mediumMultiple Choice
FC0-U71 A user cannot connect to the internet Practice Question
Exhibit
Refer to the exhibit. C:\> ipconfig /all Windows IP Configuration Host Name . . . . . . . . . . . : PC123 Primary Dns Suffix . . . . . . : Node Type . . . . . . . . . . . : Hybrid IP Routing Enabled. . . . . . . : No WINS Proxy Enabled. . . . . . . : No Ethernet adapter Local Area Connection: Connection-specific DNS Suffix . : Description . . . . . . . . . . : Realtek PCIe GbE Family Controller Physical Address. . . . . . . . : 00-1A-2B-3C-4D-5E DHCP Enabled. . . . . . . . . . : Yes Autoconfiguration Enabled . . . : Yes IPv4 Address. . . . . . . . . . : 169.254.1.5(Preferred) Subnet Mask . . . . . . . . . . : 255.255.0.0 Default Gateway . . . . . . . . : DHCP Server . . . . . . . . . . : 255.255.255.255 DNS Servers . . . . . . . . . . : NetBIOS over Tcpip. . . . . . . : Enabled
A user cannot connect to the internet. The network uses DHCP. Based on the exhibit, what is the most likely cause?
⚠ Common exam trap
Watch out — candidates often confuse APIPA with a DHCP server issue versus a gateway or subnet problem, but APIPA specifically indicates DHCP server unresponsiveness, not misconfiguration of existing IP settings.
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
✓
DHCP server is not responding
The exhibit shows an APIPA address (169.254.x.x), which indicates that the client failed to obtain a DHCP lease. Since the network uses DHCP, the most likely cause is that the DHCP server is not responding, preventing the client from receiving a valid IP configuration.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
IP address conflict
Why it's wrong here
An IP conflict produces intermittent connectivity or duplicate-address warnings, not the APIPA-style address shown. Conflicts arise when two hosts are statically assigned the same address; here the DHCP server was simply unreachable, so the client self-assigned a link-local address.
- ✗
Incorrect subnet mask
Why it's wrong here
A wrong subnet mask would misroute local versus remote traffic, but the exhibit shows an address outside the DHCP scope's subnet, indicating the client failed to obtain a lease. Subnet masks matter when hosts on the same segment cannot reach each other despite valid addresses.
- ✗
No default gateway configured
Why it's wrong here
A missing default gateway blocks only off-subnet traffic, yet the exhibit shows a link-local 169.254 address, meaning no DHCP lease was obtained at all. Gateway configuration is the culprit when a host has a valid address but cannot reach remote networks.
- ✓
DHCP server is not responding
Why this is correct
An APIPA address in the 169.254.0.0/16 range indicates the client broadcast a DHCP Discover but received no Offer, so it self-assigned. This points to an unresponsive DHCP server rather than a DNS, cabling or gateway fault.
Visual reference
About these practice questions
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JA
Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
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.