220-1201 Practice Test 27 — 15 Questions

Question 1

A network engineer is designing a new data center and needs to connect multiple servers to a core switch with redundant paths. To prevent loops while allowing failover, which networking hardware feature should be implemented?

Choose an answer to begin — your selection is scored in the full session.

Accepted Answer

Enable Rapid Spanning Tree Protocol (RSTP) on all switches.. Rapid Spanning Tree Protocol (RSTP) is the correct choice because it provides loop prevention in redundant switch topologies while offering faster convergence than classic STP. In a data center with multiple servers connected to a core switch via redundant paths, RSTP (IEEE 802.1w) ensures that only one active path exists at a time, blocking redundant links to prevent broadcast storms and MAC table instability, yet automatically unblocking them if the primary path fails.

Answer

Enable Link Aggregation Control Protocol (LACP) on the server connections.

Answer

Use a hub instead of a switch for the core connection.

Answer

Configure all switch ports as access ports.

Question 2

A user reports intermittent network connectivity in an office that recently had a new ceiling installed. The network drop runs through the ceiling and is not in a conduit. What is the most likely cause of the intermittent connection?

Accepted Answer

The cable is pinched or kinked by the new ceiling installation.. The new ceiling installation is the most likely cause because the network cable, running without conduit, can easily be pinched or kinked by ceiling tiles, support wires, or other hardware. Physical damage like a pinch or kink can cause impedance mismatches, signal reflection, or even a short, leading to intermittent connectivity. This is a classic physical-layer issue where the cable's integrity is compromised by environmental changes.

Answer

The cable is too long for the network speed.

Answer

The cable is not properly terminated at the patch panel.

Answer

The network switch port is faulty.

Question 3

A technician is upgrading the RAM in a laptop. After installing two new 8GB sticks, the laptop fails to boot and emits a series of beeps. What is the most likely cause?

Accepted Answer

The RAM modules are not fully seated in the slots.. The most likely cause is that the RAM modules are not fully seated in the slots. When RAM is not properly inserted, the laptop's POST (Power-On Self-Test) fails, and the system emits a series of beeps to indicate a memory error. This is a common issue after installation, as RAM requires firm, even pressure to click into place and make full contact with the slot's pins.

Answer

The RAM is not compatible with the motherboard.

Answer

The laptop's BIOS needs to be updated.

Answer

The RAM was installed in the wrong orientation.

Question 4

A customer reports that their computer with a RAID 5 array is running very slowly during file transfers. The system uses three 1 TB SATA hard drives. The technician runs a diagnostic and finds that one drive has a high number of reallocated sectors. What is the most likely cause of the performance issue?

Accepted Answer

One of the drives is failing and the array is operating in degraded mode.. In a RAID 5 array, if one drive is failing (e.g., high reallocated sectors), the array may still be operational but performance degrades significantly because the controller must reconstruct data on the fly from parity information. This scenario tests understanding of RAID 5 behavior during drive degradation.

Answer

The RAID controller is overheating.

Answer

The array is configured with the wrong stripe size.

Answer

The operating system is defragmenting the array.

Question 5

A technician is installing a new touchscreen monitor for a point-of-sale system. The monitor connects via HDMI and USB. The display works, but touch input is not recognized. What should the technician check first?

Accepted Answer

Install the touchscreen driver from the manufacturer. Touchscreen monitors often require both video (HDMI) and data (USB) connections. The USB cable provides the touch data to the computer. If the driver is missing or the USB connection is faulty, touch input won't work. The first step is to verify the USB connection and install the correct driver.

Answer

Ensure the HDMI cable is securely connected

Answer

Replace the USB cable with a higher-speed version

Answer

Calibrate the touchscreen in Windows settings

Question 6

A small office has intermittent connectivity issues. The technician needs to verify that the Ethernet cable from the wall jack to the workstation meets T568A wiring standards. Which tool is most appropriate for this task?

Accepted Answer

Cable tester with wire map. A cable tester with wire map is the correct tool because it verifies that each of the eight wires in the Ethernet cable is terminated to the correct pin on the RJ45 connector according to the T568A standard. This ensures proper continuity and pin-to-pin mapping, which is essential for reliable network connectivity. Intermittent issues often stem from miswired or broken pairs, which a wire map test can detect.

Answer

Multimeter

Answer

Toner and probe

Answer

Crimper

Question 7

A small office uses a single router with four LAN ports. The manager wants to connect 12 wired devices and ensure they can all communicate with each other without purchasing a new router. Which network device should be added to the existing setup?

Accepted Answer

Switch. A switch is the correct device because it operates at Layer 2 (Data Link layer) of the OSI model, using MAC addresses to forward frames only to the specific port where the destination device is connected. This allows the existing router to remain the gateway for internet access while the switch expands the number of available Ethernet ports, enabling all 12 wired devices to communicate within the same local network without purchasing a new router.

Answer

Hub

Answer

Router

Answer

Repeater

Question 8

A technician is called to a data center where a server with a RAID 6 array of six 8 TB drives has experienced a double drive failure. The technician replaces both failed drives. After the rebuild, the array reports as healthy but the performance is extremely slow during normal operations. What is the most likely cause?

Accepted Answer

The array is still rebuilding in the background, consuming I/O resources.. After a rebuild, the array may be performing a background consistency check or initialization that consumes I/O resources. RAID 6 rebuilds are intensive, and the controller may be verifying parity. This tests advanced RAID troubleshooting.

Answer

The new drives have a different rotational speed.

Answer

The RAID controller cache battery is dead.

Answer

The stripe size was changed during the rebuild.

Question 9

A technician is configuring a network for a branch office that will use a router to connect to the main office over the internet. The connection must be encrypted and authenticated to ensure data privacy. Which protocol should the technician configure on the router?

Accepted Answer

IPsec. IPsec is the correct protocol because it provides both encryption and authentication at the network layer, making it ideal for securing site-to-site VPN connections over the internet. It ensures data privacy by encrypting the entire IP packet and authenticates the communicating peers using protocols like IKE (Internet Key Exchange). This matches the requirement for a router-to-router connection where all traffic between branch and main office must be protected.

Answer

SSL/TLS

Answer

PPTP

Answer

L2TP

Question 10

A small office uses a single public IP address for internet access. The network administrator wants internal web servers to be reachable from the internet on port 80. Which network service should be configured on the router to allow this?

Accepted Answer

Port forwarding. Port forwarding (option B) is the correct answer because it allows the router to translate incoming traffic on a specific public IP address and port (e.g., TCP 80) to a specific internal private IP address and port of the web server. This is a form of Destination NAT (DNAT) that enables external hosts to reach internal services when only a single public IP is available.

Answer

DHCP

Answer

DNS

Answer

VPN

Question 11

A company deploys a new file server that uses SMB protocol for file sharing. Users on Windows 10 can connect to the server, but users on older Windows 7 machines cannot. The server is configured to require SMB 3.0 encryption. Which protocol version mismatch is causing the issue?

Accepted Answer

The server requires SMB 3.0, which Windows 7 does not support.. The server requires SMB 3.0 encryption, but Windows 7 natively supports only up to SMB 2.1. Since SMB 3.0 introduced mandatory encryption and other features not present in SMB 2.1, the Windows 7 client cannot negotiate the required protocol version, causing the connection to fail. Windows 10 supports SMB 3.0 and later, so it connects successfully.

Answer

The server requires SMB 1.0, which Windows 7 does not support by default.

Answer

The server requires SMB 2.0, which Windows 7 does not support.

Answer

The server requires SMB 3.1.1, which Windows 10 also does not support.

Question 12

A user configures their laptop to use a static IP address, subnet mask, and default gateway. They can ping other devices on the same subnet but cannot reach the internet. What network service is most likely missing from their configuration?

Accepted Answer

DNS server. A static IP configuration includes the IP address, subnet mask, and default gateway, but if the DNS server address is not manually set, the laptop cannot resolve domain names to IP addresses. Since the user can ping devices on the same subnet (local connectivity works) but cannot reach the internet, the missing DNS server prevents name resolution for external hosts, even though routing via the default gateway is functional.

Answer

DHCP server

Answer

NAT

Answer

Proxy server

Question 13

A customer calls to say their new smart TV can see the 2.4 GHz network but not the 5 GHz network, even though the router is dual-band. The technician checks the router settings and confirms both bands are enabled and broadcasting. What is the most likely reason the TV cannot see the 5 GHz network?

Accepted Answer

The TV’s wireless adapter does not support 5 GHz. The most common reason a device sees only the 2.4 GHz band is that its wireless adapter lacks 5 GHz support. Many older or budget smart TVs ship with single-band 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi chipsets, so even though the router broadcasts both bands, the TV’s hardware cannot detect or connect to the 5 GHz network.

Answer

The 5 GHz SSID is hidden

Answer

The 5 GHz channel is set to a DFS channel

Answer

The router’s 5 GHz radio is faulty

Question 14

A user's cable internet goes out completely after a power outage. The modem's power light is on, but the 'online' light is blinking. What is the most likely issue?

Accepted Answer

The modem is re-establishing its connection to the ISP.. After a power outage, the modem's power light being on indicates it has power, but the blinking 'online' light shows it has lost its upstream connection to the ISP. Cable modems use DOCSIS (Data Over Cable Service Interface Specification) to establish a link with the Cable Modem Termination System (CMTS). The blinking online light is the standard behavior during the re-initialization and ranging process, which can take several minutes as the modem negotiates frequencies, timing, and power levels with the CMTS.

Answer

The modem's firmware was corrupted during the outage.

Answer

The coaxial cable was damaged by the power surge.

Answer

The router's DHCP server failed.

Question 15

A customer complains that their VoIP phone intermittently drops calls. A technician checks the network and finds high latency and jitter during peak hours. Which network service should be configured to prioritize VoIP traffic?

Accepted Answer

QoS. B is correct because Quality of Service (QoS) is the network service designed to manage bandwidth and prioritize time-sensitive traffic like VoIP. By marking VoIP packets (e.g., with DSCP EF or CoS 5) and applying queuing mechanisms such as LLQ or CBWFQ, QoS reduces latency and jitter during congestion, directly addressing the intermittent call drops during peak hours.

Answer

DHCP

Answer

DNS

Answer

VPN