Access Point for Connecting Mobile Devices to a Home Network
Which of the following should be used to connect mobile devices to a home network?
Community Insight
The question tests the role of basic networking hardware devices, and the trap is picking infrastructure that serves a different layer: modems bring in the internet, switches only forward wired traffic, and patch panels only organize cabling.
This CompTIA A+ 220-1201 question asks which networking hardware connects wireless mobile devices to a home network. The access point is the correct device because it bridges Wi-Fi clients such as phones and tablets into the wired home network.
The most common wrong choice is B, switch. Learners assume any central home-network box will accept phones and tablets, but a switch provides wired Ethernet ports only and does not offer a wireless radio for mobile devices to join.
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Expert Analysis
Why the Answer Is Correct
An access point (AP) provides the wireless (Wi-Fi) radio layer that mobile devices such as phones and tablets use to associate with a home network. Once associated, the AP bridges or switches that wireless traffic onto the wired LAN, giving wireless clients access to the router, internet, and local resources. In a typical SOHO deployment, mobile devices join the SSID broadcast by the access point (often integrated into the wireless router), which is exactly the doorway described for connecting mobile devices to a home network. This maps directly to objective 2.5's requirement to compare and contrast common networking hardware devices and their purposes.Why the Other Options Are Wrong
A. A cable modem terminates the coaxial service-line connection from the ISP and converts it for use by a router; it is an internet-connection device, not something mobile devices attach to for Wi-Fi. B. A switch forwards Ethernet frames between wired devices only; without a separate AP or wireless radio it cannot host mobile devices at all. D. A patch panel is a passive termination and cable-organization point in a wiring closet or rack; it performs no wireless function and mobile devices cannot connect to it directly.Community Comment Notes
The single community comment agreed with option C, explaining that "Phones/tablets need Wi-Fi, and the access point gives wireless devices a doorway into the home network." This matches the CompTIA hardware-role definitions and my independent analysis, so the learner consensus and the correct answer here align.Exam Strategy
When a question names the client device type (mobile, wireless), immediately narrow to options with a wireless radio function. Eliminate any device whose primary job is internet delivery (modem), wired-only forwarding (switch), or passive cable organization (patch panel).
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is a switch not enough to connect mobile devices to a home network?
A switch only forwards traffic over wired Ethernet ports. Mobile devices like phones and tablets lack those ports and require a wireless access point's Wi-Fi radio to associate with the network.
What does the cable modem do in a home network setup?
A cable modem terminates the coaxial ISP connection and converts the signal for the router; it handles the internet link itself, not local wireless client access.
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