220-1101 Practice Test 17 — 15 Questions

Question 1

A user in a small office reports that their computer cannot access the internet. The technician runs ipconfig and sees the IP address is 169.254.15.22. The technician checks the network cable and sees link lights on the NIC and the wall jack. Which of the following is the MOST likely cause of this issue?

Accepted Answer

The DHCP server is not responding or is unreachable. The IP address 169.254.15.22 is an Automatic Private IP Addressing (APIPA) address (169.254.0.0/16 range), which Windows assigns when a DHCP server cannot be reached. Since the link lights are active, the physical layer is functional, ruling out a cable fault. The most likely cause is that the DHCP server is not responding or is unreachable, preventing the client from obtaining a valid IP configuration.

Answer

The network cable is faulty

Answer

The user's computer has a duplicate IP address on the network

Answer

The subnet mask is incorrectly configured

Question 2

A technician is upgrading a desktop PC with a new high-end graphics card. The card requires two 8-pin PCIe power connectors. The power supply unit (PSU) has two 6+2 pin PCIe cables. After installing the card and connecting both cables, the system powers on, all fans spin, but there is no display output from the graphics card. The technician has verified the card is fully seated in the PCIe slot, the monitor is connected to the card's output, and the monitor works with another computer. Which of the following is the MOST likely cause?

Accepted Answer

The 6+2 pin PCIe connectors are not fully inserted into the graphics card.. The 6+2 pin PCIe connectors are designed to be used as 8-pin connectors by clipping the 2-pin section alongside the 6-pin section. If the 2-pin portion is not fully latched or the combined connector is not pushed in completely, the graphics card will not receive proper power delivery on all pins. This can cause the card to power its fans but fail to initialize the GPU core, resulting in no display output despite the system appearing to power on normally.

Answer

The PSU wattage is insufficient to power the new graphics card.

Answer

The motherboard's PCIe slot is configured for Gen 3, but the card requires Gen 4.

Answer

The graphics card drivers have not been installed yet.

Question 3

A technician is upgrading a workstation with two 16 GB DDR4 memory modules. The motherboard supports up to 64 GB and has four slots. The technician installs the modules in slots DIMM_A2 and DIMM_B2 (the recommended slots for dual-channel). When the system boots, the BIOS reports only 16 GB of RAM. The technician has tried reseating the modules and swapping them. Which of the following is the most likely cause?

Accepted Answer

A bent pin in the CPU socket is disabling one memory channel. The correct answer is C because the symptom—only 16 GB detected despite two 16 GB modules installed in the recommended dual-channel slots—indicates that one entire memory channel is not functioning. A bent pin in the CPU socket can disable the memory controller's connection to one channel, causing all modules on that channel (e.g., DIMM_B2) to be invisible. Reseating and swapping modules would not fix a hardware-level channel fault, and the fact that the system boots with half the expected capacity strongly points to a channel-level issue rather than a module fault.

Answer

One of the memory modules is faulty

Answer

The CPU is not compatible with the RAM speed

Answer

The RAM voltage is set too low

Question 4

A user reports that their Android smartphone can see the corporate Wi-Fi network (SSID: CorpNet) but fails to connect, displaying 'Authentication error'. Other devices on the same network connect successfully. The technician has confirmed the Wi-Fi password is correct and the device is not using a static IP. Which of the following is the BEST first troubleshooting step?

Accepted Answer

'Forget' the network and reconnect by entering the password again.. The 'Authentication error' indicates a mismatch in stored credentials or security context, not a hardware or firmware issue. The most efficient first step is to 'Forget' the network (option C), which clears the cached password and any stale security parameters, then re-enter the known-correct password. This isolates the problem to the saved profile without resetting all network settings or guessing at security types.

Answer

Reset the network settings on the phone.

Answer

Modify the Wi-Fi security type on the phone to match the router.

Answer

Update the smartphone's firmware.

Question 5

A technician is upgrading the CPU in a desktop computer. The new CPU is listed as compatible with the motherboard on the manufacturer's website. After installing the CPU, heatsink, and connecting the CPU power cable, the system powers on (fans spin, LEDs light) but there is no display and no POST beeps. The motherboard has a set of diagnostic LEDs; the CPU LED is stuck on. The technician has verified that the CPU is installed correctly in the socket with no bent pins. Which of the following should the technician do NEXT?

Accepted Answer

Update the motherboard's BIOS/UEFI firmware. The CPU is listed as compatible, but the motherboard may require a BIOS/UEFI firmware update to support the new CPU's microcode. The stuck CPU diagnostic LED indicates the motherboard cannot initialize the CPU, which is a classic symptom of a firmware compatibility issue rather than a hardware defect.

Answer

Replace the CPU with a known-good one

Answer

Reseat the RAM modules

Answer

Test the power supply under load

Question 6

A user at a small office reports that they can access the internet but cannot connect to the company's internal file server using its hostname (\fileserver). The user can ping the file server's IP address successfully. The technician checks the workstation's network settings and sees that it is obtaining an IP address from DHCP and the default gateway is correct. The DNS server address is set to the company's internal DNS server (192.168.1.5). Other workstations on the same network can access the file server by hostname without issue. Which of the following is the MOST likely cause of the problem?

Accepted Answer

The workstation's hosts file contains an incorrect entry for fileserver.. The user can ping the file server by IP but not by hostname, and other workstations resolve the hostname correctly. This points to a local name resolution issue on the affected workstation. The hosts file (located at %SystemRoot%\System32\drivers\etc\hosts) is checked before DNS queries, so an incorrect entry mapping 'fileserver' to a wrong or unreachable IP would cause the failure while DNS remains functional for others.

Answer

The file server's firewall is blocking ping requests.

Answer

The workstation's DNS cache is corrupted.

Answer

The file server's network cable is faulty.

Question 7

A technician is upgrading a desktop computer's storage. The motherboard has one M.2 slot that supports both SATA and NVMe protocols. The user wants the fastest possible boot drive. Which type of M.2 drive should the technician select?

Accepted Answer

NVMe M.2. The NVMe (Non-Volatile Memory Express) protocol is designed to leverage the high-speed PCIe bus, offering significantly lower latency and higher throughput compared to SATA-based SSDs. Since the motherboard's M.2 slot supports both SATA and NVMe, selecting an NVMe M.2 drive provides the fastest possible boot drive performance.

Answer

SATA M.2

Answer

mSATA

Answer

2.5" SSD

Question 8

A technician upgrades the CPU in a desktop computer and installs a new aftermarket cooler. After reassembly, the computer powers on but shuts down after about one minute. The technician enters the BIOS and sees the CPU temperature is 95°C and rising. The case fans are spinning normally. Which of the following is the MOST likely cause of the issue?

Accepted Answer

The thermal paste was not applied between the CPU and the cooler. The CPU temperature reaching 95°C and rising immediately after power-on indicates a critical thermal issue. Since the case fans are spinning normally and the cooler fan is not mentioned as faulty, the most likely cause is that thermal paste was not applied between the CPU and the new aftermarket cooler. Without thermal paste, microscopic air gaps prevent efficient heat transfer from the CPU die to the cooler's base plate, causing rapid overheating and thermal shutdown.

Answer

The CPU is not compatible with the motherboard

Answer

The power supply unit is insufficient for the new CPU

Answer

The CPU cooler fan is not spinning

Question 9

A user in a small office reports that they can access websites on the internet but cannot connect to the company's internal file server using its hostname (\fileserver). Other users in the same office can access the file server by hostname without any issues. The technician runs ipconfig /all on the affected workstation and sees the following: IPv4 Address: 192.168.1.45, Subnet Mask: 255.255.255.0, Default Gateway: 192.168.1.1, DNS Server: 8.8.8.8. Which of the following is the MOST likely cause of the issue?

Accepted Answer

The workstation is using an external DNS server instead of the internal DNS server.. The workstation can access the internet (via 8.8.8.8) but cannot resolve the internal hostname 'fileserver' because it is using an external DNS server (Google's 8.8.8.8) instead of the internal DNS server that holds the private DNS records for the company's local resources. Internal DNS servers typically host A or CNAME records for internal hostnames, which public DNS servers like 8.8.8.8 do not contain. This mismatch prevents hostname resolution for the file server while leaving internet access functional.

Answer

The workstation's subnet mask is incorrect.

Answer

The default gateway is misconfigured.

Answer

The DHCP scope is exhausted.

Question 10

A user in a densely populated apartment building complains of frequent Wi-Fi disconnects and slow speeds on the 2.4 GHz band. A spectrum analysis shows many overlapping networks on channels 1, 6, and 11. The router supports both 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz. Which of the following is the BEST solution to improve the user's wireless experience?

Accepted Answer

A. Change the client device to use the 5 GHz band. The 2.4 GHz band is congested with overlapping networks on channels 1, 6, and 11, causing co-channel interference and contention. Moving the client device to the 5 GHz band provides access to many more non-overlapping channels (e.g., 36, 40, 44, 48) and typically less interference, resulting in fewer disconnects and higher throughput.

Answer

B. Change the wireless security from WPA2 to WPA3

Answer

C. Increase the router's transmit power to maximum

Answer

D. Change the network SSID to a unique name

Question 11

A user notices that the back cover of their Android smartphone is slightly bulging and the screen is lifting from the frame. The phone still turns on and functions normally. Which of the following actions should the technician recommend FIRST?

Accepted Answer

Power off the phone and replace the battery. The bulging back cover and screen lifting indicate a swollen lithium-ion battery, which is a critical safety hazard. The correct first action is to power off the phone immediately to prevent electrical short circuits or thermal runaway, and then replace the battery to eliminate the risk of fire or explosion.

Answer

Place the phone in a freezer to reduce swelling

Answer

Continue using the phone but monitor the swelling daily

Answer

Use a clamp to press the screen back into place

Question 12

A user reports that their Android smartphone's GPS is not working accurately. The technician has confirmed that Location settings are set to High accuracy mode. Which of the following is the BEST next step to resolve this issue?

Accepted Answer

Calibrate the compass. Calibrating the compass is the best next step because Android smartphones use a magnetometer (compass) to determine orientation, which is essential for accurate GPS positioning, especially when the device is moving. High accuracy mode uses GPS, Wi-Fi, and mobile networks, but if the compass is uncalibrated, the device cannot correctly interpret direction, leading to inaccurate location fixes. Calibration resolves this by re-establishing the magnetometer's reference to the Earth's magnetic field.

Answer

Replace the GPS antenna

Answer

Update the PRL

Answer

Reset the network settings

Question 13

A user can access local network resources but cannot browse the internet. Other users on the same network have no issues. The technician checks the workstation's IP configuration: IP 192.168.1.100, subnet mask 255.255.255.0, default gateway 192.168.1.1, DNS server 192.168.1.1. The workstation successfully pings the default gateway (192.168.1.1). The technician then tries to ping 8.8.8.8 and the ping fails. Which of the following should the technician check NEXT?

Accepted Answer

The routing table on the router. Since the workstation can ping the default gateway (192.168.1.1) but cannot ping 8.8.8.8, the issue is beyond the local subnet. This indicates a routing problem, not a local connectivity or DNS issue. The technician should check the router's routing table to ensure there is a default route (0.0.0.0/0) pointing to the ISP or upstream gateway, as the router may not be forwarding traffic to external networks.

Answer

The switch port configuration

Answer

The DNS server settings

Answer

The DHCP lease expiration

Question 14

A user dropped their smartphone and now the touchscreen is completely unresponsive, although the display appears normal and the phone powers on and receives calls. Which of the following components is most likely damaged?

Accepted Answer

Digitizer. The digitizer is the component responsible for converting touch input into electrical signals. When the display appears normal but the touchscreen is unresponsive, the digitizer layer is the most likely damaged component, as the LCD panel (which handles image rendering) and other system components are functioning correctly.

Answer

LCD panel

Answer

Battery

Answer

Motherboard

Question 15

A user reports that a laser printer is printing vertical blank lines on every page. The toner cartridge is new and properly installed. Which of the following should the technician check FIRST?

Accepted Answer

Clean the corona wire. Vertical blank lines on laser printer output typically indicate a problem with the primary corona wire or charge roller that is not evenly charging the drum. Cleaning the corona wire often resolves this issue. The fuser, if faulty, would cause smudging or ghosting rather than blank lines. Pickup rollers affect paper feeding, not print quality. A paper jam would prevent printing altogether or cause a paper jam error message.

Answer

Replace the fuser assembly

Answer

Replace the pickup rollers

Answer

Check for a paper jam