220-1102 Operating Systems Practice Question
A technician is setting up a Windows Deployment Services (WDS) server to deploy Windows 10 images to multiple computers over the network. The technician has configured the WDS server and verified that the client computers have network connectivity. What technology must the client computers support to boot from the network and initiate the deployment process?
⚠ Common exam trap
Many candidates confuse the underlying protocol (TFTP) with the boot technology itself (PXE), leading them to select TFTP as the answer when PXE is the correct technology that enables network booting.
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
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PXE
PXE (Preboot eXecution Environment) is the industry-standard technology that allows client computers to boot from the network without a local operating system. When a WDS server is configured, it uses PXE to provide a boot image (e.g., boot.wim) to the client, which then initiates the Windows 10 deployment process. Without PXE support in the client's network interface card (NIC) firmware, the computer cannot request or receive the boot files needed to start the deployment.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✓
PXE
Why this is correct
PXE (Preboot Execution Environment) is a firmware-level standard built into the network interface card or motherboard that allows a client to boot from the network. During a WDS deployment, the client's PXE firmware broadcasts to locate a WDS server, then downloads and executes the boot image. Without PXE support, the machine cannot initiate the network boot process, making it the mandatory prerequisite for WDS.
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DHCP
Why it's wrong here
DHCP (Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol) automatically assigns IP addresses and network configuration parameters, but it does not supply the capability to boot from the network. While WDS commonly integrates with DHCP to advertise its presence via DHCP options or a separate DHCP proxy, a client still must have PXE-enabled firmware to issue a DHCP-based boot request and process the response. DHCP only provides addressing, so it cannot be the enabling mechanism.
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TFTP
Why it's wrong here
Trivial File Transfer Protocol (TFTP) is the lightweight, connectionless protocol that PXE firmware uses to download the initial boot files, such as the network boot program, from the WDS server. This transfer occurs only after PXE has already established the boot session and determined the server's IP address; TFTP never starts the process on its own. Because TFTP depends on PXE to be invoked, it is a downstream component rather than the root enabler.
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HTTPS
Why it's wrong here
HTTPS (Hypertext Transfer Protocol Secure) is a TLS-protected protocol designed for encrypted web browsing and REST APIs, not for network bootstrap operations. Windows Deployment Services does not rely on HTTPS for the boot sequence; instead, it uses TFTP for downloading the boot image and optionally multicast for high-volume imaging. Attempting to use HTTPS would require a completely different boot architecture and does not address the firmware-level PXE requirement.
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Key term
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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.