- A
The printer's subnet mask is set to 255.0.0.0.
Why wrong: While an incorrect subnet mask can cause issues, the default subnet mask for a 192.168.x.x network is 255.255.255.0, and a mismatch would still not explain the lack of access if the IP was valid.
- B
The printer's IP address is outside the router's DHCP range.
Why wrong: 192.168.1.50 is inside the typical DHCP range, so this would not cause a conflict.
- C
The printer's IP address conflicts with an address already assigned by DHCP.
Since the router's DHCP range likely includes 192.168.1.50, another device may have been given that IP, causing a conflict and preventing the printer from being reached.
- D
The printer is not connected to the network via an Ethernet cable.
Why wrong: While a physical connection issue could cause problems, the scenario implies the printer is configured but unreachable, and the most common cause is an IP conflict.
Why a Static IP in the DHCP Scope Causes Network Issues
This 220-1201 practice question tests your understanding of ip addressing. 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.
A small business uses a router with a default IP of 192.168.1.1. The owner wants to set up a new printer with a static IP of 192.168.1.50. After configuring the printer, it cannot be accessed from any computer on the network. All computers are set to obtain IP addresses automatically. What is the most likely problem?
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.
Quick Answer
The answer is an IP address conflict caused by the printer’s static IP falling within the router’s DHCP scope. When you manually assign a static IP like 192.168.1.50, but the router’s DHCP scope is set to a default range such as 192.168.1.2 to 192.168.1.254, the router may have already leased that exact address to another device, such as a computer. This creates a duplicate IP on the network, preventing the printer from being reached. On the CompTIA A+ Core 1 220-1201 exam, this scenario tests your understanding of DHCP scope boundaries and static IP conflict with DHCP scope as a common troubleshooting pitfall. A frequent trap is assuming a static IP is always safe, but any address inside the active DHCP pool can cause a conflict. To remember: if a device with a static IP can’t connect, check whether its address lies inside the DHCP range—think “static inside scope = conflict.”
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
The printer's IP address conflicts with an address already assigned by DHCP.
Option C is correct because the printer's static IP (192.168.1.50) likely falls within the router's default DHCP pool (commonly 192.168.1.2–192.168.1.254 or a subset like 192.168.1.100–199). If the router has already assigned 192.168.1.50 to another device via DHCP, a duplicate IP conflict occurs, causing the printer to be unreachable. The printer may appear to have an IP, but the conflict prevents proper ARP resolution and communication.
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.
- ✗
The printer's subnet mask is set to 255.0.0.0.
Why it's wrong here
While an incorrect subnet mask can cause issues, the default subnet mask for a 192.168.x.x network is 255.255.255.0, and a mismatch would still not explain the lack of access if the IP was valid.
- ✗
The printer's IP address is outside the router's DHCP range.
Why it's wrong here
192.168.1.50 is inside the typical DHCP range, so this would not cause a conflict.
- ✓
The printer's IP address conflicts with an address already assigned by DHCP.
Why this is correct
Since the router's DHCP range likely includes 192.168.1.50, another device may have been given that IP, causing a conflict and preventing the printer from being reached.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "most likely" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
The printer is not connected to the network via an Ethernet cable.
Why it's wrong here
While a physical connection issue could cause problems, the scenario implies the printer is configured but unreachable, and the most common cause is an IP conflict.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates assume a static IP outside the DHCP range is always the problem, but Cisco tests the nuance that a static IP inside the default DHCP pool can cause a conflict even if the address is not currently leased, because the router may have assigned it dynamically to another device.
Trap categories for this question
Scenario analysis trap
While a physical connection issue could cause problems, the scenario implies the printer is configured but unreachable, and the most common cause is an IP conflict.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
When a static IP conflicts with an active DHCP lease, the DHCP server does not detect the conflict unless it sends a ping (ICMP echo) before offering the address (RFC 2131 recommends probing). The printer's NIC may accept the static IP, but the existing device with the same IP will respond to ARP requests, causing intermittent or complete loss of connectivity. In real-world scenarios, using a reservation (DHCP static mapping) or choosing an IP outside the DHCP pool (e.g., 192.168.1.200–254) avoids this conflict.
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.
Visual reference
What to study next
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FAQ
Questions learners often ask
What does this 220-1201 question test?
IP Addressing — This question tests IP Addressing — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: The printer's IP address conflicts with an address already assigned by DHCP. — Option C is correct because the printer's static IP (192.168.1.50) likely falls within the router's default DHCP pool (commonly 192.168.1.2–192.168.1.254 or a subset like 192.168.1.100–199). If the router has already assigned 192.168.1.50 to another device via DHCP, a duplicate IP conflict occurs, causing the printer to be unreachable. The printer may appear to have an IP, but the conflict prevents proper ARP resolution and communication.
What should I do if I get this 220-1201 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.
About these practice questions
Courseiva creates original exam-style practice questions with explanations and wrong-answer analysis. It does not publish real exam questions, exam dumps, or protected exam content. Learn why practice questions differ from exam dumps →
Same concept, more angles
2 more ways this is tested on 220-1201
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. A small business uses a router with DHCP enabled, issuing addresses in the 192.168.1.0/24 range. A technician installs a new server with a static IP of 192.168.1.50, but users cannot connect to it. The technician pings 192.168.1.50 from the server itself successfully. What is the most likely cause?
medium- A.The server's subnet mask is set to 255.255.255.0.
- B.The server's default gateway is missing.
- ✓ C.Another device on the network has the same IP address.
- D.The server's network cable is faulty.
Why C: If the DHCP server assigned 192.168.1.50 to another device, there is an IP address conflict. The server can ping itself because it uses its own IP, but other devices may have the same IP or the server's address is already in use. This tests understanding of IP conflicts and static vs. DHCP assignments.
Variation 2. A customer reports that their new printer, configured with a static IP of 192.168.1.100, cannot be accessed from any computer on the network. The technician pings 192.168.1.100 from a workstation and gets no reply. The workstation's IP is 192.168.1.50 with a subnet mask of 255.255.255.0. What is the most likely cause?
medium- A.The printer's IP address is on a different subnet than the workstation.
- ✓ B.The printer's static IP address conflicts with another device on the network.
- C.The workstation's subnet mask is set to 255.255.0.0.
- D.The printer's default gateway is misconfigured.
Why B: The most likely cause is that the printer's static IP address (192.168.1.100) conflicts with another device on the same subnet. When two devices share the same IP, the network becomes unreachable for one or both due to ARP table instability. The ping fails because the workstation's ARP cache may resolve the IP to the wrong MAC address, or the printer may not respond at all if it detects the conflict via gratuitous ARP.
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Last reviewed: Jul 4, 2026
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