Answer analysis

Option-by-option breakdown

For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.

• ✓

  Manually enter the SSID

  Why this is correct

  A hidden Wi-Fi network does not broadcast its SSID in beacon frames, so it won't appear in Windows 10's visible network list. To connect, you must know the exact, case-sensitive SSID and manually create a connection profile via Settings > Network & Internet > Wi-Fi > Manage known networks > Add a new network, entering the network name, security type, and password. Windows 10 will then attempt to connect even though the network is not broadcasting, and you can optionally check 'Connect even if this network is not broadcasting' to proactively send probe requests. This manual entry is the only way to initiate a connection to a hidden network.

• ✗

  Disable encryption temporarily

  Why it's wrong here

  Disabling encryption on the access point is neither necessary nor sufficient to connect to a hidden SSID. The wireless security protocol (WPA2/WPA3) protects data in transit independently of whether the network name is broadcast; a hidden network still requires the same authentication handshake. If you temporarily disable encryption to 'make it connect,' the AP would become open, exposing all traffic and violating typical enterprise security policies, yet the SSID would still remain hidden because beacon frames simply omit the name field. Windows 10 does not require an unencrypted network to detect or connect to a hidden one; it only needs the correct SSID and matching security settings.

• ✗

  Assign a static IP address

  Why it's wrong here

  Assigning a static IP address is a Layer 3 (IP) configuration step that has no bearing on your computer's ability to discover or associate with a hidden wireless network, which operates at Layer 2 (data link). Whether your client uses DHCP or a manually entered static IPv4 address, the Wi-Fi adapter must first complete the 802.11 association and authentication using the SSID and passphrase; only after that does IP configuration matter. Therefore, setting a static IP might be useful in a network without DHCP, but it will not help you initiate a connection to a network whose SSID is not broadcast. The connection wizard in Windows 10 always proceeds with IP settings regardless of SSID visibility.

• ✗

  Disable DHCP

  Why it's wrong here

  Disabling DHCP is completely unrelated to the process of joining a hidden Wi-Fi network. DHCP handles dynamic IP address allocation after a successful association; if you disable it, your machine may end up with no routable IP address and thus cannot exchange data, but the wireless link itself would still associate if the SSID were manually entered. In contrast, without the SSID, the client never even attempts to associate, so DHCP never comes into play. Thus, disabling DHCP would only break IP connectivity, not solve the hidden-network discovery problem, and in modern networks it's neither a required nor advised troubleshooting step for this issue.

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