220-1101 - Networking (20% of the exam) - Section 2.6

Explain common network configuration concepts, including IPv4 and IPv6 addressing, DHCP, DNS, VLANs, VPNs, and APIPA, and configure a basic SOHO network.

Explain IPv4 and IPv6 addressing, the role of DHCP in automatic assignment, the APIPA range that signals a failed DHCP lease, and how DNS resolves names to addresses. Configure a basic SOHO network - SSID, channel, encryption (WPA2/WPA3), and port forwarding - and recognise the purpose of VLANs and VPNs in segmenting and securing traffic.

IPv4 and IPv6DHCP and DNSAPIPAWPA2 and WPA3

Practice question for this objective

Free sampleNetworkinghard

A Windows workstation configured for DHCP fails to reach a server and self-assigns an address. Which address range identifies an APIPA (link-local IPv4) address that confirms the DHCP lease was not obtained?

A192.168.0.1 through 192.168.255.254, a link-local block reserved for automatic private addressing when no DHCP server responds
B169.254.0.1 through 169.254.255.254, a link-local block reserved for automatic private addressing when no DHCP server responds Correct
C10.0.0.1 through 10.255.255.254, a link-local block reserved for automatic private addressing when no DHCP server responds
D172.16.0.1 through 172.31.255.254, a link-local block reserved for automatic private addressing when no DHCP server responds

Recognise that an APIPA address in 169.254.0.0/16 signals a failed DHCP lease rather than a valid network configuration. When a DHCP client receives no DHCPOFFER, Windows falls back to Automatic Private IP Addressing and picks an unused address from the 169.254.0.0/16 link-local block, which is non-routable and only reaches hosts on the same segment.

Why A is wrong: 192.168.0.0/16 is an RFC 1918 private range, tempting because it is common on SOHO LANs, but it is normally handed out by DHCP, not self-assigned.

Why B is correct: APIPA draws from 169.254.0.0/16 (RFC 3927 link-local), so a host in this range self-configured after DHCP failed.

Why C is wrong: 10.0.0.0/8 is a private RFC 1918 range often used on larger networks, but it is a routable private block, not the APIPA self-assignment range.

Why D is wrong: 172.16.0.0/12 is the third RFC 1918 private range and looks technical, but APIPA never uses it; it is administered or DHCP-assigned.

See more 220-1101 practice questions, answers explained.

Exam traps in Networking

Answers that look right on this material and are not. Each one is a distractor from a different question in the 220-1101 bank for this domain.

Manually assign a static 192.168.1.20 address inside the LAN subnet so the workstation can communicate straight away.
Why it is wrong: A static address may restore connectivity, but it masks the underlying DHCP failure rather than diagnosing why only this host fell back to APIPA.
The workstation was manually assigned a static address in the 169.254.0.0/16 range that is reserved for internal routing between subnets.
Why it is wrong: Tempting because the address looks deliberate, but 169.254.0.0/16 is the APIPA block, not a routing reservation, and the absent gateway signals automatic self-configuration rather than a manual static entry.
TCP, with the client sending from port 67 to the server on port 68
Why it is wrong: It reverses the client and server ports and wrongly assigns TCP; DHCP cannot rely on a TCP handshake because the client has no address yet, so this is incorrect.

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