220-1101 Networking Practice Question
A user reports that their workstation is displaying an 'IP address conflict' error message and cannot access the network. The technician runs ipconfig and sees IPv4 address 192.168.1.15 with subnet mask 255.255.255.0. Which of the following should the technician do FIRST to resolve the issue?
⚠ Common exam trap
Watch out — candidates often think changing the subnet mask or DNS server will fix the conflict, but the core issue is a duplicate IP on the same broadcast domain, which requires a new DHCP lease to resolve.
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
✓
Run ipconfig /release and then ipconfig /renew
The 'IP address conflict' error indicates that another device on the same subnet is already using 192.168.1.15. The correct first step is to release the current DHCP lease with ipconfig /release and then request a new IP address with ipconfig /renew, which forces the DHCP client to obtain a fresh, non-conflicting address from the DHCP server.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Change the subnet mask to 255.255.0.0
Why it's wrong here
Changing the subnet mask to 255.255.0.0 does not resolve the fact that two devices are using the same IPv4 address; it merely reclassifies the host's network boundaries. A /16 mask would cause the workstation to believe the router and other devices are on different broadcast domains, breaking communication with the DHCP server and likely making the conflict worse. The duplicate address remains active on the network, so the underlying issue persists.
- ✓
Run ipconfig /release and then ipconfig /renew
Why this is correct
Running ipconfig /release and then ipconfig /renew is the standard fix for a DHCP-assigned IP address conflict. The release command sends a DHCPRELEASE message to the server, relinquishing the current address; the renew then initiates a fresh DHCPDISCOVER/REQUEST sequence, receiving a new lease from the server's address pool. This gives the workstation a different IP address than the one the other device holds, eliminating the collision. If the conflict stems from a static assignment, however, this won't help unless the static address is also corrected.
- ✗
Change the DNS server address to 8.8.8.8
Why it's wrong here
Changing the DNS server address to 8.8.8.8 addresses name resolution only—DNS translates hostnames to IP addresses, while an IP conflict is a duplicate address on the same subnet at Layer 3. Even if the workstation can resolve names through Google's public DNS, it still has the same conflicting IP as another host, causing ARP table inconsistencies and dropped traffic. This change would actually bypass organizational DNS policy and could break internal name resolution without affecting the address conflict.
- ✗
Disable the Windows Firewall
Why it's wrong here
Disabling Windows Firewall has no bearing on IP address conflicts because the firewall operates as a packet filter at Layers 3 and 4 and does not participate in IP address assignment or ARP duplicate detection. A conflict occurs when two network interfaces claim the same IP address, leading to ARP chaos; the firewall's stateful rules cannot prevent or fix that condition. Disabling it would expose the workstation to network threats while leaving the duplicate address collision completely unresolved.
Visual reference
Go deeper
Related to this question
About these practice questions
This 220-1101 question is part of Courseiva's 896-question bank — original exam-style content with full explanations and wrong-answer analysis, never real exam questions or exam dumps. Learn why practice questions differ from exam dumps →
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.