220-1201 Hard Questions — 25 Difficult Questions

Question 1

A user reports that their laser printer occasionally prints pages with a faint ghost image of the previous page. The ghost image appears about 2 inches below the current content. What is the most likely cause?

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

Accepted Answer

The drum cleaning blade is worn. Ghosting in laser printers is often caused by a worn or damaged cleaning blade that fails to remove residual toner from the drum. The leftover toner transfers to the next page, creating a faint duplicate. Replacing the cleaning blade or drum unit usually fixes the problem.

Answer

The toner cartridge is low

Answer

The fuser is overheating

Answer

The paper is damp

Question 2

A company's network uses a managed switch with VLANs. Users in VLAN 10 can ping the default gateway but cannot communicate with users in VLAN 20. The switch is connected to a router that handles inter-VLAN routing. What is the most likely misconfiguration?

Accepted Answer

The switch port connecting to the router is configured as an access port instead of a trunk.. The most likely misconfiguration is that the switch port connecting to the router is configured as an access port instead of a trunk. For inter-VLAN routing to work, the router must receive traffic from multiple VLANs on the same physical interface. A trunk port (using 802.1Q tagging) allows frames from VLAN 10 and VLAN 20 to be forwarded to the router, which then routes between them. An access port can only carry traffic for a single VLAN, so frames from VLAN 20 would be dropped or misdirected, preventing communication.

Answer

The router's firewall is blocking traffic between VLANs.

Answer

The default gateway for VLAN 20 is misconfigured.

Answer

The switch has Spanning Tree Protocol enabled, blocking the link.

Question 3

A technician is setting up a small office network with a router, a switch, and a wireless access point. The router has only one LAN port. The technician needs to connect the switch and the WAP to the router, but the switch has no uplink port. Which hardware component should the technician use to connect both devices to the router?

Accepted Answer

Connect the router to the switch, then connect the WAP to the switch.. This question tests knowledge of network topology and the use of additional switches. Since the router has only one LAN port, a switch is needed to expand the number of available ports. The correct answer is to connect the router to the switch, and then connect the WAP to the switch. The switch's ports are typically all the same, so no special uplink port is required (modern switches use Auto-MDIX).

Answer

Use a crossover cable to connect the router directly to the WAP.

Answer

Use a hub between the router and the switch.

Answer

Configure the switch as a router to connect to the WAP.

Question 4

A user reports that their LCD monitor intermittently goes black for 2-3 seconds, then returns to normal. This happens randomly, not during any specific activity. The monitor's power LED stays green during the blackouts. Which component is most likely failing?

Accepted Answer

The monitor's backlight or inverter is failing. A green power LED during blackouts indicates the monitor is receiving power and signal, but the backlight is failing. Intermittent backlight failure is a common issue in aging CCFL or LED-backlit LCDs, often due to failing capacitors or inverter. The correct answer identifies the backlight or inverter as the culprit, as the display logic is still working.

Answer

The video cable is loose

Answer

The graphics card is overheating

Answer

The monitor's power supply is failing

Question 5

A technician is setting up a new wireless network in a crowded office building. Users report that their laptops frequently disconnect from the Wi-Fi and have slow speeds, even when close to the access point. The technician scans the area and sees many overlapping Wi-Fi networks. What is the best solution to improve performance?

Accepted Answer

Change the access point to a less congested channel.. In a dense environment with many overlapping networks, channel congestion is a major cause of interference and disconnections. Changing the access point to a less congested channel reduces co-channel interference and improves stability and throughput.

Answer

Increase the transmit power of the access point.

Answer

Disable SSID broadcast to hide the network.

Answer

Replace the access point with a higher-gain antenna model.

Question 6

A user has a laptop that supports Thunderbolt 3 and wants to connect two external 4K monitors at full resolution. They currently have a single USB-C hub that only supports DisplayPort over USB-C. What is the most likely limitation?

Accepted Answer

The hub does not support Thunderbolt 3 bandwidth.. Thunderbolt 3 supports up to 40 Gbps bandwidth, which is required to drive two 4K monitors at full resolution (60 Hz) over a single connection. A standard USB-C hub that only supports DisplayPort over USB-C is limited to USB 3.1 Gen 2 (10 Gbps) or USB 3.2 (20 Gbps) bandwidth, which is insufficient to carry two uncompressed 4K video streams simultaneously. Therefore, the hub itself is the bottleneck because it lacks Thunderbolt 3 controller and bandwidth capabilities.

Answer

The laptop's graphics card cannot drive two 4K monitors.

Answer

The monitors are not compatible with USB-C.

Answer

The user needs a USB-C to HDMI adapter for each monitor.

Question 7

A technician is setting up a temporary network for a conference where attendees' laptops need to share files directly without any central access point or router. The conference room has no existing network infrastructure. Which network type should be configured, and what is a potential security risk?

Accepted Answer

Ad hoc network; each laptop connects directly to others, but encryption may not be enforced.. An ad hoc network (IBSS) allows laptops to communicate directly without a central access point, which matches the requirement for direct file sharing with no existing infrastructure. The security risk is that encryption (like WEP or WPA2-Personal) may not be enforced by default in ad hoc mode, leaving data transmissions vulnerable to eavesdropping.

Answer

Infrastructure mode WLAN; configure a laptop as a software access point.

Answer

PAN network using Bluetooth; all laptops pair via Bluetooth.

Answer

Mesh network; each laptop acts as a node forwarding traffic.

Question 8

A technician is troubleshooting a system that experiences random lockups and blue screens. The technician suspects a CPU issue but has already run a stress test without errors. Which diagnostic step should the technician perform next to isolate the problem?

Accepted Answer

Run a memory diagnostic tool like MemTest86. Random lockups and blue screens can also be caused by memory errors. Running a memory diagnostic tool like MemTest86 will test the RAM for faults, which can produce symptoms similar to a failing CPU. This helps rule out memory before replacing the CPU.

Answer

Replace the CPU with a known good one

Answer

Update the motherboard BIOS to the latest version

Answer

Check the CPU voltage in BIOS and increase it slightly

Question 9

A technician is setting up a multifunction printer for a small business that wants to allow employees to print from their smartphones. The printer does not have Wi-Fi Direct, but it is connected to the company's wired network. Which solution would enable mobile printing?

Accepted Answer

Configure the printer to support AirPrint. This question tests knowledge of mobile printing solutions in a network environment. AirPrint is a built-in iOS feature that discovers printers on the same network via Bonjour. Google Cloud Print is deprecated, and Bluetooth or USB tethering are not suitable for a wired network.

Answer

Enable Bluetooth on the printer and pair it with each phone

Answer

Use a USB cable to connect each phone to the printer

Answer

Install Google Cloud Print on the printer

Question 10

A user reports that their inkjet printer prints blank pages even though the ink cartridges are full and the printer shows no error messages. The technician has already checked the ink levels and performed a nozzle check, which showed no ink on the test pattern. What is the most likely cause?

Accepted Answer

The printhead has failed and needs to be replaced.. Blank pages despite full cartridges and no errors often indicate a failed printhead that cannot deliver ink to the nozzles. The nozzle check pattern being blank confirms no ink is being ejected. A clogged printhead might show partial patterns, but a completely blank test suggests electrical or mechanical failure of the printhead.

Answer

The printer driver is corrupted and needs reinstallation.

Answer

The paper type setting is set to 'transparency'.

Answer

The ink cartridges are not properly seated.

Question 11

A technician is troubleshooting an iPhone that cannot install or update any apps from the App Store. The device is connected to Wi-Fi, and other internet services (Safari, email) work. What should the technician check first?

Accepted Answer

Verify that the Apple ID is signed in and has no payment issues.. The most common cause for an iPhone being unable to install or update apps while other internet services work is an issue with the Apple ID, such as a payment method that has expired or a billing problem. The App Store requires a valid payment method on file even for free apps, and the device will block downloads until the account is resolved. Since Safari and email function normally, the network connectivity is fine, narrowing the issue to account authentication or authorization.

Answer

Check if the date and time are set correctly on the iPhone.

Answer

Reset the iPhone's network settings.

Answer

Check if the iPhone is in Low Power Mode.

Question 12

A technician is configuring a router with two interfaces: WAN (DHCP from ISP) and LAN (static IP 10.0.0.1/24). The technician sets the LAN subnet mask to 255.255.255.0. A workstation is assigned IP 10.0.0.100/24 and can ping the router, but cannot access the internet. The router's WAN interface has IP 203.0.113.5/30. What is the most likely missing configuration?

Accepted Answer

The router lacks a default route pointing to the ISP's gateway.. The workstation can ping the router's LAN interface (10.0.0.1), confirming Layer 2 and basic IP connectivity on the LAN. However, for the workstation to reach the internet, the router must have a default route (0.0.0.0/0) pointing to the ISP's next-hop gateway (likely 203.0.113.6, the other end of the /30 WAN link). Without this route, the router does not know where to forward packets destined for external networks, even though the WAN interface has a valid IP from DHCP.

Answer

The workstation's default gateway is set to 10.0.0.1.

Answer

The WAN subnet mask should be 255.255.255.0.

Answer

The LAN subnet mask should be 255.255.0.0.

Question 13

A user's smartphone can connect to a corporate Wi-Fi network but cannot access any internet sites. Other devices on the same network work fine. The smartphone shows it is connected with full signal. What is the most likely cause?

Accepted Answer

The smartphone's DNS settings are misconfigured or pointing to a non-functional server.. The smartphone can connect to the Wi-Fi network (Layer 2 connectivity is fine) and other devices work, so the issue is specific to this device's higher-layer configuration. DNS resolution is required to translate domain names to IP addresses; if the smartphone's DNS settings point to a non-functional or incorrect server, it will fail to resolve any hostname, preventing internet access even though the network connection itself is active. This matches the symptom of being connected with full signal but unable to browse.

Answer

The corporate network is blocking the smartphone's MAC address.

Answer

The smartphone's Wi-Fi adapter is faulty.

Answer

The corporate proxy server is down.

Question 14

A user complains that their wireless Bluetooth earbuds frequently disconnect during calls when their smartphone is in their pocket. The earbuds work fine when the phone is on a desk. Which accessory or configuration change is most likely to resolve this issue?

Accepted Answer

A Bluetooth neckband style headset. The issue is that the smartphone's Bluetooth antenna is being physically blocked or attenuated by the user's body (specifically the leg/torso) when the phone is in a pocket. A Bluetooth neckband-style headset places the Bluetooth receiver and antenna around the user's neck, which is typically above the pocket and has a clearer line-of-sight to the phone, significantly reducing signal obstruction and multipath interference. This configuration change directly addresses the physical signal path problem without requiring any software or network changes.

Answer

A Bluetooth signal booster app

Answer

A metal phone case

Answer

A Wi-Fi analyzer to change router channels

Question 15

A company's file server uses a RAID 5 array with five 4 TB hard drives. One drive fails and is replaced. During the rebuild, the server crashes and the RAID controller reports that the array is 'Failed'. What is the most likely reason for this catastrophic failure?

Accepted Answer

A second drive failed during the rebuild process.. In RAID 5, a single drive failure is survivable, but during rebuild, the remaining drives are under heavy read stress. If another drive fails or has an unrecoverable read error, the array fails. This is known as a 'double fault' during rebuild, a common risk with large-capacity drives.

Answer

The new drive was not properly formatted before installation.

Answer

The RAID controller cache battery is dead.

Answer

The rebuild was attempted while the server was under heavy load.

Question 16

A technician is troubleshooting a network where users can access internal resources but cannot reach any external websites. The internal network uses a proxy server. The technician finds that the proxy server is configured to use a specific protocol to forward requests to the internet. Which protocol is the proxy server most likely using to communicate with external web servers?

Accepted Answer

HTTP. The proxy server is most likely using HTTP (Hypertext Transfer Protocol) to forward requests to external web servers. Since users are accessing internal resources but cannot reach external websites, the proxy server acts as an intermediary for web traffic. HTTP is the standard protocol for web communication, and proxy servers typically use HTTP (or HTTPS) to forward client requests to internet web servers, as it allows the proxy to cache, filter, and modify web traffic.

Answer

FTP

Answer

DNS

Answer

SNMP

Question 17

A data center technician is installing a new server that requires a redundant power supply with two C13 power cords. The rack has two separate PDUs (Power Distribution Units) with C19 outlets. What type of power cable is needed to connect the server to the PDUs?

Accepted Answer

C13 to C19 power cord. The stem states the server requires 'C13 power cords,' which implies the server has C14 male inlets. Therefore, the cable must have a C13 female connector on the server end. The stem states the PDU has 'C19 outlets,' which are C19 female receptacles. To connect to a C19 female outlet, the cable must have a C20 male plug on the PDU end. Thus, the required cable is a C13 (female) to C20 (male) power cord. None of the provided options match this requirement.

Answer

C14 to C19 power cord

Answer

C13 to C14 power cord

Answer

C19 to C20 power cord

Question 18

A technician is troubleshooting a laptop that shuts down randomly after a few minutes of use. The fan is spinning, and the vents are clear. The CPU temperature reaches 95°C quickly. What is the most likely cause?

Accepted Answer

The thermal paste between the CPU and heatsink has dried out.. High CPU temperature despite a spinning fan indicates poor thermal transfer, often due to dried-out thermal paste or a heatsink that is not making proper contact. Reapplying thermal paste and reseating the heatsink is the solution. The fan working rules out a fan failure.

Answer

The fan is running at low speed due to a faulty fan controller.

Answer

The CPU is faulty and needs replacement.

Answer

The BIOS is set to an aggressive power-saving mode.

Question 19

A user reports that their laptop screen suddenly went black, but the laptop is still powered on (fans running, power light on). Connecting an external monitor shows the desktop correctly. What is the most likely cause?

Accepted Answer

The laptop's LCD inverter or backlight has failed.. The external display working normally indicates the GPU and OS are functional. The black built-in display points to a failure in the LCD panel, backlight, or the display cable (e.g., LVDS/eDP ribbon cable) connecting the motherboard to the screen. A loose or damaged internal cable is a common cause, especially in laptops that have been moved frequently.

Answer

The graphics driver has crashed and needs to be reinstalled.

Answer

The Windows display settings are set to 'Show only on external display'.

Answer

The laptop's RAM is faulty and causing video output issues.

Question 20

A technician is troubleshooting a network where users report intermittent connectivity. The technician finds that the switch logs show excessive CRC errors on multiple ports connected to different workstations. What is the most likely cause of these errors?

Accepted Answer

The Ethernet cables are run too close to power cables. CRC errors indicate data corruption at the physical layer, typically caused by electromagnetic interference (EMI) from nearby power cables. Running Ethernet cables too close to power cables induces noise, corrupting frames and causing CRC mismatches at the switch port.

Answer

The switch is configured with the wrong VLAN assignments

Answer

The workstations have duplicate IP addresses

Answer

The switch firmware is outdated