XK0-006 Troubleshooting Practice Question
A user reports that they cannot access a website by domain name but can access it by IP address. Which of the following is the most likely cause?
⚠ Common exam trap
This question tests the distinction between connectivity issues and name resolution issues. The trap is that candidates may confuse a DNS failure with a web server or firewall problem, even though the ability to reach the server by IP clearly rules out those causes.
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
✓
DNS resolution problem
The user can access the website by IP address but not by domain name, which directly indicates that the system is unable to resolve the domain name to its corresponding IP address. This is a classic symptom of a DNS resolution problem, where the DNS client cannot query a DNS server or the DNS server fails to return the correct A or AAAA record. The fact that the web server is reachable by IP confirms that network connectivity and the web service itself are functioning correctly.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✓
DNS resolution problem
Why this is correct
Successful access by IP address proves network routing and the web service function correctly, isolating the failure to name-to-address translation. DNS resolution is therefore the fault, since the client cannot map the domain to the reachable IP.
- ✗
Web server is down
Why it's wrong here
A down web server would prevent access by IP address too, yet the user reaches the site by IP, so name resolution is failing instead. It is tempting because unreachable sites often stem from server outages, but that scenario would break both IP and domain access.
- ✗
Firewall blocking port 80
Why it's wrong here
Port 80 filtering would block HTTP traffic to the IP address too, yet the user reaches the site by IP, so name resolution is the fault. Firewall rules are the right suspect when a specific service or port is unreachable regardless of how the host is addressed.
- ✗
Incorrect default gateway
Why it's wrong here
A wrong default gateway breaks all off-subnet traffic, including access by IP address, so it cannot explain resolution-only failure. Gateway errors are the correct diagnosis when a host reaches local addresses but nothing beyond its own subnet.
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Related to this question
Learn chapter
File Transfer and Remote Access
Key term
DNS
DNS is the system that translates human-friendly domain names like example.com into machine-readable IP addresses so computers can find each other on a network.
Key term
Service
A service is a software component or system that performs a specific function and is available to be used by other programs or users over a network.
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JA
Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
This XK0-006 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 XK0-006 exam.