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220-1101 Networking Practice Question

A technician is troubleshooting a small office network where Windows computers can ping each other by IP address but cannot access shared folders using Universal Naming Convention (UNC) paths (e.g., \\COMPUTER1\Share). The computers are all in the same workgroup and subnet. The technician checks the network settings and sees that all computers have the correct default gateway and DNS server configured. Which of the following should the technician verify?

⚠ Common exam trap

Candidates often assume DNS or DHCP is the cause because ping works, but they overlook that UNC paths rely on NetBIOS name resolution, which is independent of IP-level connectivity.

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

✓

NetBIOS over TCP/IP setting

NetBIOS over TCP/IP (NBT) is required for Windows to resolve NetBIOS names (like COMPUTER1) to IP addresses when using UNC paths. Even though ping works via DNS or hosts file, file sharing relies on NetBIOS name resolution unless DNS is configured to handle the single-label name. If NBT is disabled, the client cannot resolve the computer name in the UNC path, causing the access failure.

Answer analysis

Option-by-option breakdown

For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.

  • ✗

    DHCP scope configuration

    Why it's wrong here

    DHCP scope configuration governs IP address assignment, subnet masks, gateways, and DNS options, but it has no bearing on NetBIOS name resolution. Since the computers already have IP addresses and can ping each other, their DHCP-assigned addressing is clearly functional. NetBIOS over TCP/IP operates independently of DHCP; even a misconfigured scope would not disable NetBT or prevent broadcast name queries. Thus, DHCP scope cannot be the reason a UNC path fails by computer name.

    When this WOULD be correct

    A technician would verify DHCP scope configuration when clients cannot obtain IP addresses or have incorrect subnet masks, default gateways, or DNS servers, causing connectivity failures.

  • ✗

    DNS suffix assignment

    Why it's wrong here

    DNS suffix assignment appends a domain name to unqualified host names for DNS queries, which is primarily used in Active Directory or full DNS name resolution. In a workgroup, Windows attempts NetBIOS broadcast resolution first for UNC paths, and DNS is typically not involved for single-label computer names. Since the issue is that NetBIOS broadcast resolution is failing or disabled, a DNS suffix mismatch would not cause this problem. It would instead manifest as a DNS resolution failure, not a missing NetBIOS response.

    When this WOULD be correct

    A technician finds that computers can access shared folders by IP address (e.g., \\192.168.1.10\Share) but not by hostname (e.g., \\COMPUTER1\Share). The network uses a domain with DNS, and pinging hostname fails. In this case, verifying DNS suffix assignment would be correct.

  • ✗

    WINS server address

    Why it's wrong here

    WINS server address is never required for NetBIOS resolution on a single subnet, because broadcasts can resolve names without a central server. Even if WINS were configured, it is fundamentally dependent on NetBT: both broadcast and unicast name queries are carried by the same NetBIOS over TCP/IP transport. If NetBT is disabled, the computer will not send or respond to WINS requests either, so configuring a WINS address would not resolve the problem. Therefore, checking WINS is premature; the NetBIOS over TCP/IP setting is the more fundamental cause.

    When this WOULD be correct

    A technician is troubleshooting a network where computers in different subnets cannot access shared folders by UNC path, but can ping each other by IP. The network uses WINS servers for NetBIOS name resolution across subnets. In this scenario, verifying the WINS server address would be the correct step.

  • ✓

    NetBIOS over TCP/IP setting

    Why this is correct

    In a Windows workgroup, accessing shared folders via UNC path (\\computername\share) relies on NetBIOS name resolution. By default, NetBIOS over TCP/IP (NetBT) listens on UDP 137 for name service and responds to broadcast name queries. If NetBT is disabled (e.g., via the WINS tab in advanced TCP/IP settings or via Group Policy), the computer will not answer those broadcasts, so even though it can ping by IP, it will not be reachable by computer name. This is the first thing to check because it directly controls broadcast-based NetBIOS resolution, which is the mechanism for workgroup file sharing.

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.

✓NetBIOS over TCP/IP settingCorrect answer▾

Why this is correct

In a Windows workgroup, accessing shared folders via UNC path (\\computername\share) relies on NetBIOS name resolution. By default, NetBIOS over TCP/IP (NetBT) listens on UDP 137 for name service and responds to broadcast name queries. If NetBT is disabled (e.g., via the WINS tab in advanced TCP/IP settings or via Group Policy), the computer will not answer those broadcasts, so even though it can ping by IP, it will not be reachable by computer name. This is the first thing to check because it directly controls broadcast-based NetBIOS resolution, which is the mechanism for workgroup file sharing.

✗DHCP scope configurationWrong answer — click to see why▾

Why this is wrong here

DHCP scope configuration is irrelevant because the computers can already ping each other by IP, indicating correct IP addressing. The issue is with name resolution for UNC paths, not IP assignment.

★ When this WOULD be the correct answer

A technician would verify DHCP scope configuration when clients cannot obtain IP addresses or have incorrect subnet masks, default gateways, or DNS servers, causing connectivity failures.

Why candidates choose this

Candidates may think DHCP issues affect all network services, but since IP connectivity works, the problem is higher-layer name resolution, not DHCP.

✗DNS suffix assignmentWrong answer — click to see why▾

Why this is wrong here

DNS suffix assignment affects name resolution for fully qualified domain names, but since computers can ping each other by IP and are in the same workgroup, UNC path resolution relies on NetBIOS, not DNS suffixes.

★ When this WOULD be the correct answer

A technician finds that computers can access shared folders by IP address (e.g., \\192.168.1.10\Share) but not by hostname (e.g., \\COMPUTER1\Share). The network uses a domain with DNS, and pinging hostname fails. In this case, verifying DNS suffix assignment would be correct.

Why candidates choose this

Candidates may confuse UNC path resolution with DNS-based name resolution, assuming that DNS suffixes are needed for any name-based access, even though NetBIOS is used for local workgroup shares.

✗WINS server addressWrong answer — click to see why▾

Why this is wrong here

The question states that computers can ping each other by IP address, indicating basic IP connectivity works. UNC path resolution relies on NetBIOS name resolution, not DNS or WINS. Since all computers are in the same subnet and workgroup, NetBIOS over TCP/IP must be enabled for name resolution to work; WINS is only needed for NetBIOS name resolution across subnets.

★ When this WOULD be the correct answer

A technician is troubleshooting a network where computers in different subnets cannot access shared folders by UNC path, but can ping each other by IP. The network uses WINS servers for NetBIOS name resolution across subnets. In this scenario, verifying the WINS server address would be the correct step.

Why candidates choose this

Candidates may confuse WINS with NetBIOS name resolution, thinking that WINS is always required for UNC path access, not realizing that on a single subnet, NetBIOS over TCP/IP broadcasts suffice without a WINS server.

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

Client Recursive Resolver Root DNS (13 root servers) TLD DNS (.com, .org, …) Authoritative example.com query IP addr answer

About these practice questions

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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.