220-1101 Networking Practice Question
A network administrator is setting up a new wireless network for a small business. The administrator configures a wireless access point with WPA2-PSK and a strong passphrase. Several users on different floors report intermittent connectivity and slow speeds. The administrator checks the access point and finds that the signal strength is excellent in the area. The access point is dual-band (2.4GHz and 5GHz) and broadcasts a single SSID. Which of the following is the MOST likely cause of the issue?
⚠ Common exam trap
CompTIA often tests the misconception that strong signal strength guarantees good performance, when in reality interference from improper channel width or overlapping channels is a common cause of intermittent connectivity and slow speeds.
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 channel width is set to 40MHz on the 2.4GHz band, causing interference.
In the 2.4 GHz band, using a 40 MHz channel width consumes more spectrum and overlaps with adjacent channels, causing co-channel and adjacent-channel interference. This interference leads to intermittent connectivity and slow speeds, especially on different floors where signal propagation is more complex. The strong signal strength and dual-band setup with a single SSID point to channel width misconfiguration as the most likely cause.
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 access point is configured to use the default IP address, causing an IP conflict.
Why it's wrong here
An IP address conflict would typically prevent specific devices from joining the network or cause sudden disconnects for those holding the conflicting address, not produce widespread intermittent slowdowns across all bands. In a small-business setup, the access point is often configured with a static management IP or obtains one via DHCP; a default factory IP alone doesn't automatically conflict with anything unless another device is using the same address. Furthermore, an IP conflict wouldn't selectively degrade the 2.4GHz band while leaving 5GHz unaffected, which is the key symptom here.
- ✓
The channel width is set to 40MHz on the 2.4GHz band, causing interference.
Why this is correct
Setting the 2.4GHz radio to a 40MHz channel width doubles the bonded channel but also dramatically increases the chance of overlapping with neighboring networks and non-Wi-Fi devices such as microwaves, Bluetooth, and cordless phones. The 2.4GHz band only offers three non-overlapping 20MHz channels (1, 6, 11); a 40MHz channel consumes two of those, forcing the radio to be far more susceptible to co-channel interference. This interference manifests as intermittent disconnects, hidden-node problems, and severely degraded throughput, which is why 20MHz is the recommended width for 2.4GHz in dense or business environments.
- ✗
The encryption type is too weak for the number of users.
Why it's wrong here
The strength of the encryption method has no bearing on how many clients an access point can support; WPA2-PSK with a robust passphrase is cryptographically sound and does not introduce performance bottlenecks as user count increases. Weak or outdated encryption like WEP could expose the network to security threats, but it wouldn't cause chronic intermittent connectivity without a corresponding rise in error frames or retransmissions. The described symptom—random drops tied to band configuration—points to RF interference, not an encryption overhead issue.
- ✗
The access point's firmware is outdated and needs an update.
Why it's wrong here
Outdated firmware can definitely cause random reboots, memory leaks, or feature limitations, but it rarely produces a problem that is strictly limited to one band (2.4GHz) and manifests as intermittent interference-like symptoms. A firmware bug typically affects the whole device or all radios, or is triggered by a specific data rate or security feature, not by the channel-width setting. Since the question centers on a configuration choice (channel width), updating firmware is a plausible troubleshooting step but not the root cause; the interference pattern is directly explained by the 40MHz setting.
Go deeper
Related to this question
Learn chapter
Wireless Security: WEP, WPA, WPA2, WPA3
Key term
Service Set Identifier
A Service Set Identifier (SSID) is the public name of a Wi-Fi network that devices use to identify and connect to it.
Key term
Access Point
An access point is a device that creates a wireless local area network, usually by connecting to a wired network and broadcasting a Wi-Fi signal for computers, phones, and tablets to join.
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JA
Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
This 220-1101 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 220-1101 exam.