mediumMultiple ChoiceObjective-mapped
FC0-U71 Practice Question: That their computer is unable to access the…
A user reports that their computer is unable to access the internet, but can access local network resources. Which of the following is the most likely cause?
⚠ Common exam trap
Many exam-takers confuse DNS resolution with internet connectivity, assuming that if DNS is down, the internet is inaccessible, but the question specifies 'unable to access the internet' (not just resolve names), and local access works, which points to a routing issue at the default gateway.
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
✓
Incorrect default gateway
The default gateway is the router that connects a local subnet to other networks, including the internet. If the default gateway is incorrect, the computer can communicate within its own subnet (local resources) but cannot route packets to external networks, causing internet access to fail while local access remains functional.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Windows Firewall blocking outbound traffic
Why it's wrong here
By default, Windows Firewall does not block outbound connections.
- ✓
Incorrect default gateway
Why this is correct
The default gateway is needed to route traffic outside the local subnet.
- ✗
DNS server not responding
Why it's wrong here
DNS failure would still allow IP-based internet access.
- ✗
Faulty Ethernet cable
Why it's wrong here
A faulty cable would likely prevent all network connectivity.
Visual reference
Go deeper
Related to this question
About these practice questions
This FC0-U71 question is part of Courseiva's 988-question bank — original exam-style content with full explanations and wrong-answer analysis, never real exam questions or exam dumps. Learn why practice questions differ from exam dumps →
Same concept, more angles
4 more ways this is tested on FC0-U71
These questions test the same concept from different angles. Work through them to make sure you can recognise it however the exam phrases it.
Variation 1. Refer to the exhibit. A user reports that they cannot access the internet. Based on the output, which of the following is the MOST likely issue?
medium- ✓ A.The router at 192.168.1.1 is down
- B.The subnet mask is incorrect
- C.The IP address is invalid
- D.The DNS suffix is missing
Why A: The default gateway 192.168.1.1 is unreachable, as shown by the 100% packet loss in the ping output. Without a functional gateway, traffic cannot be routed from the local subnet to external networks, so internet access fails even if the local IP configuration is valid.
Variation 2. Refer to the exhibit. A user cannot access the internet. What does this output indicate?
easy- ✓ A.The default gateway cannot reach the remote network
- B.The user's IP address is invalid
- C.The DNS server is down
- D.The local network cable is unplugged
Why A: The output shows a successful ping to the default gateway (192.168.1.1) but a failed ping to a remote IP (8.8.8.8). This indicates that the user's local network connectivity is intact, but the default gateway cannot forward traffic to the remote network, likely due to a missing or incorrect route on the gateway or an upstream connectivity issue.
Variation 3. A user reports that their computer cannot access the internet, but it can reach other devices on the local network. Which of the following is the MOST likely cause?
easy- A.Incorrect DNS server address
- B.Faulty network cable
- ✓ C.Misconfigured default gateway
- D.Local firewall blocking all outbound traffic
Why C: The default gateway is the router interface that connects the local network to external networks, such as the internet. If the default gateway is misconfigured (e.g., wrong IP address or subnet mask), the computer can still communicate with devices on the same subnet using ARP and Layer 2 switching, but it cannot route packets to external destinations because it has no valid next-hop address. This directly explains why local access works but internet access fails.
Variation 4. Refer to the exhibit. A user cannot access the internet. What is the most likely issue based on the configuration shown?
easy- ✓ A.The default gateway is missing
- B.The DNS server is not configured
- C.The IP address is invalid
- D.The subnet mask is incorrect
Why A: The exhibit shows an IP address of 192.168.1.10 with a subnet mask of 255.255.255.0, but no default gateway is configured. Without a default gateway, the device can communicate within its local subnet (192.168.1.0/24) but cannot route traffic to any external network, including the internet. The default gateway is the router's IP address that provides the next-hop path for all off-subnet traffic.
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.