220-1101 Practice Exam 54 — 20 Questions

Question 1

A technician is troubleshooting a workstation that has intermittent network connectivity. The link light on the NIC is blinking, but the workstation frequently loses connection for several seconds at a time. The technician notices the patch cable runs along the ceiling near a fluorescent light fixture. The cable is an unshielded Cat5e cable. Which of the following is the MOST likely cause of the intermittent issue?

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

Accepted Answer

Electromagnetic interference (EMI) from the fluorescent light is corrupting the signal on the unshielded cable.. The blinking link light indicates the NIC is detecting a carrier signal, but intermittent connectivity points to signal corruption. Unshielded twisted-pair (UTP) Cat5e cable lacks a metallic shield, making it susceptible to electromagnetic interference (EMI). Fluorescent light fixtures generate significant EMI, which can corrupt the differential signaling on the cable, causing packet loss and brief disconnections.

Answer

The cable is terminated incorrectly, causing intermittent shorts.

Answer

The cable run exceeds the maximum length for Cat5e (100 meters).

Answer

The workstation's NIC is failing and needs to be replaced.

Question 2

A technician configures a server with a static IP address of 192.168.1.100, subnet mask 255.255.0.0, and default gateway 192.168.1.1. The server can access the internet and devices on the 192.168.1.0/24 network. However, it cannot reach a network printer at 192.168.2.50. The printer is on the same physical LAN but in a different subnet (192.168.2.0/24). The router's interface for the 192.168.2.0 network is 192.168.1.2, and routing is properly configured. Other devices on the 192.168.1.0/24 network (with correct subnet mask 255.255.255.0) can reach the printer successfully. Which of the following is the MOST likely cause of the server's inability to reach the printer?

Accepted Answer

B. The server's subnet mask is too broad, causing it to try to reach the printer directly rather than through the gateway. The server's subnet mask of 255.255.0.0 creates a /16 network (192.168.0.0/16), which includes both 192.168.1.0/24 and 192.168.2.0/24. Because the server believes the printer is on the same local subnet, it sends ARP requests for 192.168.2.50 directly instead of forwarding traffic to the default gateway. Since the printer is on a different physical subnet (despite being on the same LAN), the ARP request never reaches it, and the connection fails.

Answer

A. The server's default gateway should be set to 192.168.1.2 instead of 192.168.1.1

Answer

C. The router is blocking traffic from the server's IP address to the 192.168.2.0 network

Answer

D. The printer's default gateway is misconfigured

Question 3

A user reports that their Bluetooth headphones no longer connect to their smartphone after an operating system update. The headphones work normally when paired with a different smartphone. Other Bluetooth devices, such as a smartwatch, still connect to the user's phone without issues. Which of the following should the user try FIRST?

Accepted Answer

Forget the device and re-pair it. The most common cause of Bluetooth connectivity failure after an OS update is a corrupted or mismatched pairing profile. Forgetting the device removes the old profile from the smartphone's Bluetooth stack, forcing a fresh pairing handshake that re-establishes the correct encryption keys and service discovery. This is the first-line troubleshooting step before more invasive or time-consuming actions.

Answer

Reboot the smartphone

Answer

Reset network settings on the smartphone

Answer

Update the firmware on the Bluetooth headphones

Question 4

A company wants to deploy a custom web application in the cloud. They need full control over the operating system and software stack, including the ability to install and configure the web server, database, and security patches. They do not want to manage the underlying physical hardware or hypervisor. Which cloud service model best meets their requirements?

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, middleware, and applications while the cloud provider manages the underlying physical hardware and hypervisor. This matches the requirement for full OS and software stack control without managing physical infrastructure.

Answer

Platform as a Service (PaaS)

Answer

Software as a Service (SaaS)

Answer

Desktop as a Service (DaaS)

Question 5

A technician is building a new PC using an AMD Ryzen 5 5600X CPU and an Asus TUF GAMING B550-PLUS motherboard. After installing all components, the system powers on, the CPU and GPU fans spin, but the monitor remains black and there are no POST beeps. The technician has already reseated the RAM and GPU, and verified that the 8-pin EPS12V power connector is connected. Which of the following is the MOST likely cause?

Accepted Answer

The motherboard BIOS needs to be updated to support the Ryzen 5 5600X. The Ryzen 5 5600X is based on the Zen 3 architecture, which requires a BIOS version that supports AGESA ComboV2 1.1.0.0 or later. The Asus TUF GAMING B550-PLUS motherboard may ship with an older BIOS that only supports Zen 2 (Ryzen 3000 series) CPUs. Without the updated BIOS, the motherboard cannot initialize the CPU, resulting in a black screen and no POST beeps despite fans spinning.

Answer

The power supply unit wattage is insufficient for the CPU and GPU

Answer

The RAM is installed in the wrong slots for dual-channel mode

Answer

The CPU cooler is not making proper contact with the CPU

Question 6

A technician is troubleshooting a desktop computer that randomly powers off. The event log shows a critical error: Kernel-Power 41. The power supply unit (PSU) fan is spinning, and the CPU cooler fan is also spinning. All cables appear connected. Which of the following should the technician do NEXT?

Accepted Answer

Check for a faulty power supply using a multimeter. The Kernel-Power 41 error indicates an unexpected shutdown, often caused by a failing power supply. Even though the PSU fan spins, it may not deliver stable voltages under load. Using a multimeter to check the PSU's output voltages (e.g., +3.3V, +5V, +12V) is the correct next step to isolate the issue before replacing components.

Answer

Replace the CPU

Answer

Reinstall the operating system

Answer

Update the BIOS firmware

Question 7

A company runs a critical database application on a virtual machine (VM) hosted on a Type 1 hypervisor. During peak hours, other VMs on the same host consume large amounts of CPU and memory, causing the database VM to experience performance degradation. The administrator wants to guarantee that the database VM always receives at least 4 GB of RAM and 2 vCPUs of processing power, regardless of demand from other VMs. Which virtualization feature should the administrator configure?

Accepted Answer

Resource reservation. Resource reservation guarantees a minimum amount of CPU and memory resources to a specific VM, ensuring that the database VM always has at least 4 GB of RAM and 2 vCPUs available even when other VMs on the same Type 1 hypervisor are under heavy load. This feature prevents performance degradation by locking those resources for the reserved VM, regardless of demand from other guests.

Answer

Resource pooling

Answer

Elasticity

Answer

Thin provisioning

Question 8

A technician is troubleshooting a desktop workstation that can successfully ping other local devices and the default gateway by IP address, but cannot access any websites when browsing with a web browser. The workstation obtains its IP configuration automatically via DHCP. The technician confirms that the DHCP server is providing a valid DNS server address and that other workstations on the same network can browse the internet normally. Which of the following is the MOST likely cause of the issue?

Accepted Answer

The workstation is configured to use a proxy server that is not available. The workstation can ping local devices and the default gateway by IP address, confirming that Layer 2/3 connectivity (ARP, IP routing) is functional. However, it cannot browse websites, which requires DNS resolution (UDP/TCP port 53) and HTTP/HTTPS traffic (TCP ports 80/443). Since other workstations on the same network browse normally, the issue is isolated to this workstation. A misconfigured proxy server (e.g., set in browser or system proxy settings) can intercept or block web traffic, preventing access to websites even when DNS and IP connectivity are working.

Answer

Duplicate IP address on the network

Answer

Incorrect subnet mask configured by DHCP

Answer

The workstation's DNS client cache is corrupted

Question 9

A small company hosts its customer-facing web application on a public cloud provider's infrastructure. However, due to regulatory requirements, the company must keep its customer database on a private server located at its own data center. The web application needs to access the database for real-time transactions. Which cloud deployment model best describes this setup?

Accepted Answer

A. Hybrid cloud. This setup combines a public cloud for the customer-facing web application with a private on-premises server for the customer database, which is the defining characteristic of a hybrid cloud deployment model. Hybrid cloud allows workloads to run in separate environments while maintaining connectivity, often via VPN or dedicated circuits, enabling real-time transactions between the public and private components.

Answer

B. Public cloud

Answer

C. Private cloud

Answer

D. Community cloud

Question 10

A technician is troubleshooting a computer that cannot access any websites by their domain name (e.g., www.example.com) but can access websites by their IP address. The computer's IP configuration shows it received a valid IP address from the DHCP server. Which of the following is the MOST likely cause?

Accepted Answer

The DNS server address is incorrect or unreachable. The ability to access websites by IP address but not by domain name indicates that name resolution is failing. Since the computer has a valid IP address from DHCP, the most likely cause is that the DNS server address provided by DHCP is incorrect or unreachable, preventing the translation of domain names to IP addresses.

Answer

The default gateway is incorrect

Answer

The subnet mask is incorrect

Answer

The DHCP lease has expired

Question 11

A user reports that their Android smartphone can send and receive text messages (SMS) and browse the internet using the cellular data connection, but cannot send picture messages (MMS) to contacts. Which of the following should the technician check FIRST?

Accepted Answer

APN settings. MMS messages require a specific APN configuration that includes both an MMS proxy and MMS port, which are separate from the standard internet APN settings. Since the user can send SMS and browse the web, the core cellular data connection works, but the missing or incorrect MMS proxy/port values in the APN prevent the phone from establishing the necessary WAP gateway connection for MMS delivery. Checking the APN settings first is the logical step because MMS relies on a dedicated data channel through the carrier's MMS server, not the standard internet APN.

Answer

Data roaming setting

Answer

Message center number

Answer

Wi-Fi calling setting

Question 12

A network administrator configures a small office with a router providing DHCP. A user's computer gets an IP address of 169.254.1.5. The user cannot access the internet. The technician checks the network cable and sees link lights. Which of the following is the MOST likely cause?

Accepted Answer

The DHCP server is unreachable.. The IP address 169.254.1.5 is an Automatic Private IP Addressing (APIPA) address, which Windows assigns when a DHCP discovery broadcast fails to receive a response. Since the router is configured to provide DHCP but the client ended up with an APIPA address, the DHCP server is unreachable — likely due to a misconfigured DHCP relay, a disabled DHCP service on the router, or a VLAN mismatch blocking the broadcast. The link lights confirm Layer 1 connectivity, so the issue is at Layer 3 or above.

Answer

Incorrect subnet mask.

Answer

Duplicate IP address on the network.

Answer

DNS server misconfiguration.

Question 13

A technician is setting up a small network for a home office. The ISP modem provides a public IP address via DHCP. The technician connects a wireless router's WAN port to the modem and configures the router to use DHCP on the WAN interface. The router's LAN network is 192.168.1.0/24. A user connects a laptop via Ethernet to one of the router's LAN ports and can access the internet. However, the user's network printer, which has a static IP address, was previously connected directly to the modem and now cannot be reached from the laptop. The printer is powered on and its Ethernet link light is on. Which of the following is the most likely cause?

Accepted Answer

B. The printer's static IP address is on a different subnet from the router's LAN. The printer's static IP address is likely on a different subnet from the router's LAN (192.168.1.0/24). Since the printer was previously connected directly to the modem, it probably had a public or different private IP address (e.g., 192.168.0.x or 10.0.0.x). The laptop cannot reach the printer because the router will not forward traffic destined for an IP outside its LAN subnet without a route, and the printer's static IP is not in the same broadcast domain.

Answer

A. The printer's firewall is blocking ICMP

Answer

C. The printer needs to be connected to the WAN port of the router

Answer

D. The router's DHCP server is conflicting with the printer's static IP

Question 14

A user reports that their smartphone will not charge. The phone was working normally until the user plugged it into a generic car charger. Now, when connected to any charger, the phone displays the charging icon but the battery percentage does not increase over time. The technician has tested the phone with a known-good wall charger and cable, and the symptom persists. The phone is detected by a computer and can transfer files over USB. Which of the following components is MOST likely faulty?

Accepted Answer

Power management IC (PMIC). The Power Management IC (PMIC) is the component responsible for regulating the charging voltage and current, and for communicating the battery's charge state to the operating system. Since the phone shows a charging icon (indicating the PMIC is receiving power from the port) but the battery percentage does not increase (indicating the PMIC is not properly charging the battery), and the phone still works normally on USB data (ruling out a full logic board failure), the PMIC is the most likely faulty component. The generic car charger likely sent a voltage spike or improper power signal that damaged the PMIC's charging circuitry.

Answer

Battery

Answer

Charging port

Answer

System board (logic board)

Question 15

A company uses a cloud service where administrators can provision virtual machines with pre-configured operating systems and applications from a catalog. They can scale the number of VMs up or down as needed, but they are responsible for managing the guest OS and applications. Which cloud service model does this describe?

Accepted Answer

Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS). This scenario describes Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) because the cloud provider supplies virtualized hardware resources (VMs, storage, networking), while the customer retains full control over the guest operating system and applications. The administrator provisions pre-configured VMs from a catalog and scales them up or down, but is responsible for OS patching, application management, and security within the VM. This aligns with the IaaS shared responsibility model where the provider manages the hypervisor and physical infrastructure, and the customer manages everything above the OS layer.

Answer

Platform as a Service (PaaS)

Answer

Software as a Service (SaaS)

Answer

Desktop as a Service (DaaS)

Question 16

A technician needs to remove a swollen lithium-ion battery from a laptop before performing further repairs. Which of the following is the most critical safety step to take before beginning the removal?

Accepted Answer

Disconnect the AC adapter and remove the battery from the laptop while powered off. Disconnecting the AC adapter and powering off the laptop ensures that no electrical current is flowing to the system, eliminating the risk of a short circuit or electrical shock when handling a damaged lithium-ion battery. A swollen battery is chemically unstable and can rupture or ignite if disturbed while the system is still powered or connected to a charger. This step is the most critical because it directly addresses the immediate electrical hazard before any physical manipulation of the battery.

Answer

Fully discharge the battery by running the laptop until it shuts down

Answer

Use a metal spudger to gently pry the battery out of its compartment

Answer

Place the removed battery in a sealed plastic bag for disposal

Question 17

A technician is troubleshooting a desktop PC that fails to boot. When the power button is pressed, the system powers on for approximately 5 seconds, then shuts down and immediately restarts, repeating this cycle. The technician has replaced the power supply, reseated all components, and verified there are no loose screws or shorts. The motherboard has diagnostic LEDs, and the CPU LED glows solid red when the system attempts to start. The CPU is an Intel Core i7-12700K (LGA1700) installed in a compatible motherboard. The cooler is properly mounted with thermal paste applied. Which of the following is the MOST likely cause?

Accepted Answer

The motherboard BIOS version does not support the installed CPU.. The CPU LED glowing solid red indicates a CPU-related fault. Since the technician has already replaced the power supply, reseated components, and verified proper cooler mounting, the most likely cause is that the motherboard's BIOS version predates the microcode required for the Intel Core i7-12700K (Alder Lake, LGA1700). Many LGA1700 motherboards require a BIOS update to support 12th-gen CPUs; without it, the system fails to initialize the CPU, leading to the observed power cycle.

Answer

The CPU cooler is not making sufficient contact with the CPU.

Answer

The RAM modules are not fully seated in the correct slots.

Answer

The power supply unit is delivering insufficient wattage on the +12V rail.

Question 18

A user reports that their workstation can access internal network resources by IP address (e.g., \192.168.1.100\share) and can browse the internet using IP addresses (e.g., http://8.8.8.8), but cannot access any resources by hostname (e.g., \fileserver\share or www.example.com). Other workstations on the same subnet can resolve hostnames without issue. The workstation obtains its IP address via DHCP. The technician runs ipconfig and sees: IP: 192.168.1.105, Subnet Mask: 255.255.255.0, Default Gateway: 192.168.1.1, DNS Server: 192.168.1.1. Which of the following is the MOST likely cause of this issue?

Accepted Answer

The DNS resolver cache on the workstation is corrupted or contains invalid entries.. The workstation can reach resources by IP address but not by hostname, indicating a name resolution problem. Since other workstations on the same subnet resolve hostnames correctly, the DNS server (192.168.1.1) is functioning properly. The issue is isolated to this workstation, making a corrupted DNS resolver cache the most likely cause. Clearing the cache with `ipconfig /flushdns` would force fresh queries and resolve the issue. Option B is incorrect because the DNS server address shown is correct (192.168.1.1) and DHCP exhaustion would produce an APIPA address, not a valid one. Option C is incorrect because NetBIOS over TCP/IP is used for NetBIOS name resolution, not DNS-based hostname resolution used for accessing websites and UNC paths by hostname. Option D is incorrect because workgroup or domain membership does not affect general hostname resolution via DNS; it affects browsing network resources in Active Directory but not basic name resolution.

Answer

The DHCP scope is exhausted, and the workstation received an incorrect DNS server address.

Answer

NetBIOS over TCP/IP is disabled on the workstation, preventing NetBIOS name resolution.

Answer

The workstation is in the wrong workgroup or domain, so it cannot resolve remote hostnames.

Question 19

A technician is upgrading a desktop computer with a new high-end graphics card. The power supply unit (PSU) is rated at 500W. The new graphics card requires two 8-pin PCIe power connectors. The PSU has one 6+2 pin PCIe connector and one 6-pin PCIe connector. The technician uses a 6-pin to 8-pin power adapter to convert the 6-pin connector to an 8-pin. When the computer is powered on, the fans spin briefly, then the system shuts down immediately. What is the most likely cause?

Accepted Answer

The 6-pin PCIe connector cannot provide the required power to the graphics card, even with a 6-pin to 8-pin adapter.. The most likely cause is that the 6-pin PCIe connector, even with a 6-pin to 8-pin adapter, cannot deliver the required power for the high-end graphics card. A 6-pin connector is rated for 75W, while an 8-pin connector is rated for 150W. The adapter does not increase the power delivery capacity; it only changes the physical shape. When the graphics card attempts to draw more power than the 6-pin rail can supply, the PSU's overcurrent protection (OCP) trips, causing an immediate shutdown. This is consistent with the symptom: fans spin briefly then system powers off.

Answer

The graphics card is not receiving enough power from the PCIe slot itself.

Answer

The power supply's total wattage is insufficient to power the graphics card.

Answer

The motherboard's BIOS does not support the new graphics card.

Question 20

A user reports that they cannot access the internet. The technician checks the network status on the computer and sees that the Ethernet cable is plugged in, but the link light on the network interface card is not illuminated. Which of the following should the technician check FIRST?

Accepted Answer

The cable connection at the patch panel or wall jack. The link light on the NIC indicates Layer 1 (physical) connectivity. Since it is not illuminated, the issue is almost certainly a physical connection problem, such as a loose or damaged cable at the wall jack or patch panel. Checking the cable connection at the patch panel or wall jack is the first logical step before moving to higher-layer troubleshooting.

Answer

The IP address configuration in the operating system

Answer

The DNS server settings

Answer

The firewall rules