220-1101 Question 122
Single answerVirtual LAN [local area network] (VLAN)A small office uses managed switches to separate departments into VLANs. The accounting PCs are assigned to VLAN 20, and the accounting network printer is also supposed to be on VLAN 20. After the printer was moved to a different wall jack, accounting users can no longer print to it, but the printer still receives an IP address and the link light is on. Users in another department can see the printer on their network. Which action is the MOST likely to restore printing for the accounting team?
- A
Configure the switch port for the new wall jack as an access port in VLAN 20
- B
Replace the printer with a model that supports 802.11ac wireless
- C
Enable NAT on the switch so the printer can communicate between VLANs
- D
Assign the printer a public IP address instead of a private IP address
Show answer and explanation
Correct answer: A
Explanation
VLANs logically separate devices on the same physical switching infrastructure into different Layer 2 networks. In real-world office environments, a moved device often stops working because the destination wall jack maps to a switch port assigned to a different VLAN. Best practice is to configure user-facing device ports as access ports in the correct VLAN and reserve trunk ports for links between switches or to routers. CompTIA A+ Core 1 expects technicians to recognize that if a printer appears on the wrong department's network after being moved, the most likely fix is correcting the switch port VLAN assignment. This aligns with standard Ethernet switching behavior and common vendor documentation for managed switches, where endpoint ports are assigned to the appropriate access VLAN.
- A. Correct.
Correct. In a typical office VLAN deployment, end devices such as printers and PCs connect to access ports, and each access port is assigned to a single VLAN. Because the printer was moved and is now visible from another department, the new wall jack is most likely patched to a switch port assigned to the wrong VLAN. Reconfiguring that switch port as an access port in VLAN 20 would place the printer back in the accounting broadcast domain and restore connectivity for accounting users.
- B. Incorrect.
Incorrect. Wireless capability does not address the root issue, which is VLAN membership on the wired network. The printer is already connecting to the network and receiving an IP address, so the problem is not a lack of network interface type. Replacing hardware would add cost without fixing the incorrect VLAN assignment.
- C. Incorrect.
Incorrect. Network address translation (NAT) is typically performed on routers or firewalls to translate private and public addresses, not to solve a same-site VLAN placement problem for a printer. Even if inter-VLAN routing existed, NAT would not be the appropriate fix for a printer connected to the wrong access VLAN.
- D. Incorrect.
Incorrect. Assigning a public IP address would be inappropriate for an internal office printer and would not solve the VLAN mismatch. The issue is that the printer is on the wrong logical network segment after being moved, not that it lacks Internet-routable addressing.