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CompTIA

SY0-501 · Question #65

A user of the wireless network is unable to gain access to the network. The symptoms are: 1.) Unable to connect to both internal and Internet resources 2.) The wireless icon shows connectivity but…

The correct answer is C. The user's laptop only supports WPA and WEP. The user's laptop is showing connectivity but lacks network access on a WPA2 Enterprise network, most likely because the laptop itself does not support the required WPA2 Enterprise security standard.

Submitted by yaw92· Mar 4, 2026General security concepts

Question

A user of the wireless network is unable to gain access to the network. The symptoms are:

1.) Unable to connect to both internal and Internet resources 2.) The wireless icon shows connectivity but has no network access The wireless network is WPA2 Enterprise and users must be a member of the wireless security group to authenticate. Which of the following is the MOST likely cause of the connectivity issues?

Options

  • AThe wireless signal is not strong enough
  • BA remote DDoS attack against the RADIUS server is taking place
  • CThe user's laptop only supports WPA and WEP
  • DThe DHCP scope is full
  • EThe dynamic encryption key did not update while the user was offline

How the community answered

(22 responses)
  • A
    14% (3)
  • C
    77% (17)
  • D
    5% (1)
  • E
    5% (1)

Why each option

The user's laptop is showing connectivity but lacks network access on a WPA2 Enterprise network, most likely because the laptop itself does not support the required WPA2 Enterprise security standard.

AThe wireless signal is not strong enough

A weak wireless signal would typically result in the wireless icon showing poor connectivity, intermittent drops, or no connection at all, rather than a consistent 'connected but no network access' state.

BA remote DDoS attack against the RADIUS server is taking place

A DDoS attack against the RADIUS server would prevent users from successfully authenticating to the network, meaning the wireless icon would likely show an authentication failure or no connectivity, not a connected status with no access.

CThe user's laptop only supports WPA and WEPCorrect

If the user's laptop only supports older WPA or WEP standards, it cannot fully establish a secure connection with a WPA2 Enterprise network, which mandates 802.1X authentication and AES encryption. While the device might initially associate with the access point (explaining the connectivity icon), the essential authentication and secure key exchange required for network access will fail due to this protocol incompatibility, preventing full network access.

DThe DHCP scope is full

While a full DHCP scope would prevent network access, the question emphasizes WPA2 Enterprise authentication and security groups, pointing to a security protocol or authentication issue as a more fundamental cause before IP address assignment.

EThe dynamic encryption key did not update while the user was offline

Failure to update a dynamic encryption key would typically result in a complete connection failure or deauthentication, not a state where the device appears connected but has no network access due to a fundamental protocol mismatch.

Concept tested: WPA2 Enterprise client compatibility and authentication

Source: https://www.cisco.com/c/en/us/products/wireless/what-is-wi-fi-protected-access-wpa.html

Topics

#WPA2 Enterprise#RADIUS#wireless security#protocol compatibility

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