220-1201 Practice Test 30 — 15 Questions

Question 1

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?

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

Accepted Answer

Wireless router. A wireless router (often a small business or SOHO router) integrates a switch, a router, and a wireless access point into one device. It can provide wired switching for the 20 computers and wireless access for guests, and with VLAN support, it can isolate guest traffic from the internal network using 802.1Q tagging or built-in guest network features. This makes it the single device that meets all the requirements.

Answer

Managed switch

Answer

Wireless access point

Answer

Hub

Question 2

A technician is installing a new M.2 NVMe SSD into a desktop motherboard that has two M.2 slots. After installation, the system boots but the new drive is not detected in the BIOS. What should the technician check first?

Accepted Answer

Check if the M.2 slot supports NVMe or only SATA.. This question tests knowledge of M.2 slot configurations. Some M.2 slots share bandwidth with SATA ports or PCIe lanes, and the motherboard manual specifies which slot supports NVMe.

Answer

Update the SSD firmware.

Answer

Replace the SSD with a different brand.

Answer

Disable Secure Boot in the BIOS.

Question 3

A technician is configuring a company-issued tablet for a sales representative who frequently works from a car. The tablet needs internet access for CRM software and GPS navigation. Which mobile network connectivity option is most appropriate for this scenario?

Accepted Answer

Use a tablet with an integrated cellular modem and a company data plan.. A tablet with an integrated cellular modem and a company data plan provides dedicated, always-on mobile broadband connectivity independent of external devices or Wi-Fi hotspots. This ensures reliable internet access for CRM and GPS navigation even while the sales representative is driving between locations, without draining a smartphone battery or depending on inconsistent public Wi-Fi.

Answer

Connect the tablet to a personal hotspot from the sales rep's smartphone.

Answer

Install a Wi-Fi extender in the car to boost nearby public Wi-Fi signals.

Answer

Rely on Bluetooth tethering to a laptop for internet access.

Question 4

A user complains that their PC emits a high-pitched whining noise when under load, and the noise stops when the system is idle. The noise is not coming from the case fans or CPU cooler. What component is most likely failing?

Accepted Answer

The power supply's coils are vibrating due to electrical load. Coil whine from the power supply's inductors or transformers is common under load and can be audible. It is not typically a sign of immediate failure but can indicate a low-quality PSU. Fans and coolers produce different sounds.

Answer

The power supply's internal fan bearing

Answer

The GPU fan is hitting a wire

Answer

The hard drive is failing mechanically

Question 5

A technician is troubleshooting a DSL connection that syncs at only 1.5 Mbps when the plan is 10 Mbps. The line is 12,000 feet from the central office. What is the most likely cause?

Accepted Answer

The distance from the central office is too great.. DSL speeds degrade significantly with distance due to signal attenuation and noise. At 12,000 feet from the central office, ADSL2+ typically cannot sustain 10 Mbps; 1.5 Mbps is consistent with the maximum achievable rate at that distance. The sync rate is determined by line conditions, not the plan speed, making distance the primary limiting factor.

Answer

The modem is defective.

Answer

The router's firmware needs updating.

Answer

The ISP is throttling the connection.

Question 6

A technician is troubleshooting a smartphone that cannot connect to any Wi-Fi network. The technician has already verified that the device's Wi-Fi adapter is enabled and that other devices can connect to the same networks. What should the technician check next?

Accepted Answer

Check if the device has a static IP address configured.. A static IP address can prevent a device from obtaining a valid IP from the DHCP server, causing connection failure. This is a common issue when a device has been manually configured with an IP that is not in the network's range or is already in use.

Answer

Check the device's MAC address filter on the router.

Answer

Check if the device's date and time are correct.

Answer

Check if the device's Bluetooth is interfering.

Question 7

A user complains that their laser printer is printing pages with a vertical black line down the left side of every page. The line appears consistently in the same position regardless of the document printed. What is the most likely cause?

Accepted Answer

The toner cartridge's drum is scratched or has debris.. A vertical black line in a fixed position on laser printer output is often caused by a scratch or debris on the photosensitive drum, which picks up toner and transfers it to the paper. The drum is part of the toner cartridge in many printers. Other components like the fuser or transfer roller would cause different patterns.

Answer

The fuser roller has a scratch.

Answer

The paper feed rollers are dirty.

Answer

The printer driver is set to 'economy mode'.

Question 8

A technician is troubleshooting a network where several users cannot access the internet, but they can communicate with each other. The network uses a router with IP 10.0.0.1 and a subnet mask of 255.255.255.0. All computers have IPs in the 10.0.0.0/24 range. What is the most likely cause?

Accepted Answer

The default gateway on the computers is not set to 10.0.0.1.. Since users can communicate with each other but cannot access the internet, the issue is likely with the default gateway. The router's IP is 10.0.0.1, and the subnet mask is 255.255.255.0, so computers must have their default gateway set to 10.0.0.1 to route traffic outside the local subnet. Without a correct default gateway, packets destined for the internet have no route to the router and are dropped.

Answer

The DNS server address is set to 10.0.0.1.

Answer

The subnet mask is incorrectly set to 255.255.0.0 on some computers.

Answer

The router's DHCP server is disabled.

Question 9

A technician is troubleshooting a PC that powers on for a few seconds then shuts off. The technician removes the 24-pin connector and jumps the green wire to a black wire; the PSU fan spins and stays on. What does this indicate?

Accepted Answer

The motherboard has a short circuit causing the PSU to shut down.. The paperclip test confirms the PSU can power on independently. If the fan runs continuously, the PSU is likely functional. The issue is probably elsewhere, such as a short on the motherboard or a faulty component drawing too much power.

Answer

The power supply is definitely faulty and should be replaced.

Answer

The CPU is overheating and triggering thermal shutdown.

Answer

The power supply fan is defective, causing it to overheat and shut off.

Question 10

A technician is setting up a new office with 20 workstations. The cabling is Cat6, and all runs are under 90 meters. After terminating the cables at the patch panel and wall jacks, the technician tests each run with a cable certifier. One run fails the test for near-end crosstalk (NEXT). What is the most likely cause?

Accepted Answer

The cable pairs are untwisted too much at the termination point.. This question tests understanding of cable termination quality and crosstalk. The correct answer is that the untwisting of pairs at the termination point is too long, which can cause NEXT failures.

Answer

The cable is too long for Cat6 specifications.

Answer

The cable is not properly shielded.

Answer

The cable is damaged from being pulled too hard during installation.

Question 11

A company deploys a new 802.11ac access point in a warehouse. After installation, workers report that their handheld scanners frequently disconnect when moving between aisles. The AP is mounted on a high ceiling. Which configuration change would most likely improve connectivity?

Accepted Answer

Change the AP to use only 2.4 GHz band.. The 5 GHz band used by 802.11ac has poorer penetration and range through obstacles like warehouse shelving and inventory. By switching to the 2.4 GHz band, signals diffract better around aisles and through racks, reducing disconnections for mobile scanners moving between aisles.

Answer

Increase the AP's channel width to 80 MHz.

Answer

Enable WPA3 encryption on the network.

Answer

Reduce the AP's transmit power to avoid interference.

Question 12

A user reports that their monitor displays a distorted image with wavy lines. The monitor uses a VGA connection. The technician checks the cable and finds it is not fully tightened. After securing the thumbscrews, the image is still distorted. What is the most likely cause?

Accepted Answer

The VGA cable has a broken pin. VGA is an analog signal and can suffer from interference. Damaged or loose pins in the VGA connector can cause distortion even if the cable appears secure. The pins may be bent or broken.

Answer

The monitor's refresh rate is set too high

Answer

The graphics driver needs to be updated

Answer

The monitor's power cable is loose

Question 13

A customer reports that their new Bluetooth headphones pair with their smartphone but produce no audio during calls. The headphones work fine with other devices. What is the most likely cause?

Accepted Answer

The smartphone does not support the required Bluetooth profile for call audio.. The most likely cause is that the smartphone does not support the Hands-Free Profile (HFP) or Headset Profile (HSP) required for bidirectional call audio over Bluetooth. While the headphones may pair and work for media audio using A2DP, these profiles are distinct and must be supported by both devices for voice calls. Since the headphones work with other devices, the issue is specific to the smartphone's Bluetooth profile support.

Answer

The headphones are out of battery.

Answer

The smartphone's Bluetooth antenna is damaged.

Answer

The headphones are paired to too many devices simultaneously.

Question 14

A technician is replacing a failed hard drive in a server. The new drive has a SATA III connector, but the server's backplane only supports SATA II. What will be the result of using this drive?

Accepted Answer

The drive will operate at SATA II speeds. SATA III is backward compatible with SATA II, so the drive will work but at SATA II speeds (3 Gbps). This tests knowledge of SATA generation compatibility and performance limitations. The drive will not be damaged but will not achieve its maximum speed.

Answer

The drive will not be recognized

Answer

The drive will operate at SATA III speeds

Answer

The drive will be damaged

Question 15

A user complains that their external monitor flickers intermittently. The monitor is connected via a DVI cable to a graphics card that has both DVI-I and DVI-D ports. Which of the following is the most likely cause of the flickering?

Accepted Answer

The DVI cable is loose or damaged. A loose or damaged DVI cable is a common cause of intermittent flickering, as poor contact can disrupt the signal. DVI-I and DVI-D are compatible, so port type is less likely the issue. This tests troubleshooting skills for display connection problems.

Answer

The graphics card driver is outdated

Answer

The monitor's refresh rate is set too high

Answer

The DVI port is incompatible with the cable