220-1101 Networking Practice Question
A small office has a router serving as the DHCP and DNS server. All workstations can access the internet but cannot connect to a local file server using its hostname (\\fileserver). They can successfully ping the file server's IP address (192.168.1.10). The technician has verified that the file server is powered on and sharing folders. Which of the following is the MOST likely cause of the issue?
⚠ Common exam trap
Many candidates confuse connectivity issues (like firewall or DHCP) with name resolution problems, assuming that if a ping to the IP works, the hostname should also work, but DNS must have a corresponding record for hostname resolution to succeed.
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 router's DNS server does not have a record for the file server's hostname.
The router is serving as the DNS server for the network. Since workstations can ping the file server by IP but not by hostname, the issue is that the DNS server lacks an A (or AAAA) record mapping the hostname 'fileserver' to its IP address 192.168.1.10. Without this record, name resolution fails, even though the server is reachable via IP.
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 DHCP lease on the file server has expired.
Why it's wrong here
An expired DHCP lease would cause the file server to release and reacquire an IP address, potentially changing its address or leaving it without connectivity. However, the problem description confirms that pinging 192.168.1.10 succeeds, meaning the file server is actively using that exact IP. A lease expiration would not prevent hostname resolution because DNS servers have no awareness of DHCP lease state; it would first manifest as a total lack of IP connectivity, not a name-resolution-only failure.
- ✓
The router's DNS server does not have a record for the file server's hostname.
Why this is correct
The router's DNS server is the local authority for hostname-to-IP mappings, but it lacks a record for the file server's hostname. When a workstation pings the hostname, the DNS query returns a non-existent domain (NXDOMAIN) response, so the ping fails. Yet pinging 192.168.1.10 succeeds, proving the host is reachable and the problem is strictly at the name-resolution layer. This is the correct diagnosis because the symptoms directly match a missing A or AAAA record in DNS.
- ✗
The Windows Firewall on the file server is blocking incoming connections.
Why it's wrong here
If the Windows Firewall on the file server were blocking incoming connections, it would typically drop ICMP echo requests as well, causing pings to the IP address to fail. Since the user successfully pings 192.168.1.10, the firewall is permitting ICMP traffic and the host is reachable at the network layer. Firewall rules can block specific ports, but they do not affect how a client resolves a hostname; that is a DNS function. Thus, a firewall misconfiguration would present as connection timeouts to all services, not just hostname pings.
- ✗
The workstations and file server are in different workgroups.
Why it's wrong here
Workgroup membership is a Windows networking concept that controls how machines appear in the Network browse list, not how IP addresses or hostnames are resolved. Different workgroups do not affect ping, which uses ICMP and relies on DNS or IP addressing, nor do they prevent file sharing from an explicit UNC path. Even if the workstations were in separate workgroups, they could still communicate directly via IP address. Therefore, this factor is irrelevant to the observed symptom and does not explain a hostname-specific failure.
Visual reference
Quick reference
Common DNS Record Types
| Record | Purpose | Example |
|---|---|---|
| A | IPv4 address mapping | example.com → 93.184.216.34 |
| AAAA | IPv6 address mapping | example.com → 2606:2800::1 |
| CNAME | Alias to another hostname | www → example.com |
| MX | Mail server for domain | example.com → mail.example.com (priority 10) |
| TXT | Text data (SPF, DKIM, verification) | v=spf1 include:_spf.example.com ~all |
| NS | Authoritative name servers | example.com NS ns1.example.com |
| PTR | Reverse DNS (IP → hostname) | 34.216.184.93.in-addr.arpa → example.com |
| SOA | Zone authority record | Primary NS, admin email, serial, TTL defaults |
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Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
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