220-1201 Practice Test 48 — 15 Questions

Question 1

A technician is setting up a wireless network for a home office that requires the fastest possible speeds for streaming 4K video. The router supports 802.11ac and has three antennas. Which configuration will yield the highest throughput?

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

Accepted Answer

Use the 5 GHz band with MIMO enabled and a channel width of 80 MHz.. 802.11ac operates exclusively on the 5 GHz band, and combining MIMO (multiple-input multiple-output) with an 80 MHz channel width maximizes throughput by increasing spatial streams and spectral bandwidth. This configuration supports the high data rates required for 4K video streaming, typically exceeding 1 Gbps aggregate throughput.

Answer

Set the router to 802.11n mode only.

Answer

Enable 40 MHz channel width on the 2.4 GHz band.

Answer

Disable SSID broadcast to reduce overhead.

Question 2

A company uses a proxy server for internet access. Users report that they can access internal websites but cannot reach external sites. The proxy server's IP is configured in the browser settings. Which network service is most likely failing?

Accepted Answer

Proxy server. The proxy server is configured in the browser settings, but users can reach internal websites (which bypass the proxy) while failing to reach external sites (which require the proxy). This indicates the proxy server itself is not functioning or unreachable, as it is the designated intermediary for external traffic. DNS, DHCP, and NAT would affect both internal and external access if they were failing, so the proxy server is the most likely culprit.

Answer

DNS

Answer

DHCP

Answer

NAT

Question 3

A user reports that their computer is running very slowly and they hear a repetitive clicking sound from the case. The technician checks the SMART status of the primary hard drive and sees a 'Reallocated Sectors Count' value that is critically high. What should the technician do next?

Accepted Answer

Back up all important data immediately.. A critically high Reallocated Sectors Count in SMART indicates that the hard drive has a significant number of bad sectors that have been remapped, which is a strong sign of imminent drive failure. The repetitive clicking sound, often called the 'click of death,' further confirms mechanical failure. The immediate priority is to back up all important data to prevent loss, as the drive could fail completely at any moment.

Answer

Run a disk defragmentation to improve performance.

Answer

Replace the SATA cable and power connector.

Answer

Disable the paging file to reduce disk activity.

Question 4

A technician is upgrading a server's storage and needs to connect multiple SATA SSDs. The motherboard has only four SATA ports, but the technician needs to connect six drives. Which connector solution should be used?

Accepted Answer

Install a PCIe SATA controller card with extra ports.. A PCIe SATA controller card adds additional SATA ports through an available PCIe slot, which is the standard, supported way to expand beyond the motherboard's native port count. SATA does not support port multiplication via passive splitters, so adding a controller is the only reliable hardware solution short of replacing the motherboard. This preserves full bandwidth per drive and requires no changes to existing drives.

Answer

Use a Y-splitter cable on one SATA port to connect two drives.

Answer

Use eSATA to SATA adapters on the external ports.

Answer

Replace the motherboard with one that has six SATA ports.

Question 5

A user reports that their computer is connected to the network but cannot access any websites. The technician checks the IP configuration and sees an IP address of 169.254.1.5. What does this indicate?

Accepted Answer

The DHCP server is unavailable or the computer cannot reach it.. An IP address in the 169.254.x.x range is an Automatic Private IP Addressing (APIPA) address, which Windows assigns when it cannot obtain a valid IP configuration from a DHCP server. This indicates that the DHCP server is either down, unreachable, or not responding to the client's DHCPDISCOVER broadcasts. Therefore, the correct answer is that the DHCP server is unavailable or the computer cannot reach it.

Answer

The computer has a valid static IP address.

Answer

The DNS server is not responding.

Answer

The network cable is unplugged.

Question 6

A customer reports that their external USB hard drive is not recognized when plugged into the front USB ports of their desktop, but it works fine on the back ports. What is the most likely cause?

Accepted Answer

The front USB ports do not supply enough power.. Front USB ports on many desktop computers provide less power than rear ports because they are connected via internal headers that may not supply the same amperage. External USB hard drives, especially mechanical ones, require more power to spin up and operate. When plugged into a front port with insufficient power, the drive may not be recognized or may disconnect intermittently. Rear ports are directly connected to the motherboard and typically provide full power.

Answer

The USB cable is too short.

Answer

The front USB ports are not connected to the motherboard.

Answer

The hard drive is formatted with the wrong file system.

Question 7

A technician is troubleshooting a laptop that cannot connect to a 5 GHz Wi-Fi network, but it connects to 2.4 GHz networks without issue. The laptop supports dual-band Wi-Fi. What is the most likely cause?

Accepted Answer

The laptop's Wi-Fi driver is outdated or misconfigured for 5 GHz.. Since the laptop connects successfully to 2.4 GHz networks but fails on 5 GHz, the hardware is functional for 2.4 GHz, but the driver or configuration may not support the 5 GHz band properly. An outdated or misconfigured Wi-Fi driver is the most likely cause because it can fail to enable the 5 GHz radio or negotiate 802.11a/n/ac protocols correctly.

Answer

The 5 GHz router is too far from the laptop.

Answer

The 5 GHz network is using WEP encryption.

Answer

The laptop's Wi-Fi card is only 2.4 GHz capable.

Question 8

A user wants to connect a laptop to a 4K projector for a presentation. The laptop has a USB-C port that supports DisplayPort Alt Mode, and the projector has an HDMI input. Which cable or adapter is required?

Accepted Answer

USB-C to HDMI adapter or cable. USB-C with DisplayPort Alt Mode carries a DisplayPort signal over the USB-C connector, so a USB-C to HDMI adapter (or cable) converts that DP signal to HDMI for the projector. This is the correct single-cable solution because the laptop's USB-C port natively outputs video via Alt Mode. A passive USB-C to HDMI cable or an active adapter both work as long as they support DP Alt Mode.

Answer

USB-C to USB-C cable

Answer

HDMI to HDMI cable

Answer

DisplayPort to HDMI cable

Question 9

A technician is tasked with setting up a RAID 10 array using four 500 GB HDDs for a database server. After configuration, the total capacity shown is 1 TB instead of the expected 1.5 TB. What is the most likely cause?

Accepted Answer

The array is configured correctly; RAID 10 provides 1 TB usable.. RAID 10 combines mirroring and striping, requiring a minimum of four drives. With four 500 GB drives, the array is typically organized as two mirrored pairs (each pair 500 GB usable) and then striped together, yielding a total usable capacity of 1 TB (2 × 500 GB). The expected 1.5 TB is incorrect because RAID 10 does not provide 75% of raw capacity; it provides 50% due to mirroring. Thus, the 1 TB shown is correct.

Answer

One of the drives is only 250 GB.

Answer

The array was accidentally configured as RAID 0.

Answer

The controller is using a different stripe size.

Question 10

A technician needs to connect a new router to a cable modem using an Ethernet cable. The modem has an RJ45 port, and the router has an RJ45 WAN port. Which cable type should be used for this connection?

Accepted Answer

Straight-through cable. A straight-through cable is used to connect devices that operate at different layers of the OSI model, such as a router (Layer 3) to a modem (Layer 2/1). The router's WAN port and the modem's RJ45 port are both MDI-X or auto-MDI/X, but the standard practice for connecting a router to a modem is a straight-through cable because they are dissimilar devices. Modern devices often support auto-MDI/X, but the exam expects the traditional rule.

Answer

Rollover cable

Answer

Crossover cable

Answer

Fiber optic cable

Question 11

A user reports that their PC powers on for a second then immediately shuts off. This repeats in a loop. What is the most likely hardware issue?

Accepted Answer

Incorrectly installed motherboard standoffs causing a short. A PC that powers on for a second and immediately shuts off in a repeating loop is a classic symptom of a short circuit, most commonly caused by motherboard standoffs installed in the wrong position or missing, allowing the motherboard to contact the metal chassis. The power supply detects the short and shuts down to protect itself, then retries — producing the loop.

Answer

Defective CPU

Answer

Overheated GPU

Answer

Corrupted BIOS

Question 12

A user reports that their desktop PC emits a series of short beeps and fails to boot. The monitor shows no display, and the keyboard and mouse LEDs are off. What is the most likely cause?

Accepted Answer

Loose or faulty RAM module. A series of short beeps with no display and no keyboard/mouse LEDs is the classic POST beep code for a memory error, most commonly caused by a loose or faulty RAM module. The motherboard's BIOS emits the beep pattern to indicate that RAM failed the power-on self-test, and the system halts before initializing video or USB controllers.

Answer

Faulty power supply unit

Answer

Defective hard drive

Answer

Overheated CPU

Question 13

You are building a new gaming PC and have installed a 750W 80+ Gold power supply. After connecting all components, the system powers on for a second then immediately shuts down. What is the most likely cause?

Accepted Answer

A motherboard standoff is shorting the board to the case. A motherboard standoff shorting the board to the case is the most likely cause because the symptom — power on for one second then immediate shutdown — is the classic signature of a short circuit protection trip. When a standoff is placed in a location without a corresponding mounting hole, or is missing/extra, it contacts the underside of the motherboard and shorts power rails to the chassis ground. The PSU detects the overcurrent and cuts power instantly to prevent damage.

Answer

The power supply is underpowered for the components

Answer

The CPU fan is not connected

Answer

The power supply's voltage selector is set to 230V instead of 115V

Question 14

A technician is troubleshooting intermittent packet loss on a critical link between two buildings. The link uses single-mode fiber optic cable. Which tool is specifically designed to measure the length of the fiber and locate breaks or splices that could cause signal loss?

Accepted Answer

OTDR. An Optical Time-Domain Reflectometer (OTDR) is the correct tool because it sends a series of light pulses into the fiber and measures the backscattered and reflected light to calculate fiber length, locate breaks, splices, and connectors, and quantify loss at each event. This makes it ideal for troubleshooting intermittent packet loss caused by physical impairments in a single-mode fiber link between buildings.

Answer

Light meter

Answer

Multimeter

Answer

Cable tester

Question 15

A user wants to upgrade their laptop from a 500GB 5400 RPM HDD to a faster storage solution without increasing power consumption. Which drive type should you recommend?

Accepted Answer

A SATA solid-state drive (SSD). A SATA solid-state drive (SSD) is the correct recommendation because it offers dramatically faster read/write speeds than a 5400 RPM HDD while consuming less power — SSDs have no moving parts, so they use less energy and generate less heat. This directly satisfies the user's requirement for faster storage without increasing power consumption, making it ideal for laptop upgrades.

Answer

Another 5400 RPM HDD with a larger cache

Answer

A 10,000 RPM HDD

Answer

An external USB flash drive