220-1201 Practice Test 18 — 15 Questions

Question 1

A customer reports that their new laptop cannot connect to the internet at a coffee shop, but their smartphone works fine. The technician checks the laptop's network settings and sees the Wi-Fi adapter is enabled and connected to the correct SSID. Which protocol is most likely not configured correctly on the laptop?

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

Accepted Answer

DHCP. The laptop is connected to the Wi-Fi network (SSID) and the adapter is enabled, but it cannot access the internet. This indicates the laptop likely failed to obtain an IP address and other network configuration parameters from the coffee shop's router. DHCP (Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol) is responsible for automatically assigning an IP address, subnet mask, default gateway, and DNS server addresses. If DHCP is misconfigured or the laptop's DHCP client is disabled or not functioning, the device will not receive a valid IP address and thus cannot route traffic to the internet, even though the Wi-Fi link is established.

Answer

DNS

Answer

HTTP

Answer

ARP

Question 2

A technician is troubleshooting an issue where a user's computer can access the internet but cannot connect to a network printer by its IP address. The printer is on the same subnet and is powered on. Pinging the printer's IP from the computer fails. Which network service is most likely causing the problem?

Accepted Answer

ARP. Since the computer can access the internet but cannot ping the printer on the same subnet, the issue is at Layer 2 (Data Link) rather than Layer 3 (Network). ARP (Address Resolution Protocol) is responsible for resolving a known IP address to a MAC address on the local subnet. If the ARP cache is corrupted, missing, or the printer fails to respond to ARP requests, the computer cannot build the correct Ethernet frame to reach the printer, causing the ping to fail even though the printer is powered on and on the same subnet.

Answer

DNS

Answer

DHCP

Answer

NAT

Question 3

A technician is deploying a new network in a warehouse and needs to connect two separate switches that are 120 meters apart. The cable run must support 1 Gbps speeds. Which networking hardware component should be used to ensure reliable connectivity?

Accepted Answer

Install a switch at the 60-meter midpoint and use two Cat6 cables.. A single Cat6 cable is limited to 100 meters for 1 Gbps Ethernet (per TIA/EIA-568 standards). By placing a switch at the 60-meter midpoint, you effectively create two separate 60-meter segments, each well within the 100-meter limit, ensuring reliable 1 Gbps connectivity. The switch regenerates the signal, overcoming the distance limitation without violating the standard.

Answer

Use a single 120-meter Cat6 cable.

Answer

Use a fiber optic cable with media converters on both ends.

Answer

Replace one switch with a hub to increase signal strength.

Question 4

A user reports that their Android phone will not install an app from the Google Play Store. The device has plenty of storage space and a strong internet connection. What is the most likely cause of this issue?

Accepted Answer

The device's operating system version is too old for the app.. The most likely cause is that the device's operating system version is too old for the app. Android apps specify a minimum API level (minSdkVersion) in their manifest; if the device runs an older OS version below that threshold, Google Play Store will block the installation and display an incompatibility message. Since the user has plenty of storage and a strong connection, the OS version is the primary remaining constraint.

Answer

The app is not compatible with the device's screen resolution.

Answer

The Google Play Store app needs to be reinstalled.

Answer

The user is not signed into their Google account.

Question 5

A user reports that their fiber-to-the-home (FTTH) internet connection works but is slower than expected. The technician finds that the ONT (Optical Network Terminal) is connected to the router via a 100-meter Cat5e cable. What is the most likely issue?

Accepted Answer

The Ethernet cable is damaged or has a bad termination.. The most likely issue is a damaged or poorly terminated Cat5e cable. A 100-meter Cat5e cable is within the maximum length specification for 1 Gbps (100 meters), so the length alone is not the problem. However, a damaged cable or bad termination can cause excessive packet loss, CRC errors, or auto-negotiation failures, resulting in slower throughput even though the link appears to be up.

Answer

The ONT is malfunctioning.

Answer

The Cat5e cable is too long for 1 Gbps.

Answer

The router is not configured for the correct speed.

Question 6

A user complains that their laptop frequently disconnects from the Wi-Fi when they move to a different room, but other devices in that room work fine. The technician checks the laptop's wireless adapter settings. Which configuration is most likely causing the issue?

Accepted Answer

Power saving mode is enabled on the wireless adapter. Power saving mode on the wireless adapter reduces power consumption by periodically turning off the radio, which can cause intermittent disconnections when the laptop moves between rooms and the signal strength fluctuates. This is a common issue because the adapter may not maintain a stable connection as it transitions between access points or renegotiates power-saving states.

Answer

The SSID is hidden

Answer

The wireless mode is set to 802.11a only

Answer

The channel width is set to 40 MHz

Question 7

A customer wants to connect a Bluetooth keyboard and mouse to their tablet for a presentation. They ask which accessory is needed to ensure both devices work reliably from across the room. What should you recommend?

Accepted Answer

A Bluetooth extender or repeater to boost signal strength.. Bluetooth range is typically limited to about 10 meters (33 feet) under ideal conditions, and obstacles like walls or furniture can reduce this further. A Bluetooth extender or repeater captures the signal from the tablet and retransmits it, effectively boosting the signal strength and extending the reliable operating distance across a room. This ensures both the keyboard and mouse maintain a stable connection without dropouts.

Answer

A USB-C hub with Bluetooth functionality to extend range.

Answer

A Bluetooth adapter plugged into the tablet's charging port.

Answer

A wireless dongle that connects both keyboard and mouse via a single receiver.

Question 8

A user reports that their smartphone's screen is flickering and has vertical lines. The phone has not been dropped or exposed to water. Which of the following is the most likely cause of this issue?

Accepted Answer

The display cable is loose or damaged. Screen flickering and vertical lines are classic symptoms of a failing display or a loose internal display cable. Since there was no physical trauma, a loose connection or a manufacturing defect in the display assembly is the most probable cause.

Answer

A software glitch caused by a recent app update

Answer

The battery is swelling and pressing against the display

Answer

The phone's processor is overheating

Question 9

A technician is configuring a new wireless network for a small business. The owner wants to ensure that only company-issued laptops can connect, and that data is encrypted. The laptops support WPA2-Enterprise. Which authentication method should be used?

Accepted Answer

802.1X with a RADIUS server. WPA2-Enterprise uses 802.1X authentication, which requires a RADIUS server to validate individual user or device credentials. This allows the business to enforce that only company-issued laptops (which have the correct certificates or credentials) can connect, while also providing strong per-session encryption via dynamic WPA2 keys.

Answer

WPA2-PSK with a strong passphrase

Answer

WPA3-SAE (Simultaneous Authentication of Equals)

Answer

MAC address filtering

Question 10

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?

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 11

A user reports that their laptop's battery life has dropped significantly over the past month. The battery now lasts only 30 minutes on a full charge. The technician runs a battery report and finds that the design capacity is 50,000 mWh, but the full charge capacity is only 12,000 mWh. What is the most likely conclusion?

Accepted Answer

The battery has reached the end of its useful life and needs to be replaced.. Full charge capacity (12,000 mWh) is only 24% of design capacity (50,000 mWh), indicating severe battery wear. Lithium-ion batteries lose capacity over charge cycles, and a drop this large means the battery has reached end of life and should be replaced.

Answer

The battery calibration is off and needs to be recalibrated by fully discharging and recharging.

Answer

A background process is consuming excessive power, draining the battery quickly.

Answer

The laptop's power adapter is not providing enough voltage to charge the battery fully.

Question 12

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 13

A user complains that their internet is slow in the evenings, especially when streaming video. They have a cable modem and a wireless router. What is the most likely cause?

Accepted Answer

Network congestion due to many users sharing the same cable node.. C is correct because cable internet uses a shared coaxial cable node, and during peak evening hours, many subscribers in the same neighborhood are actively using the connection. This shared bandwidth leads to contention and reduced throughput, especially for high-bandwidth activities like streaming video, which is a classic symptom of node congestion rather than a local issue.

Answer

The wireless router is outdated.

Answer

The ISP is throttling streaming traffic.

Answer

Interference from other wireless networks.

Question 14

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 15

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