220-1102 Operating Systems Practice Question
A technician needs to configure a Windows 10 Pro workstation to allow a user to connect to the company's Remote Desktop services from home without using a VPN. Which built-in Windows feature should the technician enable on the workstation?
⚠ Common exam trap
Many exam-takers confuse Remote Assistance (an interactive help feature requiring user consent) with Remote Desktop (a persistent remote access service), leading them to select A when the question explicitly asks for a feature allowing the user to connect from home without a VPN.
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
✓
Remote Desktop
Remote Desktop (RDP) is the built-in Windows feature that allows a user to remotely connect to a workstation over the internet using port 3389. By enabling Remote Desktop on the Windows 10 Pro workstation, the technician provides the necessary server-side listener for incoming RDP connections, which the user can access from home without a VPN, assuming proper firewall and router port forwarding are configured.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Remote Assistance
Why it's wrong here
Remote Assistance (msra.exe) is an invitation-based collaboration tool that lets a trusted helper view or control the desktop only after the local user sends an invitation and explicitly approves the connection. It requires an active interactive session at the console, so the workstation cannot be accessed unattended when the user is away. Because the scenario demands a user to remotely connect to their own machine, this feature is not appropriate.
- ✓
Remote Desktop
Why this is correct
Remote Desktop (mstsc.exe) enables unattended remote access by starting the built-in RDP server, which listens on TCP port 3389 and accepts connections from authenticated clients even when no user is signed in locally. Network Level Authentication is supported by default on Windows 10 Pro to require the client to authenticate before a full RDP session is created. This is the native feature used to remotely manage or access a Windows workstation from another computer.
- ✗
Network Discovery
Why it's wrong here
Network Discovery is a profile-level setting that controls whether the computer broadcasts and responds to LLMNR, NetBIOS, and SSDP messages to find other devices on the local subnet. It only affects the visibility of network hosts in Explorer and does not run any service that accepts inbound remote desktop connections. Turning it on does not create a listening endpoint that could be used to remotely control the workstation.
- ✗
BranchCache
Why it's wrong here
BranchCache is a content-caching feature for branch offices that caches files and web content retrieved from SMB shares or HTTP(S) servers in Distributed Cache or Hosted Cache mode. It is designed to reduce WAN bandwidth consumption and improve response times for file access, not to provide a remote control protocol. It has no relevance to connecting to a workstation's desktop remotely and no RDP-related listening service.
Go deeper
Related to this question
Learn chapter
Windows Services Management
Key term
VPN
A VPN (Virtual Private Network) creates a secure, encrypted tunnel between your device and a remote server, protecting your data and hiding your online activity.
Key term
VPN
A VPN creates an encrypted tunnel over a public network to securely connect remote users or sites to a private network.
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JA
Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
This 220-1102 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 220-1102 exam.