220-1101 Practice Test 47 — 15 Questions

Question 1

A user reports that their desktop computer loses network connectivity for a few seconds whenever they start a large video rendering application. The technician has already updated the network adapter driver, replaced the Ethernet cable, and verified that the switch port is not faulty. The computer uses an integrated NIC on the motherboard. The system's CPU and GPU temperatures are within normal limits during rendering. Which of the following is the MOST likely cause of the intermittent network drops?

Accepted Answer

The power supply unit (PSU) is failing under load.. When a large rendering application starts, it draws significant power from the PSU. If the PSU is failing or underrated, the voltage supplied to the integrated NIC may drop below its operational threshold, causing the NIC to momentarily reset or lose link. This explains the intermittent drops despite the NIC, cable, and switch port being verified as functional.

Answer

The rendering application is saturating the network bandwidth.

Answer

The motherboard's chipset is overheating.

Answer

There is an IRQ conflict between the NIC and the graphics card.

Question 2

A user reports that their desktop computer cannot access any network shares. Other computers on the same switch can access the shares. The technician runs ipconfig /all on the affected computer and sees the following: IPv4 Address: 169.254.13.42, Subnet Mask: 255.255.0.0, Default Gateway: blank. Which of the following is the MOST likely cause?

Accepted Answer

The switch port the desktop is connected to is configured for the wrong VLAN.. The 169.254.x.x address is an Automatic Private IP Addressing (APIPA) address, assigned when a DHCP server is unreachable. Since other computers on the same switch can access network shares, the DHCP server is functional and has available addresses. The most likely cause is that the switch port is configured for the wrong VLAN, which isolates the desktop's broadcast domain, preventing it from reaching the DHCP server while other devices on the correct VLAN can communicate normally.

Answer

The desktop's network adapter is faulty.

Answer

The DHCP server has no available IP addresses in its scope.

Answer

The desktop's firewall is blocking DHCP traffic.

Question 3

A user reports that their desktop computer intermittently freezes and emits a series of beeps (one long, three short) during the boot process. The technician opens the case and notes that the CPU fan spins, but the system does not POST. The technician swaps the RAM modules with known-good modules from another identical system, but the issue persists. Which of the following components is MOST likely faulty?

Accepted Answer

Graphics card (GPU). The beep code of one long followed by three short beeps is a standard AMI BIOS POST code indicating a video card or memory error. Since the RAM has already been swapped with known-good modules and the issue persists, the most likely faulty component is the graphics card (GPU). The CPU fan spinning confirms power is reaching the motherboard, but the system failing to POST points to a critical component failure, and the GPU is the next logical suspect after eliminating RAM.

Answer

Motherboard

Answer

CPU

Answer

CMOS battery

Question 4

A user reports that their desktop computer loses network connectivity intermittently. The technician finds that the RJ45 connector on the cable has a broken retention clip, but replacing the cable does not resolve the issue. The computer is connected to a wall jack in the office. The technician uses a cable tester on the wall jack and discovers that pins 4 and 5 are open (no continuity). Which of the following is the MOST likely cause of the intermittent connectivity?

Accepted Answer

Incorrect wiring standard on the wall jack. The cable tester shows pins 4 and 5 are open, which in a T568A/B wiring scheme correspond to the blue pair (pair 3). This pair is used for voice in some standards, but in 10/100/1000BASE-T Ethernet, all four pairs are required for proper operation. Incorrect wiring on the wall jack (e.g., mis-termination or using a different standard like USOC) would cause intermittent connectivity because the link may train at a lower speed or fail when the pair is needed for data transmission.

Answer

Faulty network interface card (NIC) in the computer

Answer

Damaged patch cable at the patch panel in the server room

Answer

Malfunctioning switch port

Question 5

A user reports that their desktop workstation loses network connectivity intermittently, often occurring when the user bumps the desk or moves the Ethernet cable. The link light on the NIC sometimes flickers and occasionally turns off for a few seconds during these events. The technician has already replaced the Ethernet cable with a known-good one and tested a different port on the same switch; the problem persists. Which of the following is the MOST likely cause of the issue?

Accepted Answer

The NIC port on the workstation has damaged or loose pins causing intermittent connection. The symptom of losing connectivity when the desk is bumped or the cable is moved, combined with the link light flickering or turning off, points to a physical layer issue at the NIC port. Since the cable and switch port have already been replaced and the problem persists, the most likely cause is a damaged or loose pin inside the RJ45 jack on the workstation's NIC. This creates an intermittent electrical contact that breaks under vibration or movement.

Answer

The switch port is failing intermittently

Answer

The workstation has a duplicate IP address on the network

Answer

The DNS server settings are incorrect

Question 6

A user reports that their desktop computer can access shared files on the local network but cannot reach the internet. The technician checks the IP configuration and sees the address 169.254.25.100 with a subnet mask of 255.255.0.0. Other computers on the same subnet can access the internet normally. Which of the following is the MOST likely cause?

Accepted Answer

A. The IP address 169.254.25.100 with a subnet mask of 255.255.0.0 is an Automatic Private IP Addressing (APIPA) address, assigned by Windows when a DHCP server cannot be reached. Since other computers on the same subnet can access the internet normally, the DHCP server is functional, so the issue is specific to this computer's inability to obtain a valid DHCP lease. The most likely cause is a faulty or disconnected Ethernet cable, which prevents the computer from communicating with the DHCP server, causing it to fall back to APIPA.

Answer

B

Answer

C

Answer

D

Question 7

A user reports that their desktop computer shuts down unexpectedly without warning, typically when playing graphics-intensive games or running video rendering software. The technician has verified that the CPU cooler is properly seated with fresh thermal paste and that all fans spin freely. The event logs show a kernel-power error 41. Which of the following should the technician do NEXT?

Accepted Answer

Test the power supply under load or replace it with a known-good unit. Kernel-power error 41 indicates an unexpected loss of power. Under heavy GPU load, a failing or underrated power supply can drop voltage or current, causing the system to shut down instantly. Since the CPU cooling is verified, the power supply is the most likely culprit.

Answer

Replace the RAM modules with known-good ones

Answer

Run a hard drive diagnostic test

Answer

Update the graphics card driver to the latest version

Question 8

A user reports that their iPhone does not charge when connected to a USB port on their laptop, but it charges normally when using the included wall charger. The cable is known to be functional. Which of the following is the MOST likely cause of the issue?

Accepted Answer

The laptop's USB port does not supply enough current to charge the iPhone. USB ports on laptops typically provide a maximum of 500 mA (USB 2.0) or 900 mA (USB 3.0), while iPhones require at least 1 A (1000 mA) for standard charging. The wall charger can supply the necessary current, but the laptop's USB port cannot, causing the iPhone to either charge very slowly or not at all. Since the cable is known to be functional, the insufficient current output from the laptop's USB port is the most likely cause.

Answer

The iPhone battery has reached end of life

Answer

The USB cable is damaged

Answer

The Lightning port on the iPhone is clogged with debris

Question 9

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?

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 10

A user reports that their desktop computer shuts down unexpectedly when running resource-intensive applications like video editing. The technician has cleaned the dust from the heatsink and fans, verified that all fans are spinning, and monitored temperatures. The BIOS reports CPU temperature as 35°C idle and 70°C under load, which are within normal specifications. The system has a dedicated graphics card that requires a 6-pin PCIe power connector, and the power supply is a 450W unit that came with the computer case. Which of the following is the MOST likely cause?

Accepted Answer

The power supply is inadequate for the system's peak power draw. The system shuts down under load despite normal CPU temperatures and clean cooling. A 450W power supply that came with a case is typically a low-quality unit with limited capacity. The dedicated graphics card, especially during video editing, can draw significant power, and the total system peak draw likely exceeds the PSU's capacity, causing it to trip overcurrent protection or shut down.

Answer

The CPU thermal paste has degraded and needs to be reapplied

Answer

The motherboard has a faulty capacitor

Answer

The RAM is incompatible with the motherboard

Question 11

A user reports that their desktop computer frequently loses network connectivity for a few seconds, then reconnects. The technician replaces the Ethernet cable and the wall jack, but the problem persists. The computer is connected to a managed switch. The technician checks the switch logs and sees no errors or discards. Which of the following should the technician check NEXT?

Accepted Answer

Check the duplex and speed settings on the NIC and the switch port for a mismatch. The symptom of intermittent connectivity with no errors or discards on the switch logs strongly indicates a duplex mismatch. When one side is set to full duplex and the other to half duplex (or auto-negotiation fails), the half-duplex side detects collisions and retransmits, causing brief outages. The technician has already ruled out physical layer issues (cable and jack), so the next logical step is to verify that the NIC and switch port have matching duplex and speed settings, as a mismatch can cause packet loss without incrementing error counters on a managed switch.

Answer

Disable and re-enable the network adapter in Device Manager

Answer

Update the network adapter driver from the manufacturer's website

Answer

Replace the switch port with a known-working port

Question 12

A user reports that their desktop computer, connected to a network printer via Ethernet, outputs garbled text when printing. The same user can print correctly using a USB connection to the same printer. Other users on the same network can print to the printer normally. The technician has already reinstalled the printer driver on the user's computer. Which of the following should the technician check NEXT?

Accepted Answer

Examine the printer driver properties and advanced settings, such as print processor or default language. The issue is specific to network printing on one workstation, with USB printing working fine and other network users unaffected. This isolates the problem to the print processor or data format handling on that client. Reinstalling the driver didn't fix it, so the next step is to check the driver's advanced settings, such as the print processor (e.g., WinPrint vs. HP Standard) or the default data type (e.g., RAW vs. EMF), which can cause garbled output if mismatched with the printer's PDL interpretation.

Answer

Verify the printer's network configuration via its control panel

Answer

Check the network cable and switch port for the printer

Answer

Update the firmware on the network printer

Question 13

A user reports that their desktop computer can connect to the internet but cannot access a specific internal website hosted on a server with IP 192.168.1.200. Other users in the same office can access the website normally. The technician pings the server IP from the affected computer and gets a successful reply. Which of the following should the technician check NEXT?

Accepted Answer

The hosts file on the computer.. The correct answer is C because the hosts file on a local computer can override DNS resolution for specific hostnames. Since the computer can ping the server IP (192.168.1.200) successfully, network connectivity is fine, but if the hosts file contains an incorrect or outdated entry for the internal website's hostname, the browser will fail to load the site. Checking the hosts file is the logical next step before investigating DNS or firewall issues.

Answer

DNS resolution for the internal website.

Answer

Firewall settings on the server.

Answer

The default gateway configuration.

Question 14

A user reports that their desktop computer can ping other workstations on the local network and can connect to the internet by IP address (e.g., pinging 8.8.8.8 works), but cannot browse any websites using domain names. The network settings show the workstation obtains an IP address automatically via DHCP. The technician checks the DHCP server and confirms it is providing a valid DNS server address. Which of the following is the MOST likely cause?

Accepted Answer

The DNS server address is not being applied correctly. The user can ping by IP address (e.g., 8.8.8.8) and reach local hosts, confirming Layer 3 connectivity and a correct default gateway. The inability to resolve domain names while the DHCP server is configured to provide a valid DNS server address points to the client not receiving or applying that DNS server address correctly. This is a classic symptom of a DNS resolution failure where the workstation's DNS client configuration is missing or incorrect, often due to a stale DHCP lease, a misconfigured DHCP scope option, or a local DNS cache issue.

Answer

The default gateway address is incorrect

Answer

The network cable is faulty

Answer

The web browser is corrupted

Question 15

A user reports that their desktop computer shuts down randomly after about 10 minutes of use. The technician checks the event log and sees thermal warnings. The technician has verified that all fans are spinning and the CPU heatsink is properly attached. Which of the following should the technician do NEXT?

Accepted Answer

Apply new thermal paste between the CPU and heatsink.. The thermal warnings in the event log indicate that the CPU is overheating despite the fans spinning and the heatsink being properly attached. Over time, thermal paste can dry out or become less effective, reducing heat transfer from the CPU to the heatsink. Applying new thermal paste restores proper thermal conductivity, which is the most likely fix given the symptoms.

Answer

Replace the power supply.

Answer

Update the BIOS firmware.

Answer

Replace the CPU.