LPIC-2 Advanced Networking Configuration Practice Question
An administrator needs to configure a wireless interface wlan0 with WPA2-PSK authentication and a static IP address 192.168.2.50/24. Which tool should be used to configure the wireless settings?
⚠ Common exam trap
Candidates often confuse iwconfig's key parameter (which only works for WEP) with WPA2-PSK, or assume a higher-level tool like nmcli is the direct configuration tool, when the exam expects the low-level WPA2-PSK daemon wpa_supplicant.
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
✓
wpa_supplicant with a configuration file containing the PSK
WPA2-PSK authentication requires the wpa_supplicant daemon, which handles the 4-way handshake and key derivation. A configuration file with the PSK (pre-shared key) is the standard method to define the network SSID and passphrase, allowing wpa_supplicant to manage the wireless association securely.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
NetworkManager with nmcli
Why it's wrong here
nmcli can be used but the question asks for a tool specifically for wireless settings; wpa_supplicant is more direct.
- ✓
wpa_supplicant with a configuration file containing the PSK
Why this is correct
wpa_supplicant handles WPA2 authentication.
- ✗
iwconfig with key s:password
Why it's wrong here
iwconfig is deprecated and does not support WPA2.
- ✗
ifconfig wlan0 up and route add default gw 192.168.2.1
Why it's wrong here
This sets IP but not wireless security.
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JA
Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
This LPIC-2 practice question is part of Courseiva's free LPI 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 LPIC-2 exam.