First Step to Troubleshoot Wi-Fi Latency and Coverage Drops?

N10-008 By islever Editorial Last updated

Short answer

B Review the AP placement.

Question

A Wi-Fi network was recently deployed in a new, multilevel building. Several issues are now being reported related to latency and drops in coverage. Which of the following is the first step to troubleshoot the issues?
  1. Create a network diagram.
  2. Review the AP placement. Correct Answer
  3. Monitor channel utilization.
  4. Test cable attenuation.

Key Takeaways

The question tests the logical troubleshooting order for Wi-Fi issues; the trap is jumping to channel utilization while ignoring that coverage drops strongly indicate physical placement problems.

For a newly deployed Wi-Fi network in a multilevel building reporting latency and coverage drops, the first troubleshooting step should be reviewing access point (AP) placement, as supported by 73% of voters and community consensus.

Common mistake: Choosing C (Monitor channel utilization) is common because latency suggests interference, but coverage drops are primarily a placement issue, and channel monitoring should follow after verifying AP placement.

Expert Analysis

Why the Answer Is Correct

B is correct because the symptom "drops in coverage" directly points to weak signal areas, often caused by insufficient or poorly placed APs in a multilevel building. Reviewing AP placement is a low-effort, high-yield first step that follows CompTIA's troubleshooting methodology. Comment [3] notes that if AP is in a good spot, then do C next, indicating B is the logical first step. Comment [4] explicitly states "Question specifies 'drops in coverage', must be AP placement."

Why the Other Options Are Wrong

A (network diagram) is useful for documentation but not a troubleshooting action for RF issues. C (monitor channel utilization) addresses interference and congestion but is a secondary step after verifying physical coverage; latency can be caused by many things, but coverage drops uniquely point to placement. D (test cable attenuation) is relevant to wired backhaul but less likely to cause both latency and coverage drops across a multilevel building, and it's not the first thing to check.

Community Comment Notes

The majority of commenters support B, with 73 votes versus 27 for C. One commenter advocated for C citing the need for a site survey (comment [1]), but the question is about "first step to troubleshoot" after deployment, not pre-deployment planning. Another commenter mentioned a duplicate question with different answers (comment [5]), but the most useful comments align with B. Overall, the community consensus is to start with AP placement.

Official Reference

These links open the official vendor documentation in a new tab.

Exam Strategy

Always start troubleshooting with the most likely cause for the reported symptom. For coverage drops, verify AP placement and physical environment before moving to RF/channel analysis, and use a layered approach (e.g., OSI model) to isolate the issue.

Community Votes

B
73%
C
27%

73% of anonymous learners picked answer B. Votes are pick records left by other test-takers — they are not the verified answer.

Discussion 7 contributions

Compiled from public community threads and reader submissions, lightly edited for clarity. Handles and vote tallies are shown as recorded, and comments reflect the views of individual contributors.

From public community threads 7

  1. 50ace6f 👍 2 Answered B
    It says which should you do first, so I would make sure the AP is in a good spot. If it is, then I would do C next. (Easiest/Simplest first)
  2. Bdav 👍 2 Answered C
    Site survey should have been conducted upon installation of the APs including a heat map. I'm going with C.
  3. kinny4000 👍 2 Answered B
    Question specifies "drops in coverage", must be AP placement
  4. bdemps98 👍 2 Answered B
    I'm in agreeance that this is B
  5. b0bby 👍 1
    Question #: 247 is exactly the same but with some different answers. I'm gonna go with C here because it matches up. and the previous question was a 50/50 split between a and c with 60+ votes
Show 2 more comments
  1. priestb3 👍 1 Answered C
    channels could overlap on the different floors of the building. question 247 has this exact question except it includes site survey.
  2. shkejo 👍 2 Answered B
    It’s B. O yea

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