Match each networking term to its definition.
Drag a concept onto its matching description — or click a concept then click the description.
Automatically assigns IP addresses to hosts
Resolves hostnames to IP addresses
Translates private IPs to public IPs
Combines multiple network interfaces for redundancy or throughput
Answer choices
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
IP address: A unique identifier assigned to each device on a network.
The correct matches are: IP address (unique identifier), Subnet mask (network/host division), Default gateway (router to external networks), DNS server (name resolution). Common confusions include swapping definitions between IP address and subnet mask, or between default gateway and DNS server.
Answer analysis
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
IP address: A unique identifier assigned to each device on a network.
Why this is correct
An IP address is a logical, 32-bit (IPv4) or 128-bit (IPv6) value that uniquely identifies a network interface on a network. It consists of a network portion and a host portion, but the address itself is not the same as the subnet mask that delineates those portions. Packets use this address as the destination to route data from source to target device.
Subnet mask: A 32-bit number used to divide an IP address into network and host portions.
Why this is correct
A subnet mask is a 32-bit number, typically expressed in dotted decimal (for example, 255.255.255.0), that separates an IP address into the network prefix and the host identifier. The mask's contiguous ones define the network bits, while the zeros define host bits. This allows a host to decide whether a destination is on the local subnet or must be sent to the default gateway.
Default gateway: The router interface that connects a local network to external networks.
Why this is correct
The default gateway is usually the router interface that connects a local broadcast domain to other networks, such as an ISP edge router or an internal router linking multiple subnets. When a host determines from its subnet mask that the destination IP is not local, it forwards the IP packet to the gateway's MAC address for onward routing. This gateway entry is required on each host, except when all traffic is confined to the local subnet.
DNS server: A server that resolves domain names to IP addresses.
Why this is correct
A DNS server runs the Domain Name System protocol to translate user-friendly names (for example, server.example.com) into the numeric IP addresses required by network software. DNS uses a distributed, hierarchical set of authoritative servers and resolvers, and clients typically query a configured recursive resolver. Without a working DNS server, a host may still reach a remote server by IP address but cannot resolve symbolic names.
IP address: A 32-bit number used to divide an IP address into network and host portions.
Why it's wrong here
This definition is incorrect because a 32-bit number used to divide an IP address into network and host portions is called a subnet mask, not an IP address. An IP address is the actual numeric label assigned to an interface, while the subnet mask is a separate value that helps interpret that address. Someone selecting this option would confuse the address itself with the network mask that accompanies it.
Default gateway: A server that resolves domain names to IP addresses.
Why it's wrong here
This definition is incorrect because resolving domain names to IP addresses is the function of a DNS server, not a default gateway. A default gateway is a layer-3 router interface that forwards packets from one IP subnet to another; it has no role in name resolution. The wrong phrasing conflates application-layer name translation with network-layer packet routing.
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This EX200 question is part of Courseiva's 427-question bank — original exam-style content with full explanations and wrong-answer analysis, never real exam questions or exam dumps. Learn why practice questions differ from exam dumps →
Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
This EX200 practice question is part of Courseiva's free Red Hat 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 EX200 exam.