Exam 1 Flashcards
A customer’s hard drive has crashed and needs to be replaced. When replacing the internal 5400 RPM HDD, which cable should you use?
OBJ-5.3: Serial ATA (SATA) is the most widely used interface for hard disks on modern desktop and laptop computers. SATA uses a 7-pin L-shaped data connector with one device per port. SATA operates at bandwidths of 1.5 Gbps, 3 Gbps, or 6 Gbps. SATA drives can also use a 15-pin power connector. FireWire is an external connection type that uses a serial SCSI connection with a D-shaped connector to support up to 800 Mbps of bandwidth. Lightning is a proprietary computer bus and power connector created by Apple. The lightning cable is used by every iPhone from the 5 to 13 series. Newer iPads have shifted to the use of USB-C for charging instead of the lightning cable, though.
Jason recently purchases a wearable fitness tracker to count the number of steps he is taking each day. Which of the following technologies is used to determine how many steps he takes each day?
OBJ-1.4: ACCELEROMETER. Most wearable fitness devices come with a 3-axis accelerometer to track movement in every direction. Some more advanced trackers will also use a gyroscope to measure the orientation and rotation of the device. However, the accelerometer is still the crucial component to measure the activity of the user. The data collected is then converted into steps and activity and from then into calories and sleep quality. Near field communications (NFC) is a standard for peer-to-peer (2-way) radio communications over very short (around 4”) distances that facilitate contactless payment and similar technologies. The inverter (also known as inverter board, screen inverter, or LCD inverter) is a part of the laptop’s display assembly. The inverter is a small green board attached to the base of the LCD panel. In a laptop computer, the LCD screen relies on a backlight source to uniformly light up the screen, and the inverter acts as the power supply for this lighting source. If the inverter is faulty, the display will be too dim to easily see without an external light source like a flashlight. The digitizer is a touch-sensitive glass panel covering the LCD in a touchscreen assembly. The digitizer is used to convert touch events to digital signals that can be interpreted as different types of input. The digitizer can be touched and inspected without taking apart the device.
You just configured your iPhone to connect to your car’s stereo over Bluetooth to play your favorite podcasts while driving to work. What type of network did you create between your iPhone and your car?
OBJ-2.7: A personal area network (PAN) is a close-range network that is usually based on Bluetooth or NFC for communications between personal devices, such as smartphones, laptops, printers, and other peripheral devices. A local area network (LAN) is a network where all the nodes or hosts participating in the network are directly connected with cables or short-range wireless media. A wide area network (WAN) is a network that spans multiple geographic locations such as the internet. Wide area networks are often established with leased telecommunication circuits. A storage area network (SAN) is a dedicated, independent high-speed network that interconnects and delivers shared pools of storage devices to multiple servers. A storage area network often uses Fibre Channel over Ethernet (FCoE), Fibre Channel, or Internet Small Computer Systems Interface (iSCSI) connections to achieve the speeds necessary to support SAN operations.
An auto mechanic needs to purchase a new printer for their shop. The printer will be used to create estimates and invoices for their customers. The printer must support the ability to create duplicate invoices using multiple sheets of paper separated by carbon paper using tractor-fed paper. Which of the following types of printers should be used?
OBJ-3.11: An impact or dot-matrix printer is an older type of printer that works by pressing a ribbon of ink onto the top sheet of paper using a series of dots. This is called an impact printer because it pushes the ribbon against the paper to create the image or text using a series of dots to create the image or text. These printers are most commonly used when multiple copies of a document must be created at once (like a 3-part form or contract to be signed). As these older printers are being retired and it is harder to find impact printers to purchase, most organizations are now switching to laser or inkjet printers and requiring customers to sign multiple copies of the same invoice after they are printed using a laser printer. Thermal printers are commonly used for receipts such as those at the grocery store or a restaurant.
Which type of wireless network utilizes the 2.4 GHz or 5 GHz frequency bands and reaches speeds of 108 Mbps to 600 Mbps?
OBJ-2.4: The 802.11n (Wireless N) standard utilizes a 2.4 GHz frequency to provide wireless networking at speeds up to 108 Mbps or a 5.0 GHz frequency to provide wireless networking at speeds up to 600 Mbps. Wireless N supports the use of multiple-input-multiple-output (MIMO) technology to use multiple antennas to transmit and receive data at higher speeds. Wireless N supports channel bonding by combining two 20 MHz channels into a single 40 MHz channel to provide additional bandwidth. The 802.11a (Wireless A) standard utilizes a 5 GHz frequency to provide wireless networking at speeds up to 54 Mbps. The 802.11b (Wireless B) standard utilizes a 2.4 GHz frequency to provide wireless networking at speeds up to 11 Mbps. The 802.11g (Wireless G) standard utilizes a 2.4 GHz frequency to provide wireless networking at speeds up to 54 Mbps. The 802.11ac (Wireless AC or Wi-Fi 5) standard utilizes a 5 GHz frequency to provide wireless networking at theoretical speeds up to 3.5 Gbps. Wireless AC uses channel bonding to create a single channel of up to 160 MHz to provide additional bandwidth. Wireless AC uses multi-user multiple-input-multiple-output (MU-MIMO) technology to use multiple antennas to transmit and receive data at higher speeds. The 802.11ax (Wireless AX or Wi-Fi 6) standard utilizes 2.4 GHz and 5.0 GHz frequencies to provide wireless networking at theoretical speeds up to 9.6 Gbps. Wireless AC uses orthogonal frequency-division multiple access (OFDMA) to conduct multiplexing of the frequencies transmitted and received to each client to provide additional bandwidth. Wireless AC uses channel bonding to create a single channel of up to 160 MHz to provide additional bandwidth. Wireless AC uses multi-user multiple-input-multiple-output (MU-MIMO) technology to use multiple antennas to transmit and receive data at higher speeds. Wireless AC also has a version called Wi-Fi 6E that supports the 6GHz frequency instead of the 2.4 GHz and 5.0 GHz frequencies used in Wi-Fi 6.
Which type of wireless network utilizes the 5 GHz frequency band and reaches speeds of up to 54 Mbps?
OBJ-2.4: The 802.11a (Wireless A) standard utilizes a 5 GHz frequency to provide wireless networking at speeds up to 54 Mbps. Unfortunately, when this was first released, the radios to operate with this standard were fairly expensive, so it did not sell well or become widespread. The 802.11b (Wireless B) standard utilizes a 2.4 GHz frequency to provide wireless networking at speeds up to 11 Mbps. The 802.11g (Wireless G) standard utilizes a 2.4 GHz frequency to provide wireless networking at speeds up to 54 Mbps. The 802.11n (Wireless N) standard utilizes a 2.4 GHz frequency to provide wireless networking at speeds up to 108 Mbps or a 5.0 GHz frequency to provide wireless networking at speeds up to 600 Mbps. Wireless N supports the use of multiple-input-multiple-output (MIMO) technology to use multiple antennas to transmit and receive data at higher speeds. Wireless N supports channel bonding by combining two 20 MHz channels into a single 40 MHz channel to provide additional bandwidth. The 802.11ac (Wireless AC or Wi-Fi 5) standard utilizes a 5 GHz frequency to provide wireless networking at theoretical speeds up to 3.5 Gbps. Wireless AC uses channel bonding to create a single channel of up to 160 MHz to provide additional bandwidth. Wireless AC uses multi-user multiple-input-multiple-output (MU-MIMO) technology to use multiple antennas to transmit and receive data at higher speeds. The 802.11ax (Wireless AX or Wi-Fi 6) standard utilizes 2.4 GHz and 5.0 GHz frequencies to provide wireless networking at theoretical speeds up to 9.6 Gbps. Wireless AC uses orthogonal frequency-division multiple access (OFDMA) to conduct multiplexing of the frequencies transmitted and received to each client to provide additional bandwidth. Wireless AC uses channel bonding to create a single channel of up to 160 MHz to provide additional bandwidth. Wireless AC uses multi-user multiple-input-multiple-output (MU-MIMO) technology to use multiple antennas to transmit and receive data at higher speeds. Wireless AC also has a version called Wi-Fi 6E that supports the 6GHz frequency instead of the 2.4 GHz and 5.0 GHz frequencies used in Wi-Fi 6.
A customer’s computer has a noisy, whining sound coming from it when in use. You opened the case and did not see any dust on the fans. What should you attempt next to eliminate the noise?
OBJ-5.2: The best step would be to apply a small amount of oil to each of the fan’s bearings, as this will eliminate the noise. If the fans had been dusty, you would instead apply compressed air or clean the fan blades using a damp cloth. Since there was no dust noticed, this cannot be the whining source, and instead, you should apply oil to the bearings. Over time, dust can get into the fan bearings, causing increased friction when spinning and creating a whining sound. If this doesn’t solve the noise, then you would replace the case fans.
A customer tried to install a PCIe x8 expansion card into a PCIe x16 slot on the motherboard. While the expansion card fits into the slot without any issues, it does not perform as the customer expected. How fast will a PCIe x8 expansion card run if installed in a PCIe x16 slot?
OBJ-3.5: While a PCIe x8 card will fit into either an x8 or x16 slot, it will only run at optimal speed when placed into an x8 slot. If the x8 card is placed into an x16 slot, it will reduce the speed to the equivalent of a 1x slot to ensure compatibility and reliability. Even though placing an x8 card into an x16 slot is supported, it is generally considered a bad practice. Instead, you should only insert an x8 card into an x8 slot for optimal performance.
You are working as a customer service technician at a smartphone repair center. A customer calls your help desk and states that the device feels warm to the touch even when not used. You ask them to conduct a visual inspection of the smartphone and describe what they are seeing. The customer says, “The battery appears to be swollen’ and bulging outward beyond its normally rectangular shape.” Which of the following is the BEST statement for you to provide to the customer?
OBJ-5.5: “Please do not use the smartphone and bring it to our service center immediately so that we can replace the battery for you.” A mobile device battery (such as a smartphone or tablet) will become swollen or distended as it begins to fail. If this occurs and the battery or device appears to be physically abnormal, the customer should NOT use the smartphone. The device should be serviced immediately, the battery should be replaced, and the phone inspected to ensure the defective battery has not damaged it.
Dion Training has asked you to consult on the installation of their new file server. The current server consists of a RAID 5 array with three 1 TB 7200 RPM hard disk drives. Due to the increased reliance on the new file server, you have been asked to recommend a RAID solution that will help ensure there is no unscheduled downtime, no data loss, and increase speed/performance over the current file server. Based on these requirements, which of the following RAID solutions should you recommend?
OBJ-3.4: A RAID 10 is the best solution to meet all of these requirements since it provides a fully redundant RAID with both the advantages of mirroring and disk striping. RAID 5 provides redundancy, but it will not improve the speed/performance over the current file server in use since it was also a RAID 5. A RAID 0 provides disk striping (speed/performance) but not mirroring with a minimum of two disks. A RAID 1 provides mirroring (redundancy) but not disk striping with a minimum of two disks. A RAID 5 provides block-level striping with distributed parity to provide redundancy using a minimum of three disks.
Tom, a salesman, is trying to print a 3-page report to the network printer located in the Sales department’s office space. He walks over to the printer but doesn’t see the pages in the printer’s output tray. He checks the on-screen display of the printer, but he doesn’t see any errors listed. Tom tries a few more times, but he gets the same results. Frustrated, Tom selects the network printer for the Customer Service department and sends his print job there. He walks over to their offices and finds his 3-page report sitting in that printer’s output tray. Tom asks you to help him solve this printing problem. What action should you take FIRST to help solve Tom’s problem?
Verify that Tom has been sending the document to the correct network printer’s que. OBJ-5.6: The first thing you should do is verify that this problem is not caused by user error. To do this, you should verify which network printer queue Tom had been sending the document to the first few times.
You want to play computer-based video games from anywhere in the world using your laptop or tablet. You heard about a new product called a Shadow PC that is a virtualized Windows 10 Home gaming PC in the cloud. Which of the following best describes this type of service?
OBJ-4.1: Desktop as a Service (DaaS) provides a full virtualized desktop environment from within a cloud-based service. This is also known as VDI (Virtualized Desktop Infrastructure) and is coming in large enterprise businesses focused on increasing their security and minimizing their operational expenses. Shadow PC (shadow.tech) provides a version of DaaS for home users who want to have a gaming PC without all the upfront costs. Software as a Service (SaaS) is ca loud computing service that enables a service provider to make applications available over the Internet to end-users. This can be a calendar, scheduling, invoicing, word processor, database, or other programs. For example, Google Docs and Officer 365 are both word processing SaaS solutions. Software as a Service (SaaS) is ca loud computing service that enables a service provider to make applications available over the Internet to end-users. This can be a calendar, scheduling, invoicing, word processor, database, or other programs. For example, Google Docs and Office 365 are both word processing SaaS solutions. Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) is a cloud computing service that enables a consumer to outsource computing equipment purchases and running their own data center.
(This is a simulated PBQ. If you had this question on the real exam, you would be asked to drag-and-drop a label with the component’s name onto the proper location on the port cluster.)
Using the image above, which of the following correctly indicates the port labeled as H?
OBJ-3.1: This port is the FireWire port. FireWire is a serial SCSI connection that uses a D-shaped connector that supports up to 800 Mbps of bandwidth. For the exam, it is important that you can identify the different parts of a motherboard’s rear port cluster by sight.
You are at the grocery store. At the checkout, you place your smartphone near the payment terminal to authorize the charge. Which of the following technologies did you use to make this purchase?
OBJ-1.5: NFC (near-field communication) is a set of communication protocols that enable two electronic devices to establish communication by bringing them within an inch or two (3-4 cm) of each other. Most modern smartphones use NFC to provide payment information between a smartphone and an NFC reader at the store. Apple Pay and Google Pay are examples of NFC payment solutions. Zigbee is a low-power wireless communications open-source protocol used primarily for home automation. Zigbee uses radio frequencies in the 2.4 GHz band and a mesh topology. A smart card is a card with a chip containing data on it. Smart cards are typically used for authentication, with the chip storing authentication data such as a digital certificate. A keyboard video mouse (KVM) switch is used to support a single set of input and output devices controlling several PCs. A KVM is more typically used with servers but 2- port versions allow a single keyboard, mouse, and display to be used with two PCs.
After installation or change has been implemented, which of the following is necessary before closing a change request?
OBJ-4.2: After the installation or implementation of the change, the end-user acceptance must be received. If the end-user hasn’t approved the installation or change, then the project or ticket cannot be closed out. The Change Board’s approval must be received before implementing the change, not before closing the change request. A risk analysis to determine the severity level of a change should be used to help the change approval board (CAB) make an informed approval decision. A plan for change is the documented method for installing or modifying the asset as documented in the change request. A plan for the change, the risk analysis, and the change board’s approval all are required before implementing a change request and are not specifically required for the closing of a change request.
What type of cable is most commonly used to terminate a serial connection to a modem?
OBJ-3.2: A DB-9 connector is used to terminate an RS-232 serial cable. A ST, SC, LC, or MTRJ connector is used to terminate a fiber optic cable. An RJ-11 connector is used to terminate cables used for phone lines. An RJ-45 connector is used to terminate a copper twisted-pair Ethernet cable.
You have been asked by Dion Training to build a network-attached storage (NAS) device that will be used exclusively as a file server for the company’s internal network. Which of the following are most important to install to BEST meet the company’s needs? (Select TWO)
OBJ-3.8: According to CompTIA, the five main things you need to include for network-attached storage (NAS) devices are (1) media streaming capabilities, (2) file-sharing capabilities, (3) Gigabit NIC, (4) RAID array, and (5) hard drives. Based on the options provided, you should pick the RAID 5 and Gigabit NIC for this device’s configuration. The RAID 5 will provide both speed and redundancy to the NAS device, whereas the RAID 0 would provide only speed without redundancy. The Gigabit NIC will provide 1 Gbps (1000 Mbps) of network speed instead of the 100 Mbps provided by a FastEthernet NIC. For a NAS device, you should use multiple hard disk drives in a RAID, not a single 1 TB HDD or 1 TB SSD. For a NAS, it is preferred to choose hard drives over solid-state drives because of the increased storage capacity and lower cost.
You are building a bitcoin mining workstation that will have multiple graphics cards, lots of memory, and an octa-core processor. This computer is expected to generate a lot of heat during its operations. Which of the following solutions would MOST efficiently dissipate all of the heat produced?
OBJ-3.5: Since the system described in the question will have multiple graphics cards (GPUs), lots of memory, and an 8-core CPU, it is expected to generate a lot of heat during its crypto mining operation. For any extremely high-powered processing environment that generates a lot of heat (for example, gaming workstations), liquid cooling becomes the MOST efficient way to dissipate the system’s heat. A heat sink is a block of copper or aluminum with fins. A cooling effect occurs when convection is achieved using passive cooling as the fins expose a larger surface area to the air around the component. Fans are used to dissipate the heat generated by the processors by increasing the airflow across the components. Replacing the power supply with a more efficient model can reduce some of the heat generated by the power supply, but it will not reduce the heat generated by the CPU or the graphics cards.
You are configuring a SOHO network and only denying specific IP addresses from accessing the network while allowing any IP addresses not found on the list. Which of the following should be implemented?
OBJ-2.3: A blocklist is a form of protection where only the items identified specifically on the list are blocked, whereas all others are allowed. For example, if you create an access control list that relies on blocklisting, it would allow every IP address not found in the allow list. An allow list is a form of protection where only the items identified specifically on the list are allowed, whereas all others are denied. For example, if you create an access control list that relies on an allow list, it would block every IP address that is not found in the allow list. MAC filtering is the application of an access control list to a switch or access point so that only clients with approved MAC addresses connect. Port forwarding allows a router to take requests from the Internet for a particular application and send them to a designated host on the LAN.
On Tuesday evening, the company just pushed a new Windows 10 security update to all of its workstations. On Wednesday morning, the help desk receives numerous complaints about the network being slower than normal. Previously, the network was baselined at 1 Gbps as each workstation uses a wired CAT 6 connection. Today, a technician ran a speed test and saw the network was only reaching speeds of 100 Mbps. Which of the following is the MOST likely cause of the network slowdown?
OBJ-5.7: Often, security updates, patches, and upgrades will reconfigure a network card’s drivers during a Windows security update. If this happens, the system may revert to a more generic version of the driver, decreasing speeds from 1 Gbps to 100 Mbps. The network card’s drivers should be rolled back to the previous driver to restore functionality and correct it. If there were configuration changes to the DNS or DHCP server, it would limit connectivity completely instead of simply slowing down the connection. If the network changed from DHCP to static assignments, the workstations would not get an APIPA address and would not have connected to the network at a slower speed.
Jay is complaining that the speed at which the cursor moves across his laptop’s screen when using his trackpad makes it difficult to properly control. Which setting could he use to slow down the cursor in Windows 10?
OBJ-1.1: If the speed of the pointer or cursor moving across the screen is difficult to control, a technician can reduce the touchpad’s speed in Windows 10 under Settings. To open settings, press the Windows key and the “i” key. Next, open Settings and click/tap on the Devices icon. Then, click/tap on Touchpad in the left-hand column. On the right-hand of the screen, adjust the slider labeled “Change the cursor speed” to a speed that is more comfortable to use. The touchpad sensitivity setting is used to control the amount of pressure needed before the touchpad registers a click as input from the user.
You are working as part of the server team for an online retail store. Due to the upcoming holidays, your boss is worried that the current servers may not be able to handle the increased demand during a big sale. Which of the following cloud computing concepts can quickly allow services to scale upward during busy periods and scale down during slower periods based on the changing user demand?
OBJ-4.1: Rapid elasticity is used to describe scalable provisioning or the capability to provide scalable cloud computing services. Rapid elasticity is very critical to meet the fluctuating demands of cloud users. The downside of rapid elasticity implementations is that they can cause significant loading of the system due to the high resource number of allocation and deallocation requests. Resource pooling refers to the concept that allows a virtual environment to allocate memory and processing capacity for a VMs use. On-demand refers to the fact that a consumer can unilaterally provision computing capabilities, such as server time and network storage, as needed automatically without requiring human interaction with each service provider. Metered services are pre-paid, a-la-carte, pay-per-use, or committed offerings. A metered service like a database may charge its users based on the actual usage of the service resources on an hourly or monthly basis. For example, Dion Training used the AWS Lambda serverless product in some of our automation. This service charges us $0.20 for every 1 million requests processed.
While working as a technician, you are trying to help a customer whose PC cannot boot up. When the computer is turned on, an error stating “bootable device not found” appears on the screen. What should you attempt first?
OBJ-3.2: The very first step we want to check is to check the physical connections. This falls under step two of the troubleshooting methodology (question the obvious). If a PC was recently moved or repaired, the cable may have become disconnected and is no longer powering the hard drive. When working with these cables, it is considered a best practice to ensure connections are present, remove the connection, and then reseat it to fix the issue effectively. If this doesn’t work, then the issue may be with the HDD itself.
Which of the following types of connectors are used to terminate a serial cable for an external modem?
OBJ-3.2: DB-9 connectors are designed to work with the EIA/TIA 232 serial interface standard, which determined the function of all nine pins as a standard so that multiple companies could design them into their products. DB-9 connectors were commonly used for serial peripheral devices like keyboards, mice, joysticks, and data connectivity. Today, the DB9 has mostly been replaced by more modern interfaces such as USB, PS/2, Firewire, etc. However, there are still many legacy devices that use the DB-9 interface for serial communication. An RJ-11 connector is used to terminate cables used for phone lines. An RJ-45 connector is used to terminate a copper twisted-pair Ethernet cable. A ST, SC, LC, or MTRJ connector is used to terminate a fiber optic cable.