FC0-U71 Infrastructure Practice Question
A small business wants to connect its office computers to a network that provides centralized authentication, file sharing, and printer sharing without relying on a cloud service. The owner wants to minimize recurring costs and keep data on-site. Which of the following should the technician implement?
⚠ Common exam trap
Many candidates confuse peer-to-peer or workgroup setups with true centralized management, which requires a dedicated server role.
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
✓
A client-server network with a dedicated server running directory services and shared folders.
A client-server network with an on-premises server delivers centralized authentication, file sharing, and printer sharing while avoiding cloud subscriptions. Directory services on the server allow unified account management and access control. This setup meets the small business's needs for local data storage, centralized administration, and low recurring cost.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
A workgroup where each computer manages its own user accounts and shared resources.
Why it's wrong here
A workgroup decentralizes authentication, requiring each computer to maintain separate user accounts. This does not provide centralized authentication or unified resource management. While it avoids server costs, it fails to meet the requirement for centralized control and becomes difficult to manage as the number of computers grows.
- ✗
A peer-to-peer network using each workstation as both client and server for shared resources.
Why it's wrong here
Peer-to-peer networks lack centralized authentication and management. Each workstation shares its own resources, leading to inconsistent permissions and no single point of administration. This does not meet the requirement for centralized authentication or efficient printer and file sharing across multiple computers.
- ✗
A virtual private network (VPN) connecting all computers to a remote cloud directory.
Why it's wrong here
A VPN to a cloud directory introduces recurring cloud costs and external dependency, contradicting the owner's desire to keep data on-site and minimize recurring fees. While VPNs secure remote access, they do not by themselves provide local centralized authentication or file sharing for an office LAN.
- ✓
A client-server network with a dedicated server running directory services and shared folders.
Why this is correct
A client-server model with a dedicated server provides centralized authentication, file sharing, and printer sharing. Directory services allow single sign-on and unified management. Keeping the server on-premises satisfies the requirement to avoid cloud dependency and recurring subscription fees, while enabling scalable, secure resource access.
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JA
Written and reviewed by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
Last reviewed September 2026 · checked against the official CompTIA exam blueprint
This FC0-U71 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 FC0-U71 exam.