220-1101 Networking Practice Question
A user reports that they can access internal network resources by IP address but cannot browse the internet by domain name (e.g., www.google.com). The technician checks the workstation's network adapter settings and sees that the IP address is obtained via DHCP. Which of the following is the MOST likely cause of this issue?
⚠ Common exam trap
Test-takers frequently confuse a DNS issue with a gateway issue, but the ability to access internal resources by IP and the specific failure to resolve domain names points directly to DNS configuration, not routing.
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
✓
DNS server configuration
The user can access internal resources by IP address but not by domain name, which indicates that name resolution is failing. Since the workstation obtains its IP address via DHCP, the DNS server configuration is likely missing or incorrect, preventing the system from translating domain names like www.google.com into IP addresses.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Incorrect subnet mask
Why it's wrong here
An incorrect subnet mask primarily affects how the OS decides whether a destination IP is local or remote, which can break communication to specific subnets. However, it would not selectively disable hostname resolution; IP-based access would fail for some or all destinations, not just for names. Since the user can consistently reach internal resources by IP address, the mask is effectively covering the local segment, making the root cause lie elsewhere (DNS).
- ✗
Wrong default gateway
Why it's wrong here
A wrong default gateway would prevent the workstation from sending packets to any destination outside its directly attached subnet, so attempts to reach external or non-local IPs would time out. In this scenario, the user can access internal resources by IP, which suggests the local route to those hosts is intact; a bad gateway would not block DNS queries if the DNS server is on the same subnet. However, if DNS were remote and unreachable due to the bad gateway, the user would also fail to access external IPs — but the user's reported issue is specifically name resolution, not IP connectivity, making a gateway fault an unlikely culprit.
- ✓
DNS server configuration
Why this is correct
The symptom of being unable to resolve domain names but being able to access resources by IP address is classic DNS failure. The DHCP server may not be providing a valid DNS server, or the workstation's DNS settings are misconfigured.
- ✗
Duplicate IP address
Why it's wrong here
A duplicate IP address creates an address conflict that causes the network stack to rapidly lose and regain connectivity as ARP updates bounce between the two hosts. This manifests as intermittent timeouts, 'duplicate address' warnings, and erratic behavior — not as a clean, consistent failure to resolve DNS names while IP-based access remains functional. Because the user can reliably reach internal resources by IP, the address is likely unique and the problem is isolated to DNS configuration.
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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.