220-1102 Question 181
Single answerWirelessA technician is helping a user connect a company-issued laptop to the office wireless network after a security upgrade. The user can see the SSID and enters the correct username and password, but the connection fails immediately. Other employees using newer laptops can connect successfully. The wireless administrator confirms the access point is configured for WPA3-Enterprise only. Which of the following is the MOST likely reason the user's laptop cannot connect?
- A
The laptop's wireless adapter or driver does not support WPA3-Enterprise
- B
The access point is too far away and the signal strength is too weak for authentication
- C
The SSID is broadcasting on the 5 GHz band, which requires a VPN connection first
- D
The user must disable AES and use TKIP to allow enterprise authentication
Show answer and explanation
Correct answer: A
Explanation
The best answer is that the laptop does not support WPA3-Enterprise through its wireless hardware, driver, firmware, or operating system. In enterprise environments, when an access point is configured for WPA3-Enterprise only, older clients may detect the network name but fail to complete the secure connection process. This is a practical troubleshooting scenario: verify the wireless adapter capabilities, update drivers, confirm OS support, and check whether the device supports the required authentication and encryption methods. Current wireless best practices from vendors and Wi-Fi Alliance guidance favor WPA3 where supported, but administrators must account for client compatibility during upgrades. TKIP is deprecated for secure modern deployments, and VPN requirements are unrelated to joining a local Wi-Fi network. Signal issues are possible in general wireless troubleshooting, but the security change and the fact that newer laptops connect successfully strongly indicate a client compatibility problem.
- A. Correct.
Correct. WPA3-Enterprise requires client-side support in the wireless adapter, operating system, and often the driver/firmware stack. If older hardware or drivers do not support WPA3-Enterprise, the device may see the SSID but fail during the authentication or association process. In a real-world upgrade scenario, this is a common compatibility issue affecting older laptops while newer systems connect normally.
- B. Incorrect.
Incorrect. Weak signal can cause unstable connectivity, poor performance, or dropped authentication attempts, but the scenario specifically points to a recent security upgrade and successful connections by newer laptops. That makes a compatibility issue with the security standard more likely than a pure range problem.
- C. Incorrect.
Incorrect. A 5 GHz SSID does not require a VPN connection before joining the wireless network. VPNs operate after network connectivity is established and are used for secure remote access, not to enable association with a local wireless band.
- D. Incorrect.
Incorrect. TKIP is an older security mechanism associated with WPA/WPA2 legacy compatibility and is not appropriate for modern secure enterprise wireless deployments. WPA3 uses stronger protections, and downgrading to TKIP would reduce security and would not be the correct fix for a WPA3-Enterprise-only network.