220-1101 Common Networking Hardware Practice Test 2 — 15 Questions

Question 1

A company is deploying a new VoIP phone system. Each desk needs both a computer and a phone connected to the network. To minimize cabling, the phone will be connected to the wall jack, and the computer will connect to the phone. Which feature must the switch ports support to ensure both devices receive network access?

Accepted Answer

VLAN tagging (802.1Q). This scenario describes a typical VoIP deployment where the phone acts as a pass-through for the computer. The switch port must support VLAN tagging to separate voice and data traffic, but the key feature is Power over Ethernet (PoE) if the phone is powered by the switch. However, the question asks for both devices to receive network access, which is handled by the switch port's ability to carry multiple VLANs. The correct answer is VLAN tagging (802.1Q) to separate voice and data traffic on the same port.

Answer

PoE (Power over Ethernet)

Answer

Port mirroring

Answer

Link aggregation

Question 2

During a network upgrade, a technician needs to connect a legacy printer that only has a USB port to the network. The printer is in a location without a nearby computer. Which device should the technician use to enable network printing?

Accepted Answer

External print server. A print server is designed to connect a USB printer to a network, allowing it to be shared without a dedicated computer. A USB hub would not provide network connectivity, and a wireless bridge could work but is less direct. The correct answer is an external print server.

Answer

USB hub

Answer

Wireless access point

Answer

Network switch

Question 3

A technician is deploying a wireless network in a large warehouse. The warehouse has metal shelving and concrete walls. The technician needs to ensure coverage throughout the area. Which antenna type should be used for the access points to maximize coverage in this environment?

Accepted Answer

Directional antenna. In an environment with obstacles like metal and concrete, omnidirectional antennas may not penetrate well. Directional antennas can focus the signal in a specific direction, helping to overcome obstacles and extend range. The correct answer is a directional antenna, such as a Yagi or panel antenna.

Answer

Omnidirectional antenna

Answer

Dipole antenna

Answer

Rubber duck antenna

Question 4

A user reports that their wired connection is intermittent. They are using a Cat5e cable connected to a 1000BASE-T switch. The link light on the switch port is blinking rapidly. What is the most likely cause of the intermittent connection?

Accepted Answer

The cable is damaged or has a loose connector. A rapidly blinking link light typically indicates traffic activity, but if the connection is intermittent, it could be due to a faulty cable or improper termination. However, the question specifies the link light is blinking rapidly, which is normal for active traffic. The intermittent issue might be from electromagnetic interference or a loose connection. The correct answer is a faulty cable, as it's the most common cause of intermittent wired connections.

Answer

The switch port is set to half-duplex

Answer

The network card is configured for 10 Mbps

Answer

The switch is overloaded with traffic

Question 5

A technician is installing a new network switch in a server room. The switch has 48 ports and needs to connect to the existing network backbone via fiber optic cable. The technician has a 10GBASE-SR SFP+ module. Which type of fiber optic cable should be used to ensure compatibility?

Accepted Answer

Multimode fiber (OM3). 10GBASE-SR is designed for multimode fiber (MMF) over short distances, typically up to 300 meters. Using single-mode fiber (SMF) would not work because the transceiver is optimized for multimode. The correct answer is multimode fiber (OM3 or OM4).

Answer

Single-mode fiber (OS2)

Answer

Cat6a twisted pair

Answer

Coaxial cable

Question 6

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.. This question tests knowledge of Ethernet distance limitations and the use of repeaters or switches to extend networks. Standard Cat5e/6 cabling is limited to 100 meters for 1 Gbps. Since the distance is 120 meters, a switch (which acts as a repeater) can be placed in the middle to regenerate the signal. The correct answer is to use a switch in between, as it will extend the network while maintaining speed.

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 7

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.. This question tests knowledge of Spanning Tree Protocol (STP) and its variants. In a network with redundant links, STP is essential to prevent broadcast storms and loops. The correct answer is to enable Rapid Spanning Tree Protocol (RSTP) on the switches, which provides faster convergence than classic STP.

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 8

A user complains that their VoIP phone intermittently loses audio during calls. The phone is connected to a PoE switch. The technician checks the switch and sees that the port's PoE power budget is at 95% capacity. What is the most likely cause of the audio drops?

Accepted Answer

The switch is power-cycling the phone due to PoE power budget constraints.. This question tests understanding of Power over Ethernet (PoE) power budgeting. When a PoE switch's power budget is near capacity, it may intermittently power down low-priority devices to prevent overload, causing the phone to reset or lose power. The correct answer is that the switch is power-cycling the phone due to power budget constraints.

Answer

The Ethernet cable is too long, causing signal attenuation.

Answer

The VoIP phone is faulty and needs replacement.

Answer

The switch port is configured with a VLAN mismatch.

Question 9

A customer reports that their desktop computer, which is connected to the network via a wall jack, can access the internet but cannot see other computers on the same local network. The network uses a single switch and a router. What is the most likely misconfiguration causing this issue?

Accepted Answer

The computer's network profile is set to 'Public', disabling Network Discovery.. This question tests understanding of the difference between a hub and a switch. A switch forwards frames based on MAC addresses and creates separate collision domains, but it does not inherently prevent devices from seeing each other on the same VLAN. The issue is likely that the switch ports are configured in separate VLANs, isolating traffic. However, the most common simple misconfiguration is that the device is connected to a hub instead of a switch, which would cause collisions but not prevent visibility. The correct answer is that the switch is functioning correctly; the problem is likely that the computer's network profile is set to 'Public' instead of 'Private' in Windows, which enables Network Discovery.

Answer

The switch is a hub, not a switch.

Answer

The router is blocking multicast traffic.

Answer

The Ethernet cable is a crossover cable.

Question 10

A technician is troubleshooting a network where a user's computer cannot obtain an IP address via DHCP. The computer is connected to a switch, and other devices on the same switch work fine. The technician checks the switch and sees that the port is up and the link light is green. What should the technician check next?

Accepted Answer

Check if the switch port is configured with Port Security that is blocking the MAC address.. This question tests troubleshooting methodology for DHCP issues. Since the link light is green, the physical layer is fine. The next logical step is to check if the port is configured with a feature like Port Security that might be blocking the DHCP request, or if the port is in a blocking state due to STP. The correct answer is to check if the switch port is configured with Port Security that might be limiting MAC addresses.

Answer

Replace the Ethernet cable.

Answer

Reboot the DHCP server.

Answer

Set a static IP address on the computer.

Question 11

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.. This question tests understanding of inter-VLAN routing and trunk ports. For a router to route between VLANs, the switch port connecting to the router must be configured as a trunk port, allowing multiple VLAN tags. If the port is an access port, only one VLAN's traffic will pass. The correct answer is that the switch port connecting to the router is configured as an access port instead of a trunk.

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 12

A customer reports that their network printer is not accessible from any computer on the network. The printer is connected to a switch via Ethernet, and the switch port LED is blinking green. The technician pings the printer's IP address from a computer and gets no reply. What is the most likely cause?

Accepted Answer

The printer has an IP address conflict with another device.. This question tests understanding of network connectivity and switch port status. A blinking green LED typically indicates traffic, but the ping failure suggests the printer is not responding. The most likely cause is that the printer has a static IP address that conflicts with another device on the network, or the printer's network settings are misconfigured. The correct answer is an IP address conflict.

Answer

The printer's Ethernet cable is faulty.

Answer

The switch port is administratively down.

Answer

The printer's print spooler service is stopped.

Question 13

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 14

A small office has a network with a single switch and a wireless access point (WAP). Users on the wired network can access the internet, but wireless users cannot. The WAP shows a solid green power LED and a blinking amber activity LED. What is the most likely cause?

Accepted Answer

The Ethernet cable from the WAP to the switch is faulty or not securely connected.. This question tests knowledge of WAP connectivity and LED indicators. The solid green power LED indicates the WAP is powered on, but the blinking amber activity LED suggests there is traffic but no successful connection to the wired network. The most likely issue is that the WAP is not properly connected to the switch, either due to a bad cable or a port issue. The correct answer is that the Ethernet cable from the WAP to the switch is faulty or not securely connected.

Answer

The WAP is configured with the wrong SSID.

Answer

The switch port is configured as a trunk port.

Answer

The WAP's wireless radio is disabled in the firmware.

Question 15

A company is setting up a guest wireless network in a conference room. They want to ensure that guests can access the internet but cannot communicate with internal corporate devices. The network uses a single router and a switch. Which configuration on the router will best achieve this?

Accepted Answer

Create a separate VLAN for the guest network and apply an ACL to block traffic to the internal network.. This question tests knowledge of VLANs and network segmentation. To isolate guest traffic from internal devices, the best practice is to create a separate VLAN for the guest network and configure access control lists (ACLs) to block inter-VLAN traffic. The correct answer is to set up a guest VLAN with an ACL that denies traffic to the internal subnet.

Answer

Configure the router to use DHCP for the guest network.

Answer

Disable the SSID broadcast for the guest network.

Answer

Use a wireless access point with a built-in firewall.