Chapter 8 Lesson 1 - Supporting Common Ports

Question 1

You can add extra USB ports to a system by using either…. ? (2)

Answer 1

1. USB expansion card
2. USB hubs

Question 2

What’s the difference between USB hubs that are powered and bus-powered?

Answer 2

Powered = use a cable for its power
Bus-powered = draws its power from the bus (port)

Question 3

When would a bus-powered hub cause problems?

Answer 3

When too many bus-powered devices are connected to the bus-hub

Question 4

Which is the connector that looks like a mini-HDMI?

Answer 4

Micro-B

Question 5

Thunderbolt 3 supports how many video monitors and at what quality?

Answer 5

TB3 supports 2, 4k monitors at 60Hz refresh rate

Question 6

How many watts of power does Thunderbolt 3 provide to connected devices that draw power from the bus?

Answer 6

100 watts to devices connected to its bus

Question 7

Is Thunderbolt 3 able to handle storage devices as well?

Answer 7

Yes, TB3 handles storage fine

Question 8

Which Thunderbolt ports require a Mini DisplayPort (MDP) connector? (2)

Answer 8

Thunderbolt 1 and 2 require a Mini DisplayPort connector

Question 9

Which Thunderbolt ports use a USB Type-C connector? (2)

Answer 9

Thunderbolt 3 and 4 use a Type C connector

Question 10

In meters, how long can a Thunderbolt chain extend with copper? What about with fiber? (2)

Answer 10

Thunderbolt copper chain: 2 meters
Thunderbolt fiber chain: 60 meters

Question 11

What’s the data transfer speed for Thunderbolt 1-4?

Answer 11

Thunderbolt 1: 10 Gbps
Thunderbolt 2: 20 Gbps
Thunderbolt 3: 16 Gbps (less power consumption)
Thunderbolt 4: 40 Gbps (less power consumption)

Question 12

USB 3.1’s speed is the same as Thunderbolt #?

Answer 12

Thunderbolt 1 = USB 3.1
10 Gbps

Question 13

Where would you see an older DB-9 serial connector used? (2)

Answer 13

This 9pin serial can be used to connect:
1. Really old UPS to a PC
2. some hardware on an old digital cash register

Question 14

What is a PS/2 plug?

Answer 14

Legacy plug commonly used to connect keyboards and mice

Look like little green or purple circles with dots, or both colors mixed

Question 15

What’s a “known-good” device?

Answer 15

A device that you know is in good working order

Question 16

The first way to troubleshoot a port or device problem is to test the port first by….? And vice versa

Answer 16

Test the port first by plugging in a “known-good” device into the port

Reverse this and plug the device into a “known-good” port

Question 17

If you’re sure a port isn’t working, what are 3 things you can check?

boot, os, car

Answer 17

1. Is the port enabled in BIOS/UEFI?
2. Is the port enabled in Windows/OS?
3. Does the port have the driver it requires?