A systems administrator has just deployed a new web server with the static IP address 10.10.20.50, a subnet mask of 255.255.255.0, and a DNS server address of 10.10.1.10. The administrator confirms that the web server can communicate with a database server on the same subnet at 10.10.20.65. However, the web server cannot download necessary updates from the internet or be reached by clients from outside the 10.10.20.0/24 network. Which of the following network settings is the MOST likely cause of this issue?
The correct answer is a missing or incorrect default gateway address. The default gateway is the router to which a host sends all traffic destined for a remote network. In this scenario, the server can communicate with other devices on its local subnet (10.10.20.0/24), which indicates the IP address and subnet mask are likely correct for local communication. However, it cannot reach the internet or be reached from outside its local network. This is the primary function of a default gateway.
An incorrect DNS server address would prevent the resolution of domain names but would not stop communication via IP address to the internet if the gateway were correct. An incorrect VLAN assignment would likely prevent communication with other devices on the same subnet. An incorrect subnet mask would likely affect communication with local devices as well.
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What is a default gateway in networking?
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Why does a missing or incorrect default gateway prevent internet access?
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How do IP address, subnet mask, and default gateway work together?