- A
The smartphone's Wi-Fi antenna is faulty.
Why wrong: Incorrect. A faulty antenna would prevent connection entirely, not allow connection without internet.
- B
The smartphone is using a wrong or mistyped Wi-Fi password.
Correct. A mistyped 64-character password would cause authentication failure, preventing internet access even though the device appears connected.
- C
The router's DHCP server has run out of IP addresses.
Why wrong: Incorrect. If DHCP were exhausted, other devices would also lose internet, not just the smartphone.
- D
The smartphone's DNS settings are misconfigured.
Why wrong: Incorrect. DNS issues would allow internet access to IP addresses but not domain names; here there is no internet at all.
Question 24 of 750
220-1202 Wireless Security Protocols Practice Question
This 220-1202 practice question tests your understanding of wireless security protocols. 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 customer complains that their new smartphone connects to their home Wi-Fi but has no internet access. The router is configured with WPA2-PSK and a 64-character pre-shared key. Other devices work fine. What is the most likely cause?
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 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 smartphone is using a wrong or mistyped Wi-Fi password.
The most likely cause is a mistyped or incorrect Wi-Fi password. Since the smartphone connects to the Wi-Fi network (association and authentication succeed at Layer 2) but has no internet access, the device is likely using a wrong pre-shared key that still allows partial connectivity due to WPA2-PSK's four-way handshake behavior—if the key is incorrect, the handshake fails, but some implementations may show a 'connected' status without proper encryption. Other devices work fine, ruling out router-side issues like DHCP exhaustion or DNS misconfiguration.
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 smartphone's Wi-Fi antenna is faulty.
Why it's wrong here
Incorrect. A faulty antenna would prevent connection entirely, not allow connection without internet.
- ✓
The smartphone is using a wrong or mistyped Wi-Fi password.
Why this is correct
Correct. A mistyped 64-character password would cause authentication failure, preventing internet access even though the device appears connected.
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 router's DHCP server has run out of IP addresses.
Why it's wrong here
Incorrect. If DHCP were exhausted, other devices would also lose internet, not just the smartphone.
- ✗
The smartphone's DNS settings are misconfigured.
Why it's wrong here
Incorrect. DNS issues would allow internet access to IP addresses but not domain names; here there is no internet at all.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
Cisco often tests the distinction between 'connected to Wi-Fi' (Layer 2 association) and 'has internet access' (Layer 3 connectivity), trapping candidates who assume any connectivity issue must be DHCP or DNS related, when the root cause is often an authentication failure due to a mistyped password.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
WPA2-PSK uses a 256-bit pre-shared key derived from the passphrase via PBKDF2 (4096 iterations of HMAC-SHA1). A 64-character hex key is entered directly, and a single incorrect character causes the four-way handshake to fail, but some client implementations may still report a 'connected' state at the link layer while the pairwise transient key (PTK) is never installed, resulting in no data encryption and thus no IP traffic. This is a common real-world scenario where users copy-paste a long key and miss a character.
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 practitioner preparing for the 220-1202 exam encounters this exact type of scenario on the job. The correct answer here is not the most general option — it is the best answer for the specific constraint described. Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option. Real exam questions reward reading the full scenario before eliminating options, because the constraint defines which answer fits.
Visual reference
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.
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Wireless Security Protocols — study guide chapter
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FAQ
Questions learners often ask
What does this 220-1202 question test?
Wireless Security Protocols — This question tests Wireless Security Protocols — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: The smartphone is using a wrong or mistyped Wi-Fi password. — The most likely cause is a mistyped or incorrect Wi-Fi password. Since the smartphone connects to the Wi-Fi network (association and authentication succeed at Layer 2) but has no internet access, the device is likely using a wrong pre-shared key that still allows partial connectivity due to WPA2-PSK's four-way handshake behavior—if the key is incorrect, the handshake fails, but some implementations may show a 'connected' status without proper encryption. Other devices work fine, ruling out router-side issues like DHCP exhaustion or DNS misconfiguration.
What should I do if I get this 220-1202 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
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Last reviewed: Jul 4, 2026
This 220-1202 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 220-1202 exam.
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