220-1101 Hardware and Network Troubleshooting Practice Question
A user reports that their desktop computer cannot access the internet, but it can access internal network resources and other computers on the local network. The technician runs ipconfig and sees the IP address is 169.254.15.22. Which of the following is the MOST likely cause of this issue?
⚠ Common exam trap
It's easy for candidates to confuse a DHCP failure (APIPA) with a DNS failure, but DNS issues never produce a 169.254.x.x address—only a failed DHCP lease results in that specific IP range.
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 DHCP server is not responding
The IP address 169.254.15.22 is an Automatic Private IP Addressing (APIPA) address (169.254.0.0/16), which Windows assigns when a DHCP server is unreachable. Since the computer can still access local resources, the network stack is functional, but without a valid DHCP lease, it cannot obtain a routable IP, default gateway, or DNS server, thus losing internet access.
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 DNS server is not responding
Why it's wrong here
If the DNS server were down, the client would still have obtained a valid DHCP lease, meaning its IP, mask, and gateway would be configured and it could reach the internet by using a raw IP address. DNS failure only breaks name resolution (converting hostnames like example.com to IPs), not the IP address assignment itself, so the machine would never generate an APIPA address. A 169.254.x.x address indicates the DHCP transaction failed outright, which is a separate layer of the network stack from name resolution.
When this WOULD be correct
A user can access the internet by IP address but not by domain name, and ipconfig shows a valid IP address (not APIPA). In that case, the DNS server is not responding or misconfigured, preventing name resolution.
- ✓
The DHCP server is not responding
Why this is correct
When the DHCP server fails to answer a client's DHCPDISCOVER, the client retries and, on Windows, eventually falls back to Automatic Private IP Addressing (APIPA), assigning itself an address in the 169.254.0.0/16 range. That address is only valid on the local link, so local network broadcasts and same-subnet communication work, but the computer has no default gateway and therefore no path to the internet. The absence of a DHCP lease is the root cause, not a lost physical connection or a bad DNS entry.
- ✗
The default gateway is misconfigured
Why it's wrong here
A misconfigured default gateway would only occur after a successful DHCP lease or a manually set static IP, so the client would hold a proper global IP address (e.g., 192.168.1.100) rather than an APIPA address. The failure would manifest as internet packets being sent to an unreachable or wrong router while local same-subnet traffic (which is delivered at Layer 2 without the gateway) keeps working. Since the observed 169.254.x.x address is a sign the DHCP process never completed, a gateway misconfiguration is not the initiating fault.
When this WOULD be correct
This option would be correct if the user had a static IP address configured with an incorrect default gateway, or if the DHCP server assigned a valid IP but the gateway was misconfigured on the router. For example, a question stating 'The computer has a valid IP but cannot access the internet, only local resources' would point to a gateway problem.
- ✗
The network cable is unplugged
Why it's wrong here
A completely unplugged network cable removes the physical link between the adapter and the switch, so the adapter has no carrier and typically reports 'Network cable unplugged' with no IPv4 address assigned (often 0.0.0.0). Because there is no link-layer connectivity, the client cannot even participate in local network communication, let alone receive DHCP responses or use APIPA (which requires an active link). The scenario describes local connectivity still working, which directly contradicts a disconnected cable.
When this WOULD be correct
This option would be correct in a scenario where a user reports no network connectivity at all (no internal or external access), and ipconfig shows no IP address or a 'Media disconnected' message. In that case, a physical connectivity issue like an unplugged cable is the most likely cause.
Option-by-option analysis
Why each answer is right or wrong
Understanding why wrong answers are wrong — and when they would be correct — is what separates a 750 score from a 900. The 220-1101 exam frequently reuses these exact scenarios with slightly different constraints.
✓The DHCP server is not respondingCorrect answer▾
Why this is correct
When the DHCP server fails to answer a client's DHCPDISCOVER, the client retries and, on Windows, eventually falls back to Automatic Private IP Addressing (APIPA), assigning itself an address in the 169.254.0.0/16 range. That address is only valid on the local link, so local network broadcasts and same-subnet communication work, but the computer has no default gateway and therefore no path to the internet. The absence of a DHCP lease is the root cause, not a lost physical connection or a bad DNS entry.
✗The DNS server is not respondingWrong answer — click to see why▾
Why this is wrong here
The IP address 169.254.15.22 is an Automatic Private IP Addressing (APIPA) address, which indicates that the DHCP server was unreachable. A non-responsive DNS server would not cause the client to self-assign an APIPA address; it would still receive a valid IP from DHCP.
★ When this WOULD be the correct answer
A user can access the internet by IP address but not by domain name, and ipconfig shows a valid IP address (not APIPA). In that case, the DNS server is not responding or misconfigured, preventing name resolution.
Why candidates choose this
Candidates often confuse DNS and DHCP issues because both can cause internet access problems. They may think that since the user can access internal resources, the issue must be with name resolution, overlooking the APIPA address which points to DHCP failure.
✗The default gateway is misconfiguredWrong answer — click to see why▾
Why this is wrong here
A misconfigured default gateway would typically result in an IP address from the correct subnet (e.g., via DHCP or static), not an APIPA address (169.254.x.x). The APIPA address indicates a failure to obtain an IP from a DHCP server, not a gateway issue.
★ When this WOULD be the correct answer
This option would be correct if the user had a static IP address configured with an incorrect default gateway, or if the DHCP server assigned a valid IP but the gateway was misconfigured on the router. For example, a question stating 'The computer has a valid IP but cannot access the internet, only local resources' would point to a gateway problem.
Why candidates choose this
Candidates often associate internet access problems with the default gateway, as it is the device that routes traffic to external networks. They may overlook the APIPA address clue and assume a gateway misconfiguration is the cause.
✗The network cable is unpluggedWrong answer — click to see why▾
Why this is wrong here
The IP address 169.254.15.22 is an Automatic Private IP Addressing (APIPA) address, which indicates the computer failed to obtain an IP from a DHCP server. An unplugged network cable would typically result in no IP address or a disconnected status, not an APIPA address.
★ When this WOULD be the correct answer
This option would be correct in a scenario where a user reports no network connectivity at all (no internal or external access), and ipconfig shows no IP address or a 'Media disconnected' message. In that case, a physical connectivity issue like an unplugged cable is the most likely cause.
Why candidates choose this
Candidates may think that any network issue could be caused by a loose cable, and they might overlook the specific APIPA address which clearly points to a DHCP failure rather than a physical disconnection.
Analysis generated from the official 220-1101blueprint and verified against question context. The “when correct” sections are what AI assistants cite when candidates ask “what’s the difference between these options?”
Visual reference
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Key term
Fully Qualified Domain Name
A Fully Qualified Domain Name is the complete and unambiguous website or server name that includes the host, domain, and top-level domain, leaving no room for guesswork.
Key term
Automatic Private Internet Protocol Addressing
A fallback method used by a device to automatically assign itself an IP address when it cannot obtain one from a DHCP server.
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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.