Questions from Practice Exams Flashcards
Which of the following network devices is used to put each connected network host to its own collision domain?
1. Repeater
2. Unmanaged switch
3. Access point
4. Hub
- Unmanaged switch
OBJ-2.2: A switch is a network device that receives incoming data into a buffer, then the destination MAC address is compared with an address table so that data is only sent out to the port with the corresponding MAC address. In a switched network, each port is in a separate collision domain. A managed switch is a switch with advanced networking functions and security settings that can be enabled and configured by an administrator. A hub provides no intelligence in its interconnection functions so that whatever is received on one port is repeated out every other port. This leads to many collisions occurring on the hub and increases the number of rebroadcasts which slows down the entire network. A repeater is an electronic device that receives a signal and retransmits it. Repeaters are used to extend transmissions so that the signal can cover longer distances or be received on the other side of an obstruction. Repeaters may be wired or wireless, and they rebroadcast whatever signal is received through their transmitter. A wireless access point (WAP), or access point, connects directly to a wired local area network and the AP then provides wireless connections using Wi-Fi for other devices to use that wired connection. An AP supports the connection of multiple wireless devices through their one wired connection.
What type of cable is most commonly used to terminate a serial connection to a modem?
1. LC
2. RJ-11
3. RJ-45
4. DB-9
- DB-9
OBJ-3.1: 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.
A penetration tester wants to build a workstation that will be used to brute force hash digests. Which of the following is the BEST option to ensure sufficient power and speed to crack them?
dedicated GPU
OBJ-3.4: Dedicated GPUs are designed to conduct complex mathematical functions extremely quickly. If you want to build a system to perform the cracking of a password, hash, or encryption algorithm, it is important to have a high-speed, dedicated GPU. The reason to use a GPU instead of a CPU for password cracking is that it is much faster for this mathematically intensive type of work. Cracking passwords, hashes, and encryption is a lot like mining cryptocurrency in that using dedicated GPUs will give you the best performance.
Which of the following types of networking hardware is used to deliver broadband internet access using a fiber connection to the user’s home or office?
1. optical network terminal
2. cable modem
3. software-defined networking
4. digital subscriber line
- optical network terminal
OBJ-2.2: An optical network terminal (ONT) is a device that connects fiber optics cables to other types of wiring such as Ethernet and phone lines by converting the signal from optical to electrical and vice versa. An ONT is commonly used with fiber to the house (FTTH) installations. A cable modem is a type of network bridge that provides bi-directional data communication via radio frequency channels on a hybrid fiber-coaxial (HFC), radio frequency over glass (RFoG), and coaxial cable infrastructure. Cable modems are primarily used to deliver broadband internet access as cable internet, taking advantage of an HFC and RFoG network’s high bandwidth. DSL is a technology used to transmit multimedia traffic at high-bit rates over twisted-pair copper wire (over ordinary telephone lines). This allows the telecommunications company to connect a user’s home to the local switching center using normal telephone lines, then connect that local switching center (using a DSLAM to multiplex the connections) to the central office over a single high-speed cable (such as a fiber connection). Software-defined networking (SDN) is an approach to network management that enables dynamic, programmatically efficient network configuration to improve network performance and monitoring, making it more like cloud computing than traditional network management. Software-defined networking (SDN) uses Application Programming Interfaces (API) and compatible hardware that allows for the programming of network appliances and systems.
A computer technician is trying to set up a shared printer on the corporate network. The users must send print jobs directly to the printer, and the printer will be used by multiple operating systems, including Windows, macOS, and Linux. Which of the following should the technician configure to meet these requirements best?
1. TCP/IP print server
2. Bonjour
3. AirPrint
4. Virtual printer
- TCP/IP print server
OBJ-3.6: The technician should set up a TCP/IP print server since it will eliminate any compatibility issues associated with using different operating systems and allow the users to send jobs directly to the printer. TCP/IP printing is considered a high-speed and reliable method for sending a print job directly to a printer. AirPrint is a feature in the macOS and iOS operating systems, it does not support Windows or Linux. Bonjour is Apple’s implementation of zero-configuration networking and does not support Windows or Linux systems. Virtual printers can print a document to a PDF or XPS file, therefore this will not let user’s send documents to the printer for physical printing.
What is the lowest layer (bottom layer) of a bare-metal virtualization environment?
1. Hypervisor
2. Guest operating system
3. Physical hardware
4. Host operating system
- Physical hardware
OBJ-4.2: The bottom layer is physical hardware in this environment. It is what sits beneath the hypervisor and controls access to guest operating systems. The bare-metal approach doesn’t have a host operating system. A hypervisor is a program used to run and manage one or more virtual machines on a computer. A host operating system is an operating system that is running the hypervisor. A host operating system is an operating system that is running the hypervisor.
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?
Verify that either the Molex or SATA cable is connected to the HDD
OBJ-5.3: 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.
Your company has two office buildings which are connected via a copper network cable that is buried underground. There is some construction being performed near the buildings. Now, the second building discovers they have suffered a network outage that doesn’t appear to be temporary. What is the MOST likely cause of the outage?
1. An open circuit has been created
2. Cross talk on the cable
3. Electromagnetic interference on the cable
4. Signal attenuation on the cable
- An open circuit has been created
OBJ-5.7: Since the issue started after construction began, it is most likely that the construction crew broke the cable during digging operations. This can cause an open circuit or short circuit, depending on how the cable was cut or broken by the construction workers. This can be verified using a Time-Domain Reflectometer to determine exactly where in the cable the break has occurred. Once the location is identified, the cable can be repaired or spliced to return it to normal operations.
Which of the following types of networks would be created if a wireless access point, a microwave link, and a satellite link were combined in a mesh?
1. WAN
2. WMN
3. PAN
4. LAN
- WMN
OBJ-2.3: The 802.11s standard defines a Wireless Mesh Network (WMN). Unlike an ad hoc network, nodes in a WMN (called Mesh Stations) can discover one another and peer, forming a Mesh Basic Service Set (MBSS). The mesh stations can perform path discovery and forwarding between peers, using a routing protocol, such as the Hybrid Wireless Mesh Protocol (HWMP). A wireless mesh network (WMN) is a wireless network topology where all nodes, including client stations, can provide forwarding and path discovery to improve coverage and throughput compared to using just fixed access points and extenders. A wide area network (WAN) is a network that spans multiple geographic locations such as the internet. 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 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.
Which motherboard form factor measures 6.7” x 6.7” (17 cm x 17cm) in size?
1. ATX
2. ITX
3. mATX
4. mITX
- mITX
OBJ-3.4: The mITX (Mini-ITX) form factor is 6.7” x 6.7” in size (17 cm x 17cm). The mITX is commonly used in smaller computer systems with a small form factor (SFF) case. These motherboards are usually used in computers designed for passive cooling and a low power consumption architecture, such as a home theater PC system. The mATX (microATX) motherboard’s form factor is 9.6” x 9.6” in size (24 cm x 24 cm). The mATX form factor is commonly used in smaller computer systems with a small form factor (SFF) case. An mATX motherboard is backward-compatible with the larger ATX motherboard since it contains the same mounting point locations as the full-size board. An ATX motherboard’s form factor is 12” x 9.6” in size (305mm x 244mm). ITX is a series of form factors that began with the mini-ITX, but there is no specific size called ITX.
An administrator arrives at work and is told that network users are unable to access the shared drive on a Windows server. The administrator logs into the server and sees that some Windows Updates were automatically installed last night successfully, but now the network connection shows “limited” with no availability. What rollback action should the technician perform?
1. Anti-virus updates
2. Server’s IP address
3. Web browser
4. Server’s NIC drivers
- Server’s NIC drivers
OBJ-5.7: When automatically receiving updates through the Windows Update service, your server can receive driver updates for its network interface card (NIC), graphics cards, and other peripherals. This can accidentally install an incompatible driver that causes network connectivity issues to occur. A best practice is to always set driver updates to “manual” so that you can download and test them in a lab before upgrading your production servers. If your drivers were updated and this is causing the connectivity issue, you can perform a driver rollback to the last known working version of the drivers. An IP address is bound to a network interface card using DHCP and there is no such thing as a “rollback” for a server’s IP address. The error of “limited” connectivity is associated with the network interface card and the network connection, not the antivirus or the web browser.
What type of wiring standard is used with POTS?
1. ST
2. F type
3. RJ-45
4. RJ-11
- RJ-11
OBJ-3.1: POTS (Plain Old Telephone System) is an older standard used for telephone systems. An RJ-11 wiring standard is used to terminate both ends of a standard phone line. This is also used for DSL lines and VoIP ATA (Analog Telephony Adapter) devices. An RJ-45 connector is used to terminate a copper twisted-pair Ethernet cable. The F-type connector is used with coaxial cables. A ST, SC, LC, or MTRJ connector is used to terminate a fiber optic cable.
A customer is complaining that they cannot connect to the local network share drive. You run the command ‘ipconfig /all’ from their workstation, and it returns an IP of 169.254.34.12. Which of the following is the problem with this workstation?
The workstation couldn’t reach the DHCP server
OBJ-5.7: Since the customer’s IP address is 169.254.34.12, it is an APIPA address. Since the workstation has an APIPA address, it means the DHCP server was unreachable. Automatic Private IP Addressing (APIPA) is a feature of Windows-based operating systems that enables a computer to automatically assign itself an IP address when there is no Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) server available to perform that function. APIPA serves as a DHCP server failover mechanism and makes it easier to configure and support small local area networks (LANs). If no DHCP server is currently available, either because the server is temporarily down or because none exists on the network, the computer selects an IP address from a range of addresses (from 169.254.0.0 - 169.254.255.255) reserved for that purpose.
Dion Training’s graphic designer is having an issue printing full-page color images using an older color laser printer on the network. The graphic designer can print smaller images such as full-page vector graphic logos, but if they attempt to print a full-page bitmap photo the printer will print only 60% to 70% of the page and then fail. The vector images are less than 100 MB in size, but the larger bitmap photos can be 400 MB to 800 MB in size. Which of the following is the MOST likely reason for the print failure of the photos?
1. The connection to the printer server is timing out.
2. The printer is low on black toner
3. The graphic designer is not printing using PCL
4. The printer is running out of memory
- The printer is running out of memory.
OBJ-5.6: The most likely reason for this failure is a lack of memory in the printer. A laser printer must load the entire image into memory before it can process it and print the image to the page. If the laser printer runs out of memory, it will print the part of the image it has processed in memory to the page and then fails. For example, if this printer only has 256 MB of RAM, then it will be able to print the vector graphics without any issues and will fail when trying to print full-size high-resolution photos that are 400 MB to 800 MB in size. There is no indication that there is fading in the printed images to indicate the toner is low. Whether using PCL or PostScript, the lack of memory will still cause the print job to fail. The print server is not timing out since the printer can load most of the image to its memory before failing.
Which of the following statements about the 5.0 GHz wireless frequency used by Wi-Fi is correct?
1. The 5.0 GHz frequency has more channels available than 2.4 GHz
2. The 5.0 GHz frequency is more effective at penetrating solid surfaces than 2.4 GHz
3. The 5.0 GHz frequency has a shorter wavelength that allows the signal to travel further than 2.4 GHz using the same power levels
4. The 5.0 GHz frequency supports lower data rates than 2.4 GHz
- The 5.0 GHz frequency has more channels available than 2.4 GHz
OBJ-2.3: The 5.0 GHz frequency has more individual channels giving it less congestion and interference than the 2.4 GHz frequency. The 5.0 GHz frequency supports higher data rates than the 2.4 GHz frequency due to lower levels of congestion and interference. The longer wavelength of 2.4 GHz makes it better at propagating through solid surfaces than the 5.0 GHz frequency. The 2.4 GHz frequency has a longer wavelength than the 5.0 GHz frequency. This longer wavelength gives the 2.4 GHz frequency the ability to cover a longer range using the same power output levels.
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?
The card will run at x1 speed
OBJ-3.4: 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.
A cybersecurity analyst wants to install a network appliance to conduct packet capturing of the network traffic between the router and the firewall on the network. The device should not be installed in line with the network, so it must receive a copy of all traffic flowing to or from the firewall. Which of the following tools is required to meet these requirements?
1. WiFi analyzer
2. Network tap
3. Toner probe
4. Loopback plug
- Network tap
OBJ-2.8: A network tap is used to create a physical connection to the network that sends a copy of every packet received to a monitoring device for capture and analysis. A WiFi analyzer can determine the wireless network’s signal strength, the frequencies in use, and any possible radio frequency interference. A tone generator is connected to a wall jack and sends a repeating signal over the cable. The probe can then be used to detect which cable is attached to the wall jack by detecting the signal being sent by the tone generator. The probe needs to be near or touch the cable with the tone generator attached to identify it positively. A cable tester is used to ensure a cable is properly created as a patch cable (straight through) or a crossover cable. Cable testers provide detailed information on the physical and electrical properties of the cable. For example, they test and report cable conditions, crosstalk, attenuation, noise, resistance, and other cable run characteristics.
You are troubleshooting an issue with an impact printer in an automotive service department. The printer has begun to print unevenly. As the print head goes from left to right across the page, the printout goes from darker to lighter. What is the MOST likely cause of this issue?
1. Defective ribbon advance mechanism
2. Broken feed assembly
3. Clogged print head
4. Worn out printer ribbon
- Defective ribbon advance mechanism
OBJ-5.6: An impact printer has teeth along the paper’s edges that pull the paper along a tractor as it prints. This moves the paper up one line at a time. The print head moves from left to right across the page, impacting the print head through the ribbon to mark the paper. If the ribbon advance mechanism is defective, the ribbon will not advance as the print head goes across the page, leading to a lightening of the ink being marked on the paper. If the printer ribbon itself were worn out, it would be lighter in color as you went down the page (not from left to right).
You just printed a new sign for your office using thick cardstock paper with your network printer. Unfortunately, when you pick up the cardstock from the laser printer’s output tray, the printed image smears across the paper. Attempting to troubleshoot this problem, you decide to print another sign using regular printer paper and determine that the image does not smear when touched on the regular printer paper. Which of the following would be the NEXT step to perform in your troubleshooting efforts?
1. Change the feed rate of the paper
2. Clean the printer’s transfer roller
3. Replace the toner cartridge in the printer
4. Increase the temperature of the fuser element
- Increase the temperature of the fuser element
OBJ-5.6: When printing with a laser printer, the paper passes through rollers in the fuser assembly, where temperatures up to 801 F (427 C) and pressure are used to bond the toner to the paper permanently. If you often print with specialty paper (i.e., envelopes, cardstock, & labels), you may want to turn up the fuser temperature on your printer. With thicker paper types, heat does not transfer as easily as it does with standard paper so the toner may not bond as well and the image could smear when it is touched.
What is the sixth step of the CompTIA troubleshooting methodology?
Document findings, actions and outcomes
OBJ-5.1: For the exam, it is important that you can list and identify the 6 steps of the CompTIA troubleshooting methodology in order. (1) Identify the problem. (2) Establish a theory of probable cause (question the obvious). (3) Test the theory to determine the cause. (4) Establish a plan of action to resolve the problem and then implement the solution. (5) Verify full system functionality and, if applicable, implement preventative measures. (6) Document findings, actions, and outcomes.
