After configuring a server, a technician is unable to access websites by URL but can access websites by typing in an IP address. Which of the following is the MOST likely cause of this issue?

A misconfigured firewall would typically block traffic to specific ports or IP addresses, preventing access by both URL and IP address, or block access entirely.

If a server can reach websites by IP address but not by URL, it means the network connectivity is generally functional, but the server is unable to resolve domain names (URLs) into their corresponding IP addresses. This is the primary function of DNS (Domain Name System), so a misconfigured DNS server address or an inability to reach DNS servers would cause this specific issue.

DHCP (Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol) assigns IP addresses and other network configuration details. If DHCP were not enabled or failed, the server might not have an IP address or correct network settings at all, preventing any network access, including by IP.

An incorrect gateway configuration would prevent the server from reaching any destination outside its local subnet, meaning it could not access external websites by either IP address or URL.