easyMultiple ChoiceObjective-mapped
SSCP They cannot access the internet Practice Question
A user reports they cannot access the internet. The network administrator verifies that the user's workstation has an IP address of 192.168.1.100/24 and a default gateway of 192.168.1.1. The administrator can ping the default gateway but cannot ping 8.8.8.8. What is the most likely cause?
⚠ Common exam trap
Many candidates confuse 'can ping the gateway' with 'gateway has internet connectivity,' but the gateway may be reachable locally while lacking an upstream route or having a misconfigured NAT policy.
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 default gateway has no route to the internet
The administrator can ping the default gateway (192.168.1.1) but cannot ping 8.8.8.8. This indicates that Layer 2 and Layer 3 connectivity within the local subnet is working, but traffic cannot reach the internet. The most likely cause is that the default gateway does not have a route to the internet, meaning it cannot forward packets beyond its local interface to an upstream router or ISP.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Firewall is blocking outbound traffic to port 53
Why it's wrong here
Port 53 is DNS, not ICMP.
- ✗
DNS server is down
Why it's wrong here
DNS is not required for pinging an IP address.
- ✓
The default gateway has no route to the internet
Why this is correct
Local connectivity works, external fails, indicating routing issue.
- ✗
The workstation's subnet mask is incorrect
Why it's wrong here
Incorrect subnet mask would affect local connectivity, but gateway is reachable.
- ✗
The network cable is faulty
Why it's wrong here
Faulty cable would prevent pinging the gateway.
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JA
Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
This SSCP practice question is part of Courseiva's free ISC2 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 SSCP exam.