220-1101 Practice Test 46 — 15 Questions

Question 1

A user reports that their desktop computer is experiencing slow network speeds, especially when transferring large files to a server on the same local network. The user's computer and the server are both connected to a managed gigabit switch. The user's NIC and the server NIC are both gigabit capable. The technician checks the switch port configuration and sees that the port for the user's computer is set to speed 1000 and duplex full. The user's computer shows a link speed of 100 Mbps and half duplex in the operating system. Which of the following is the MOST likely cause?

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

Accepted Answer

The switch port has a mismatch between the configured speed/duplex and the NIC's auto-negotiation settings.. The switch port is manually configured with speed 1000 and full duplex, but the NIC is operating at 100 Mbps and half duplex. This mismatch occurs because the NIC is set to auto-negotiate, while the switch port has hard-coded settings. When one side is hard-coded and the other uses auto-negotiation, the auto-negotiating side falls back to its lowest common denominator (typically 100 Mbps/half duplex) due to the lack of negotiation pulses, causing a duplex mismatch that severely degrades performance, especially with large file transfers.

Answer

The Ethernet cable is Cat5e and cannot support gigabit speeds.

Answer

The user's computer has a faulty NIC driver.

Answer

The server's NIC is defective.

Question 2

A systems administrator manages a cluster of three physical hosts running a Type 1 hypervisor. The administrator wants to ensure that if any single host fails, the virtual machines on that host are automatically restarted on another host in the cluster without manual intervention. Which of the following virtualization features should the administrator implement?

Accepted Answer

High availability. High availability (HA) is the correct feature because it automatically restarts virtual machines on a surviving host when a physical host in a cluster fails. In a Type 1 hypervisor cluster, HA continuously monitors host heartbeats and, upon detecting a failure, triggers the restart of affected VMs on another host without manual intervention. This directly satisfies the requirement for automatic recovery from a single host failure.

Answer

Load balancing

Answer

Snapshots

Answer

Live migration

Question 3

A network technician is configuring a small office network with one router and one managed switch. The switch has two VLANs: VLAN 10 for Sales and VLAN 20 for Engineering. Both VLANs need internet access. The technician configures the router's single physical interface (G0/0) with subinterfaces G0/0.10 for VLAN 10 (192.168.10.1/24) and G0/0.20 for VLAN 20 (192.168.20.1/24). The switch port connected to the router is configured as an access port in VLAN 10. Which of the following is the MOST likely result of this configuration?

Accepted Answer

Only devices in VLAN 10 can access the internet.. The switch port connected to the router is configured as an access port in VLAN 10. This means it only carries traffic for VLAN 10, stripping any VLAN tags. The router's subinterface G0/0.20 for VLAN 20 never receives or sends traffic because the access port does not allow VLAN 20 frames. Therefore, only devices in VLAN 10 can reach the router's default gateway (192.168.10.1) and access the internet.

Answer

Both VLAN 10 and VLAN 20 can access the internet.

Answer

Only devices in VLAN 20 can access the internet.

Answer

Neither VLAN can access the internet.

Question 4

A technician is upgrading the CPU in a desktop computer from an older generation to a newer one. The motherboard is several years old but the manufacturer's website indicates it supports the new CPU with a BIOS update. The technician installs the new CPU, applies thermal paste, attaches the cooler, and powers on the system. The system fans spin, but the monitor remains black and the motherboard's CPU diagnostic LED glows solid red. Which of the following is the MOST likely cause?

Accepted Answer

The BIOS has not been updated to support the new CPU. The motherboard's CPU diagnostic LED glowing solid red indicates a CPU initialization failure. Since the manufacturer's website confirms the new CPU is supported only after a BIOS update, the most likely cause is that the technician skipped the required BIOS update. Without the updated firmware, the motherboard's UEFI/BIOS lacks the microcode necessary to recognize and initialize the newer CPU, leaving the system stuck in a pre-POST state.

Answer

The CPU is not seated correctly

Answer

The RAM is incompatible with the new CPU

Answer

The power supply is insufficient

Question 5

A technician is upgrading the RAM in a desktop computer. The motherboard manual states it supports DDR3-1600 RAM. The technician installs a single 8GB DDR4-2400 module. The computer powers on but emits a series of beeps and does not display any video. Which of the following is the MOST likely cause?

Accepted Answer

The RAM module is not compatible with the motherboard. The motherboard supports only DDR3-1600 RAM, but the technician installed a DDR4-2400 module. DDR3 and DDR4 use different physical notch positions, voltage levels (1.5V vs. 1.2V), and signaling protocols, making them electrically and mechanically incompatible. The beep code indicates a memory initialization failure because the motherboard cannot communicate with the DDR4 module.

Answer

The RAM module is defective

Answer

The RAM module was not installed in the correct slot

Answer

The motherboard needs a BIOS update

Question 6

A technician has just completed building a new desktop computer. After connecting all components and closing the case, the technician presses the power button on the front of the case, but nothing happens. No fans spin, no lights come on. The technician has verified that the power supply unit (PSU) works by testing it in another system. Which of the following should the technician check FIRST?

Accepted Answer

Connect the front panel power switch header to the correct motherboard pins.. The most likely cause of a completely dead system (no fans, no lights) after building a new PC is that the front panel power switch is not properly connected to the motherboard. The power button on the case is a momentary switch that completes a circuit on the motherboard's front panel header; if the connector is on the wrong pins or not seated, pressing the button does nothing. Since the PSU has been verified working in another system, the next logical step is to check this simple, common wiring error before moving to more complex hardware troubleshooting.

Answer

Replace the CMOS battery on the motherboard.

Answer

Reseat the CPU in the socket.

Answer

Test the power supply using a multimeter.

Question 7

A user reports that their smartphone's battery drains significantly faster than normal and the device feels very hot to the touch, especially during charging. The phone is using a third-party charger and USB cable purchased from a discount store. Which of the following is the BEST first step the technician should recommend?

Accepted Answer

Use the original manufacturer charger and cable. The most likely cause of rapid battery drain and overheating during charging is a non-compliant third-party charger or cable that does not meet the device's power delivery specifications. Using the original manufacturer charger and cable ensures proper voltage and current regulation, preventing excessive heat and inefficient charging that can degrade battery health.

Answer

Replace the smartphone battery

Answer

Perform a factory reset of the phone

Answer

Disable background app refresh and location services

Question 8

A technician is troubleshooting a workstation that cannot connect to the network. The link light on the NIC is off. The technician tests the Ethernet cable with a cable tester and it passes all four pairs. The workstation is connected to a wall jack that leads to a patch panel in the server room. The technician verifies that the patch cable from the patch panel to the switch is good. Which of the following should the technician do NEXT?

Accepted Answer

Check the port status on the switch. The link light being off indicates no physical layer (Layer 1) connectivity. Since the cable tester passed all four pairs and the patch cable is verified good, the issue likely lies with the switch port itself. Checking the port status on the switch (e.g., using 'show interfaces status' or verifying PoE/administrative shutdown) is the logical next step to confirm if the port is enabled, not error-disabled, or configured correctly.

Answer

Replace the NIC

Answer

Re-terminate the wall jack

Answer

Change the workstation's IP address to static

Question 9

A systems administrator manages a virtualized environment with a Type 1 hypervisor hosting multiple virtual machines (VMs). The physical host has 64 GB of RAM and a 4-core CPU with hyper-threading. The administrator notices that during peak hours, some VMs become slow because others consume a disproportionate share of resources. The administrator wants to configure the hypervisor to combine the physical memory and CPU of the host into a single pool that can be dynamically allocated to VMs as needed. Which virtualization concept BEST describes this capability?

Accepted Answer

Resource pooling. Resource pooling is the virtualization concept where the hypervisor aggregates physical resources (CPU, memory) from the host into a shared pool, then dynamically allocates them to VMs based on demand. In a Type 1 hypervisor, this allows the administrator to set shares, reservations, and limits, ensuring that no single VM can monopolize resources during peak hours. This directly addresses the problem of disproportionate resource consumption by enabling elastic allocation.

Answer

High availability

Answer

Fault tolerance

Answer

Snapshotting

Question 10

A technician is troubleshooting a Windows 10 workstation that cannot access network shares on a file server. The technician confirms that the workstation can ping the server by IP address and by hostname. The technician tests access from another workstation on the same subnet and successfully maps the network drive. On the problematic workstation, the technician runs the command 'net use * \server\share' and receives the error 'System error 53 has occurred. The network path was not found.' Which of the following is the MOST likely cause of this error?

Accepted Answer

The workstation's Windows Firewall is blocking File and Printer Sharing.. The error 'System error 53: The network path was not found' typically indicates that the SMB connection is being blocked at the client side. Since the workstation can ping the server by hostname (DNS resolution works) and another workstation on the same subnet can map the drive, the issue is isolated to the problematic workstation. The most likely cause is that the workstation's Windows Firewall is blocking File and Printer Sharing (which includes SMB traffic on ports 445 and 139), preventing the outbound connection to the server.

Answer

The file server's firewall is blocking incoming SMB connections.

Answer

The workstation's DNS suffix search order is incorrect.

Answer

The file server is using an SMB protocol version that the workstation does not support.

Question 11

A technician is troubleshooting a desktop computer that will not boot. The motherboard has a 7-segment debug LED that displays code '55'. According to the motherboard manual, this code indicates a memory initialization error. The technician has already reseated the RAM, tested each stick individually in different slots, and replaced the RAM modules with known good ones. The computer still displays the same code. Which of the following components is the MOST likely cause of the issue?

Accepted Answer

The CPU is faulty or has bent pins. The motherboard debug LED code '55' specifically indicates a memory initialization error. Since the technician has already reseated, swapped slots, and replaced the RAM with known good modules, the issue is not with the RAM itself. The memory controller is integrated into the CPU (since Intel Nehalem and AMD K8), so a faulty CPU or bent pins on the CPU/socket can prevent the memory controller from initializing RAM, causing this persistent code.

Answer

The motherboard is defective

Answer

The power supply is not delivering adequate voltage to the RAM slots

Answer

The CMOS battery needs to be replaced

Question 12

A company requires full control over the operating system and applications running on cloud servers. They want to provision virtual machines with their own custom images and manage all software updates themselves. The cloud provider is responsible only for the underlying physical hardware and hypervisor. Which cloud service model should the company use?

Accepted Answer

Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS). Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) provides virtualized computing resources over the internet, giving the customer full control over the operating system, storage, and applications. The cloud provider manages only the underlying physical hardware and hypervisor, while the customer is responsible for deploying custom images, applying patches, and managing all software updates. This aligns exactly with the company's requirement for full OS and application control with provider responsibility limited to the physical layer.

Answer

Platform as a Service (PaaS)

Answer

Software as a Service (SaaS)

Answer

Desktop as a Service (DaaS)

Question 13

A user reports that they cannot print to a network printer. Other users on the same network can print to this printer successfully. The technician verifies that the workstation can ping the printer by IP address. The technician checks the print queue on the workstation and sees the job stuck with a 'Spooling' status. Which of the following should the technician do FIRST?

Accepted Answer

Restart the Print Spooler service on the workstation. The Print Spooler service on the workstation manages the queue of print jobs sent to the printer. A stuck job with a 'Spooling' status indicates that the spooler has stalled or is hung, preventing new jobs from processing. Since the workstation can ping the printer (network connectivity is fine) and other users can print (printer and print server are functional), the issue is isolated to the local spooler. Restarting the Print Spooler service (via `net stop spooler` then `net start spooler` or through Services.msc) clears the stuck job and resets the spooler, which is the quickest and least disruptive first step.

Answer

Delete and re-add the printer on the workstation

Answer

Reboot the network printer

Answer

Check the user's permissions on the print server

Question 14

A user reports that their smartphone's screen remains dark when they press the power button, but they can hear incoming calls and notifications. The phone is fully charged. Which of the following is the most likely cause?

Accepted Answer

The proximity sensor is blocked.. A blocked proximity sensor is a common cause of a dark screen during calls. The proximity sensor detects when the phone is near the user's ear and turns off the display to prevent accidental touches. If the sensor is blocked (e.g., by a case, screen protector, or debris), the phone may incorrectly believe it is against the ear and keep the screen off even when the power button is pressed.

Answer

The display has failed completely.

Answer

The screen timeout is set to a very short duration.

Answer

The power button is stuck in the pressed position.

Question 15

A user reports that their smartphone's battery drains significantly faster than usual, and the device feels warm to the touch even when idle. The battery is not swollen. Which of the following should the technician do FIRST to diagnose the issue?

Accepted Answer

Check the battery usage per application in the device settings. The first step in diagnosing rapid battery drain and overheating is to check the battery usage per application in the device settings. This allows the technician to identify if a specific app is consuming excessive CPU resources or keeping the device awake abnormally, which is a common cause of heat generation and battery depletion even when idle. Replacing the battery or performing a factory reset without first checking app-level power consumption is premature and may not address the root cause.

Answer

Replace the battery with a new OEM battery

Answer

Perform a factory reset of the device

Answer

Update the device's operating system to the latest version