CV0-004 Troubleshooting Practice Question
A cloud administrator notices that a virtual machine is running but cannot be reached over the network. The administrator verifies that the VM is configured with the correct IP address and subnet mask. Which of the following is the MOST likely cause of this issue?
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
✓
Misconfigured default gateway
A misconfigured default gateway is the most likely cause when the IP address and subnet mask are correct but the VM cannot be reached over the network. The default gateway is responsible for routing traffic from the VM to other networks. If it is incorrect, the VM can communicate within its own subnet but not beyond, leading to unreachability. Option A (firewall blocking traffic) is less likely because the administrator verified correct IP configuration, and a firewall issue would typically affect specific ports or protocols, not all connectivity. Option B (incorrect DNS) affects name resolution but not basic IP connectivity. Option C (missing port forwarding) is used for inbound NAT mappings and is not relevant to general network reachability.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Cloud provider firewall blocking all traffic
Why it's wrong here
Firewalls usually block by rule, not by default gateway misconfiguration.
- ✗
Incorrect DNS server settings
Why it's wrong here
DNS does not affect basic IP connectivity.
- ✗
Missing port forwarding rule
Why it's wrong here
Port forwarding is for inbound access, not general connectivity.
- ✓
Misconfigured default gateway
Why this is correct
Without a correct gateway, traffic cannot exit the subnet.
Visual reference
Go deeper
Related to this question
About these practice questions
Courseiva writes every CV0-004 question from scratch — 977 in total, each with an explanation and a wrong-answer breakdown. None are copied from real exams or 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 CV0-004 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 CV0-004 exam.