Question 1hardmultiple choice
Full question →hardmultiple choiceObjective-mapped
A network technician is troubleshooting an issue where users in the Sales department cannot access a file server located in the Engineering department. The network consists of multiple switches connected via fiber optic cables. The technician verifies that the file server is online and can be pinged by its IP address from a Sales workstation. However, when attempting to access the file server by its hostname (\\fileserver\share), the access fails. Which of the following should the technician check FIRST?
Answer choices
Why each option matters
Good practice is not just finding the correct option. The wrong answers often show the exact trap the exam wants you to fall into.
A
Best answer
DNS server settings on the workstations
Name resolution (hostname to IP) relies on DNS. If the workstations have incorrect DNS server addresses or the DNS record for the file server is missing, hostname access will fail even though IP access works.
B
Distractor review
The default gateway configuration
If the default gateway were misconfigured, the ping to the file server's IP would likely fail because traffic would not be routed correctly. Since IP ping succeeds, the gateway is working.
C
Distractor review
VLAN configuration on the switches
VLAN misconfiguration would typically prevent IP-level communication entirely. Since IP ping works, the VLANs are properly routed and the issue is at a higher layer.
D
Distractor review
The file server's firewall settings
The file server's firewall may be blocking SMB (port 445) while allowing ICMP (ping), but the first step should still be to verify DNS, as it is a more common and easier-to-check issue.
Common exam trap
Common exam trap: an active trunk can still block the VLAN you need
A trunk being up does not prove every VLAN is crossing it. Check allowed VLAN lists, native VLAN mismatch, VLAN existence and access-port assignment.
Technical deep dive
How to think about this question
VLAN questions usually combine access-port and trunking clues. The key is to identify whether the issue is local to one switchport, caused by the trunk, or caused by the VLAN not existing where it needs to exist.
KKey Concepts to Remember
- Access ports place end devices into a single VLAN.
- Trunk ports carry multiple VLANs between switches.
- Allowed VLAN lists decide which VLANs can cross a trunk.
- Native VLAN mismatch can create confusing symptoms.
TExam Day Tips
- Use show vlan brief to verify access VLANs.
- Use show interfaces trunk to verify trunk state and allowed VLANs.
- Do not treat every same-VLAN issue as a routing problem.
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More questions from this exam
Keep practising from the same exam bank, or move into a focused topic page if this question exposed a weak area.
Question 1
A user reports intermittent network connectivity on a desktop computer. The technician observes that the Ethernet link light on the NIC turns off for a few seconds and then turns back on. The cable passes a wiremap test, the switch port is verified good with another device, and the NIC driver is updated. The issue occurs more frequently when the computer's case fan runs at high speed. Which of the following is the MOST likely cause?
Question 2
A workstation is unable to connect to the internet. The technician runs the 'ipconfig' command and sees the IPv4 address is 169.254.15.200 with a subnet mask of 255.255.0.0. The workstation can ping other devices on the local subnet but cannot ping the default gateway or any external addresses. Which TWO actions should the technician take to resolve this issue? (Select two.)
Question 3
A workstation is connected to a managed switch. It obtains a valid IP address (192.168.10.50) from the DHCP server, but it cannot ping the default gateway (192.168.10.1). The link light on both the workstation NIC and the switch port are solid green. Other workstations on the same switch CAN ping the default gateway successfully. The technician accesses the switch management interface and finds that the workstation's port is configured as an access port on VLAN 10. The default gateway is located on VLAN 20. An inter-VLAN router is configured but not explicitly allowing VLAN 10 access to VLAN 20. Which of the following is the MOST likely cause of the problem?
Question 4
A company develops a web application that relies on a custom library available only for a specific Linux distribution. They want to deploy the application in the cloud with minimal administrative overhead, but they need full control over the software stack, including the ability to install the custom library and configure the web server. Which cloud service model BEST meets these requirements?
Question 5
A company has a legacy virtual machine running on a deprecated hypervisor (Hyper-V). They want to migrate this VM to a new hypervisor (VMware vSphere) hosted in a private cloud while preserving the VM's configuration, installed applications, and data. The migration must be performed with minimal downtime. Which of the following methods is MOST appropriate?
Question 6
A company hosts a critical database on a virtual machine in a public cloud. The database requires persistent storage that must be retained even if the VM is terminated. The storage must also be accessible from multiple VMs simultaneously for a future high-availability configuration. Which type of cloud storage BEST meets these requirements?
FAQ
Questions learners often ask
What does this 220-1101 question test?
Access ports place end devices into a single VLAN.
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: DNS server settings on the workstations — Since the users can successfully ping the file server by IP address but not by hostname, the issue is related to name resolution. In a Windows network, hostnames are resolved via DNS (or NetBIOS). The most likely cause is a misconfigured DNS server address on the Sales workstations or a missing DNS record for the file server. Checking the DNS settings is the logical first step. The default gateway, VLAN configuration, and file server firewall are less likely to be the cause because IP connectivity is already working.
What should I do if I get this 220-1101 question wrong?
Then try more questions from the same exam bank and focus on understanding why the wrong options are tempting.
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