220-1201 Common Networking Hardware Practice Test 1 — 15 Questions

Question 1

A company is upgrading its network to support 10 Gbps speeds for a server farm. The existing cabling is Cat6a, and the switches are Gigabit. The IT manager wants to minimize cost while achieving 10 Gbps. Which hardware change is required?

Accepted Answer

Install 10 Gbps switches and use the existing Cat6a cabling.. This question tests knowledge of cabling standards and switch capabilities. Cat6a supports 10 Gbps up to 100 meters, so the cabling is sufficient. The bottleneck is the switches, which must be upgraded to 10 Gbps models. SFP+ modules can be used for fiber connections if needed, but the question focuses on copper.

Answer

Replace the Cat6a cabling with Cat7 cabling.

Answer

Replace the switches with Gigabit models that have SFP+ ports for fiber.

Answer

Add a repeater to boost the signal on the existing Cat6a cabling.

Question 2

A small office with 15 employees uses a single switch to connect all workstations. Users report that the network becomes extremely slow during peak hours, and some packets are being dropped. The switch is a 10/100 model with a 1 Gbps uplink to the router. What is the most likely cause of the slowdown?

Accepted Answer

The switch's ports are only 100 Mbps, causing a bottleneck when multiple users are active.. This question tests understanding of switch port speeds and network congestion. A 10/100 switch limits each workstation to 100 Mbps, which can cause bottlenecks with multiple users. Upgrading to a Gigabit switch would provide 1000 Mbps per port, alleviating the slowdown.

Answer

The switch is not a managed switch and cannot prioritize traffic.

Answer

The router's uplink port is faulty and needs to be replaced.

Answer

The switch is a hub, not a switch, causing collisions.

Question 3

A user reports that their desktop computer cannot connect to the internet, but other devices on the same network work fine. You check the patch cable from the wall jack to the PC and find it is a Cat5e cable. The PC's network adapter shows a link light, but no activity. What should you do first?

Accepted Answer

Check the IP address configuration on the PC to see if it has a valid address.. This question tests basic network troubleshooting steps. A link light indicates physical connectivity, but no activity suggests a configuration issue. Checking the IP address assignment is the logical first step before replacing hardware.

Answer

Replace the Cat5e cable with a Cat6 cable.

Answer

Reboot the switch in the wiring closet.

Answer

Replace the network adapter in the PC.

Question 4

A technician is setting up a new wireless network for a warehouse. The warehouse has metal shelving and concrete walls. Which wireless standard should the technician choose to maximize range and penetration through obstacles?

Accepted Answer

802.11n. This question tests knowledge of wireless standards and their characteristics. 2.4 GHz signals (like 802.11n) have better range and penetration through obstacles than 5 GHz signals, making them ideal for environments with many barriers.

Answer

802.11ac

Answer

802.11ax (Wi-Fi 6)

Answer

802.11a

Question 5

A small business has a single router with four built-in switch ports. They need to connect 12 wired devices. They have a 24-port unmanaged switch. Which configuration will provide the best network performance and connectivity?

Accepted Answer

Connect the switch to one of the router's LAN ports, then connect all 12 devices to the switch.. This question tests understanding of network topology and switch use. Connecting all devices to a single switch and then uplinking that switch to the router is the most efficient, as it keeps traffic local and uses the router only for internet access.

Answer

Connect all 12 devices directly to the router's four ports using splitters.

Answer

Connect half the devices to the router and half to the switch, then connect the switch to the router.

Answer

Use the router as a switch by disabling its routing functions.

Question 6

A user complains that their wireless connection drops frequently, but only when they are in the conference room. Other areas of the office have stable connections. What is the most likely cause?

Accepted Answer

The conference room has thick walls or electronic interference that weakens the signal.. This question tests understanding of wireless interference and signal propagation. Physical obstacles like metal studs or electronic interference can weaken signals. The conference room's environment is the key factor.

Answer

The user's laptop has a faulty wireless adapter.

Answer

The access point is overloaded with too many connections.

Answer

The access point's firmware is outdated.

Question 7

A company's network uses a router with a built-in 4-port switch. The IT manager wants to segment the network into two separate broadcast domains for security. What additional hardware is required?

Accepted Answer

A managed switch. This question tests understanding of VLANs and network segmentation. A managed switch is required to create VLANs, which separate broadcast domains. An unmanaged switch cannot do this, and a router alone cannot create multiple broadcast domains without multiple interfaces.

Answer

A second router

Answer

A hub

Answer

A wireless access point

Question 8

A user reports that their VoIP phone works but the connected PC cannot access the network. The phone is connected to the wall jack, and the PC is connected to the phone's passthrough port. What is the most likely cause?

Accepted Answer

The switch port is not configured for the data VLAN, so the PC cannot get an IP address.. This question tests understanding of VoIP phone pass-through ports and VLAN configuration. Many VoIP phones use a separate VLAN for voice and data. If the switch port is not configured for the data VLAN, the PC will not get network access.

Answer

The PC's network cable is faulty.

Answer

The VoIP phone's passthrough port is disabled.

Answer

The PC's network adapter is set to a static IP address that conflicts with the phone.

Question 9

A company is setting up a new branch office with 50 workstations and needs to connect them to the existing corporate network across a city. The connection must be dedicated and provide consistent bandwidth. Which type of WAN hardware should be installed at the branch office?

Accepted Answer

A CSU/DSU. This question tests knowledge of WAN hardware for dedicated connections. A CSU/DSU is used for T1 or leased lines, which provide dedicated bandwidth. Other options are for different connection types.

Answer

A DSL modem

Answer

A cable modem

Answer

A wireless access point

Question 10

A network administrator is deploying a new wireless network in a large office building. They need to ensure seamless roaming for users moving between floors. The building has concrete floors and metal studs. Which hardware configuration will best support this requirement?

Accepted Answer

Deploy thin access points connected to a wireless LAN controller.. This question tests advanced knowledge of wireless deployment and roaming. Thin access points with a wireless controller allow centralized management and fast roaming, as the controller coordinates handoffs between APs. Thick APs or standalone units do not support seamless roaming as effectively.

Answer

Install multiple thick access points with overlapping channels.

Answer

Use a single high-power access point in the center of the building.

Answer

Use mesh access points with wireless backhaul.

Question 11

A customer complains that their wireless network is slow and frequently drops connections. They live in a densely populated apartment building. The technician checks the wireless router and sees it is using channel 1. What is the most likely cause of the issue?

Accepted Answer

There is interference from other wireless networks on the same channel. In a dense area, overlapping Wi-Fi channels cause interference. Channel 1 is commonly used, but if neighboring networks are also on channel 1 or 6, it can cause congestion. The correct answer is co-channel interference from neighboring networks. The technician should use a Wi-Fi analyzer to find a less congested channel.

Answer

The router is too far from the devices

Answer

The router's firmware is outdated

Answer

The router is using 5 GHz instead of 2.4 GHz

Question 12

A company is setting up a new branch office with 30 employees. They need to connect all workstations to the network and provide internet access. The internet connection is a fiber optic line terminating in an ONT. Which device should be placed between the ONT and the switch to route traffic and provide NAT?

Accepted Answer

Router. The ONT converts fiber to Ethernet, but it does not route or perform NAT. A router is required to connect the local network to the internet, provide NAT, and handle IP addressing. A switch alone cannot route, and a firewall is often combined with a router but is not the primary device for routing. The correct answer is a router.

Answer

Patch panel

Answer

Layer 2 switch

Answer

Firewall appliance

Question 13

A technician is troubleshooting a network where users on one floor cannot communicate with users on another floor. Both floors are connected to the same switch via separate VLANs configured for security. What additional device is needed to allow communication between the VLANs?

Accepted Answer

A router or Layer 3 switch. VLANs segment a network into separate broadcast domains, and by default, they cannot communicate with each other. A Layer 3 device, such as a router or a Layer 3 switch, is required to route traffic between VLANs. A Layer 2 switch cannot perform routing. The correct answer is a router or a Layer 3 switch.

Answer

A hub

Answer

A Layer 2 switch

Answer

A bridge

Question 14

A network administrator needs to connect two switches that are 200 meters apart. The connection must support 1 Gbps speed. The administrator has Cat5e cable available. However, Cat5e is only rated for 100 meters at 1 Gbps. Which device can be used to extend the distance without replacing the cable?

Accepted Answer

Network extender (repeater). To extend Ethernet beyond 100 meters, a repeater or a network extender can regenerate the signal. A switch can also act as a repeater if placed in between, but the question implies using existing cable. A media converter changes media type but not distance. The correct answer is a network extender or a repeater.

Answer

Media converter

Answer

PoE injector

Answer

Load balancer

Question 15

A small office has a single internet connection and needs to provide wired network access to 20 computers. They also need to allow guests to connect wirelessly but keep the guest traffic separate from the internal network. Which single device can handle both wired switching and wireless access with VLAN support?

Accepted Answer

Wireless router. A wireless router or a wireless access point integrated into a switch can provide both wired and wireless connectivity. However, the key requirement is VLAN support to isolate guest traffic. A wireless router with VLAN capabilities can meet all needs, but a standard wireless router without VLAN support cannot separate traffic. A switch alone provides no wireless, and an access point alone provides no switching. The correct answer is a wireless router with VLAN support, but since that's not an option, a wireless access point connected to a managed switch is the best fit. Actually, the correct device is a wireless router with VLAN capabilities, but in the options, 'Wireless router' is the most common device that can do both. Given the options, a wireless router is the correct choice as it typically includes a switch and can support VLANs if configured.

Answer

Managed switch

Answer

Wireless access point

Answer

Hub