Question 12 of 750

Wireless Security Protocols →mediumMultiple ChoiceObjective-mapped

Troubleshooting WPA2-Enterprise: Expired RADIUS Certificate

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 user reports that their corporate laptop can connect to the guest Wi-Fi network but not to the internal corporate network. Both networks use WPA2-Enterprise with 802.1X. The laptop works fine on other corporate networks. What 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.

A
The laptop's wireless card is faulty.
Why wrong: Incorrect. A faulty card would prevent connection to any network, not just the corporate one.
B
The corporate network's RADIUS certificate has expired or is untrusted.
Correct. Expired or untrusted certificates cause 802.1X authentication to fail, while the guest network (likely PSK) works fine.
C
The corporate network is using a different SSID than expected.
Why wrong: Incorrect. An SSID mismatch would prevent the laptop from even seeing the network, not just failing authentication.
D
The laptop's Wi-Fi profile is configured for WPA2-Personal instead of Enterprise.
Why wrong: Incorrect. If the profile were wrong, the laptop would not attempt 802.1X and would likely fail to connect entirely.

Full breakdown with real-world context →

Quick Answer

The correct answer is that the corporate network’s RADIUS certificate has expired or is untrusted. This is because WPA2-Enterprise with 802.1X relies on a RADIUS server to authenticate devices, and that server presents a digital certificate to prove its identity; if the certificate has expired or the laptop does not trust it, the authentication handshake fails, blocking access to the corporate network. The guest network, by contrast, often uses WPA2-PSK (a pre-shared key), which bypasses certificate-based authentication entirely, explaining why the laptop can connect there without issue. On the CompTIA A+ Core 2 220-1202 exam, this scenario tests your understanding of enterprise authentication vs. personal mode, and a common trap is assuming the laptop’s wireless adapter is faulty when the real problem is a certificate mismatch. Remember the memory tip: “Guest is PSK, Corp is PKI”—if a device works on guest but not corporate, suspect the certificate.

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 corporate network's RADIUS certificate has expired or is untrusted.

The laptop connects to guest Wi-Fi but not the corporate network, and works on other corporate networks, isolating the issue to the specific corporate network's RADIUS authentication. Since both networks use WPA2-Enterprise with 802.1X, the most likely cause is that the corporate network's RADIUS certificate has expired or is untrusted, causing the 802.1X EAP-TLS or PEAP handshake to fail. The guest network likely uses a different authentication method (e.g., PSK or a separate RADIUS server with a valid certificate), explaining why it works.

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 laptop's wireless card is faulty.
Why it's wrong here
Incorrect. A faulty card would prevent connection to any network, not just the corporate one.
✓
The corporate network's RADIUS certificate has expired or is untrusted.
Why this is correct
Correct. Expired or untrusted certificates cause 802.1X authentication to fail, while the guest network (likely PSK) works fine.
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 corporate network is using a different SSID than expected.
Why it's wrong here
Incorrect. An SSID mismatch would prevent the laptop from even seeing the network, not just failing authentication.
✗
The laptop's Wi-Fi profile is configured for WPA2-Personal instead of Enterprise.
Why it's wrong here
Incorrect. If the profile were wrong, the laptop would not attempt 802.1X and would likely fail to connect entirely.

Common exam traps

Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword

CompTIA often tests the distinction between association (Layer 2) and authentication (EAP/802.1X), trapping candidates who assume a connection failure is due to signal or hardware rather than certificate trust issues.

Detailed technical explanation

How to think about this question

In WPA2-Enterprise with 802.1X, the client validates the RADIUS server's certificate during EAP-TLS or PEAP-MSCHAPv2; if the certificate is expired or its root CA is not trusted, the client aborts the authentication. This is distinct from a network connectivity issue—the client can associate at Layer 2 but fails at the EAP stage, which is why the user sees the network but cannot get an IP or access resources. Real-world scenarios often involve certificate renewal cycles being missed or a misconfigured CRL/OCSP responder causing trust failures.

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 junior network technician can log in to a core router but cannot reach the enable prompt or configuration mode. The AAA server is authenticating the login — but the authorisation policy only grants privilege level 1, not 15. Authentication (who you are) is working; authorisation (what you can do) is not.

Quick reference

AAA Protocol Comparison

Protocol	Port(s)	Encryption	Transport	Primary Use
RADIUS	1812 / 1813	Password only	UDP	Network access control
TACACS+	49	Full packet	TCP	Device administration
Diameter	3868	Full session	TCP / SCTP	Carrier / mobile networks
802.1X	—	EAP-based	Layer 2	Port-based access control

TACACS+ encrypts the entire packet; RADIUS only encrypts the password field — a key exam distinction.

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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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 corporate network's RADIUS certificate has expired or is untrusted. — The laptop connects to guest Wi-Fi but not the corporate network, and works on other corporate networks, isolating the issue to the specific corporate network's RADIUS authentication. Since both networks use WPA2-Enterprise with 802.1X, the most likely cause is that the corporate network's RADIUS certificate has expired or is untrusted, causing the 802.1X EAP-TLS or PEAP handshake to fail. The guest network likely uses a different authentication method (e.g., PSK or a separate RADIUS server with a valid certificate), explaining why it works.

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.

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