Which statement best describes the role of the default gateway in a local network?

Which statement best describes the role of the default gateway in a local network?

• A. It routes traffic from the local network to other networks, including the Internet.
• B. It stores DNS records for domain names.
• C. It handles ARP queries on the LAN.
• D. It provides DHCP service to clients.

Answer: (A)

A default gateway serves as the path for traffic leaving the local network to reach other networks, including the Internet. When a device wants to talk to a host outside its own subnet, it sends the packet to the gateway, which then forwards it toward the destination using its routing table to determine the next hop. This is the gateway’s essential role: connect the local network to the wider network beyond it. The other options describe separate services—DNS for domain-name mappings, ARP for resolving IP-to-MAC on the LAN, and DHCP for assigning IP addresses—which are not the primary function of the default gateway.

A default gateway serves as the path for traffic leaving the local network to reach other networks, including the Internet. When a device wants to talk to a host outside its own subnet, it sends the packet to the gateway, which then forwards it toward the destination using its routing table to determine the next hop. This is the gateway’s essential role: connect the local network to the wider network beyond it. The other options describe separate services—DNS for domain-name mappings, ARP for resolving IP-to-MAC on the LAN, and DHCP for assigning IP addresses—which are not the primary function of the default gateway.