220-1102 Question 542
Single answerUniversal Plug and Play (UPnP)A small office recently installed a new consumer-grade router. After the change, an employee's video game console can browse the internet and download updates, but it cannot host multiplayer matches or maintain a stable voice chat session. The technician confirms the console works correctly when connected to a mobile hotspot. The office does not want to create permanent manual port-forwarding rules because the console may be replaced later. Which router setting should the technician enable first to best address this issue?
- A
Enable Universal Plug and Play (UPnP) on the router
- B
Disable DHCP and assign the console a static IP address
- C
Enable MAC filtering for the console's network adapter
- D
Change the router's SSID broadcast setting to hidden
Show answer and explanation
Correct answer: A
Explanation
This scenario points to a NAT traversal issue rather than a basic internet connectivity failure. The console can access outbound services, but hosting games and maintaining voice chat often require inbound sessions or negotiated peer-to-peer connections. UPnP on a router allows compatible clients to automatically create and remove port mappings without the technician having to configure permanent forwarding entries. That makes it an appropriate first step when the organization wants a low-maintenance solution for devices that may change over time. CompTIA A+ Core 2 expects candidates to recognize UPnP as a common SOHO router feature used by devices such as gaming consoles to simplify connectivity through NAT. Best practice is to enable it only when needed on trusted networks, since automatic port opening has security implications and should be managed carefully according to vendor guidance.
- A. Correct.
Correct. UPnP allows compatible devices such as game consoles to automatically request temporary port mappings from the router/NAT device as needed. In this scenario, the console can reach the internet but has trouble with inbound peer-to-peer or session-establishment traffic commonly used for hosting matches and voice chat. Enabling UPnP is often the first practical step when the goal is to avoid creating permanent manual port-forwarding rules.
- B. Incorrect.
Incorrect. Assigning a static IP address may help keep a device at a predictable address for manual port forwarding, but it does not by itself open the necessary inbound ports through NAT. The issue here is not simple IP addressing; it is the lack of dynamic port mappings needed for the console's services.
- C. Incorrect.
Incorrect. MAC filtering is an access-control feature that allows or blocks devices based on hardware address. It does not solve NAT traversal or inbound connectivity problems for multiplayer hosting or voice chat. Someone might choose this option because it sounds like a device-specific router setting, but it is unrelated to the symptom described.
- D. Incorrect.
Incorrect. Hiding the SSID only affects how the wireless network name is advertised. It does not improve application connectivity, NAT behavior, or port mapping for online gaming. This is a common misconception when users assume any wireless-related change might improve connection quality.