CompTIA Network+ (N10-009) — Question 75

A virtual machine has the following configuration:

IPv4 address: 169.254.10.10 -

Subnet mask: 255.255.0.0 -
The virtual machine can reach collocated systems but cannot reach external addresses on the internet. Which of the following is most likely the root cause?

Answer options

• A. The subnet mask is incorrect.
• B. The DHCP server is offline.
• C. The IP address is an RFC1918 private address.
• D. The DNS server is unreachable.

Correct answer: B

Explanation

The correct answer is B because the IP address 169.254.x.x indicates that the machine is using a link-local address due to a failure to obtain an IP from DHCP. This means it cannot connect to external addresses. Option A is incorrect as the subnet mask is valid for link-local addresses, C is incorrect since 169.254.x.x is not a private address per RFC1918, and D is irrelevant since DNS resolution is not required for local connectivity.