This LPIC-1 practice question tests your understanding of administrative tasks. 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 can successfully ping a web server but cannot access the website via a browser. Which 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 the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Web service (e.g., Apache) not running
B is correct because the user can successfully ping the web server, confirming that the server is reachable at the network layer (ICMP). However, the inability to access the website via a browser indicates that the application layer service handling HTTP/HTTPS requests is not running. If the web service (e.g., Apache, Nginx) is stopped or crashed, the server will not respond to TCP port 80 or 443, even though basic connectivity exists.
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.
✗
Incorrect subnet mask
Why it's wrong here
An incorrect subnet mask would affect all communication, including ping.
✓
Web service (e.g., Apache) not running
Why this is correct
If the web service is down, ping will still work because the network layer is functional, but HTTP requests will fail.
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.
✗
Firewall blocking HTTP ports
Why it's wrong here
A firewall blocking HTTP would likely also block ICMP if configured restrictively; but ping works, so firewall is less likely.
✗
DNS resolution failure
Why it's wrong here
If DNS were failing, the user would not be able to resolve the hostname; ping may have used an IP address.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates often assume a successful ping implies full application-layer functionality, but LPIC-1 tests the understanding that ICMP and TCP are separate protocols, and a web service must be explicitly running to serve HTTP content.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Ping uses ICMP (protocol 1) and operates at Layer 3, while web browsing uses TCP (protocol 6) on ports 80/443 at Layer 4. A server can respond to ICMP echo requests even if the web service daemon (e.g., httpd or nginx) is not listening on those ports. In real-world scenarios, a common troubleshooting step is to check service status with commands like `systemctl status apache2` or `netstat -tlnp | grep :80` to verify the service is bound to the expected port.
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.
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.
Administrative Tasks — This question tests Administrative Tasks — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Web service (e.g., Apache) not running — B is correct because the user can successfully ping the web server, confirming that the server is reachable at the network layer (ICMP). However, the inability to access the website via a browser indicates that the application layer service handling HTTP/HTTPS requests is not running. If the web service (e.g., Apache, Nginx) is stopped or crashed, the server will not respond to TCP port 80 or 443, even though basic connectivity exists.
What should I do if I get this LPIC-1 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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Question Discussion
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