This FC0-U61 practice question tests your understanding of infrastructure. The scenario asks you to isolate a root cause — eliminate options that address a different problem before choosing. After answering, compare your reasoning against the explanation and wrong-answer breakdown below. Once you have made your selection, read the full explanation to reinforce the concept and understand why each distractor is designed to mislead on exam day.
Exhibit
Refer to the exhibit.
ipconfig
Windows IP Configuration
Ethernet adapter Local Area Connection:
Connection-specific DNS Suffix . : example.com
IPv4 Address. . . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.1.101
Subnet Mask . . . . . . . . . . . : 255.255.255.0
Default Gateway . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.1.1
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?
Clue words in this question
Noticing these words before you look at the options changes how you read each choice.
Clue: "most likely"
Why it matters: Probability qualifier — the question wants the most probable cause or outcome, not a guaranteed one. Eliminate low-probability options.
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
The router at 192.168.1.1 is down
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.
Key principle: Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
Cisco often tests the distinction between local connectivity (IP/subnet valid) and gateway reachability; the trap here is that candidates see a valid IP and subnet and assume the problem is DNS-related, ignoring the failed ping to the default gateway.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
When a host sends traffic to a destination outside its subnet, it uses ARP to resolve the default gateway's MAC address and then forwards the frame to that MAC. If the gateway is down, ARP requests go unanswered, and the host cannot complete Layer 2 delivery, resulting in a 'Destination Host Unreachable' or 100% loss on ping. This is distinct from a routing table misconfiguration, which would show a different error pattern.
KKey Concepts to Remember
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Find the constraint that changes the correct option.
Eliminate answers that are true in general but not in this case.
TExam Day Tips
→Watch for words such as best, first, most likely and least administrative effort.
→Review why wrong options are wrong, not only why the correct option is correct.
Key takeaway
Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Real-world example
How this comes up in practice
A network engineer segments a warehouse floor into three subnets: 20 scanners, 5 printers, and 2 management hosts. Picking the wrong mask wastes addresses or leaves too few usable hosts. Exam questions test whether you can apply CIDR notation, calculate block size, and identify the correct usable-host range for a given prefix.
What to study next
Got this wrong? Here's your next step.
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
Infrastructure — This question tests Infrastructure — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: The router at 192.168.1.1 is down — 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.
What should I do if I get this FC0-U61 question wrong?
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
Are there clue words in this question I should notice?
Yes — watch for: "most likely". Probability qualifier — the question wants the most probable cause or outcome, not a guaranteed one. Eliminate low-probability options.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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This FC0-U61 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-U61 exam.
Question Discussion
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