220-1101 Practice Exam 57 — 20 Questions

Question 1

A network technician changes the company's subnet mask from 255.255.255.0 to 255.255.0.0 to accommodate network growth. All workstations use DHCP except one file server that has a static IP address of 192.168.1.50 with subnet mask 255.255.255.0 and default gateway 192.168.1.1. After the change, a user reports that they cannot access the file server. The user's workstation obtains its IP via DHCP and can access the internet. Which of the following is the most likely cause of the issue?

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

Accepted Answer

C. The file server still has the old subnet mask 255.255.255.0, which means it considers its local subnet to be 192.168.1.0/24. When the user's workstation receives a new IP from DHCP (likely in a different subnet, e.g., 192.168.2.x), the file server sees that the destination is not in its local subnet and sends traffic to its default gateway (192.168.1.1). However, the file server's own subnet mask prevents it from recognizing the user's IP as local, so it cannot respond directly to ARP requests from the user, breaking communication. The user can access the internet because the DHCP scope and gateway are correctly configured for the new /16 mask, but the static file server is isolated.

Answer

A

Answer

B

Answer

D

Question 2

A company hosts a critical web application on a virtual machine (VM) in a public cloud. The application experiences sudden, unpredictable traffic spikes that require additional CPU and memory resources for a few hours at a time. The cloud provider automatically provisions and releases these resources based on real-time demand, without any manual intervention from the IT team. Which essential characteristic of cloud computing does this scenario BEST describe?

Accepted Answer

Elasticity. The scenario describes elasticity, which is the ability of a cloud system to automatically scale resources (CPU, memory) up or down in real-time based on demand, without manual intervention. This is a core characteristic of cloud computing, distinct from high availability or fault tolerance, as it focuses on dynamic resource provisioning to match workload spikes.

Answer

High availability

Answer

Load balancing

Answer

Fault tolerance

Question 3

A technician sets up a small office network. The router is configured with DHCP providing addresses in the 192.168.1.0/24 range. A new employee's laptop obtains an IP address of 192.168.1.50, subnet mask 255.255.255.0, and default gateway 192.168.1.1. The laptop can ping other local workstations and the router (192.168.1.1), but cannot access any external websites by domain name or IP address. Which of the following is the MOST likely cause of this issue?

Accepted Answer

The router's WAN connection is not properly configured or is down.. The laptop can ping the local router (192.168.1.1) and other local workstations, which confirms that the laptop's IP configuration (address, subnet mask, default gateway) is correct and that the local LAN is functioning. However, the inability to reach any external websites by either domain name or IP address indicates that the router cannot forward traffic beyond its local subnet. The most likely cause is that the router's WAN connection is not properly configured or is down, preventing any outbound traffic from reaching the internet.

Answer

The laptop's DNS server configuration is incorrect.

Answer

The default gateway is not set correctly on the laptop.

Answer

A firewall on the router is blocking all outbound traffic from the laptop.

Question 4

A technician is installing a PoE security camera that is located 85 meters (279 feet) from the network switch. The switch does not support Power over Ethernet (PoE). The camera requires both data connectivity and power over the same Ethernet cable. Which of the following is the best solution?

Accepted Answer

Use a PoE injector at the switch location. A PoE injector at the switch location is the best solution because it adds power to the Ethernet cable without requiring a PoE switch. The camera is 85 meters away, which is within the 100-meter maximum for Ethernet (Cat 5e/6), so the existing cabling can carry both data and power when a PoE injector is used. This provides a cost-effective, single-cable solution for both connectivity and power.

Answer

Use a PoE power supply connected directly to the camera

Answer

Replace the existing cable with Cat 6a cabling

Answer

Use fiber optic cable with media converters at each end

Question 5

A company plans to run multiple virtual servers on a single physical host to reduce hardware costs. The IT team wants direct hardware access for each virtual machine to maximize performance and minimize latency. Which of the following is the most appropriate hypervisor type to deploy?

Accepted Answer

Type 1 hypervisor (bare-metal) installed directly on the server hardware.. A Type 1 hypervisor (bare-metal) runs directly on the physical hardware without an underlying operating system, allowing each virtual machine to have direct, low-latency access to CPU, memory, and I/O devices. This architecture minimizes overhead and maximizes performance, making it the ideal choice when the requirement is direct hardware access for each VM.

Answer

Type 2 hypervisor installed on top of a general-purpose operating system.

Answer

Container-based virtualization running on the host OS.

Answer

A virtual desktop infrastructure (VDI) solution.

Question 6

A user reports that their smartphone is running very slowly and the battery drains significantly faster than usual, even when the screen is off. The technician notices that the phone feels warm to the touch. Which of the following is the MOST likely cause of these symptoms?

Accepted Answer

Too many apps are running in the background.. When a smartphone feels warm, runs slowly, and drains battery quickly even with the screen off, the most likely cause is excessive background app activity. Background apps consume CPU cycles and keep the processor active, generating heat and draining the battery. This is a classic symptom of runaway background processes rather than a hardware failure or simple settings issue.

Answer

The screen brightness is set too high.

Answer

The operating system needs to be updated.

Answer

The battery is failing and needs to be replaced.

Question 7

A technician connects a workstation to a switch port configured for VLAN 30. The network uses DHCP servers located on VLAN 10. After connecting, the workstation receives an APIPA address (169.254.x.x). The technician verifies that the Ethernet cable is functional and the switch port link light is solid. Other workstations on the same switch, connected to ports in VLAN 10, obtain valid IP addresses. Which of the following is the MOST likely cause of the issue?

Accepted Answer

The workstation is not receiving a DHCP offer because it is on a different VLAN than the DHCP server. The workstation is on VLAN 30, but the DHCP server resides on VLAN 10. By default, DHCP broadcasts (using UDP port 67/68) are not forwarded across VLANs unless a DHCP relay agent (IP helper-address) is configured on the VLAN 30 interface. Without that relay, the workstation never receives a DHCP offer, so it falls back to an APIPA address (169.254.x.x per RFC 3927).

Answer

The switch port is configured as a trunk port

Answer

The network cable is faulty

Answer

The workstation's NIC driver is outdated

Question 8

A small business has a single router with four built-in LAN ports. They need to connect 12 workstations to the network. The technician adds a 24-port unmanaged switch and connects it to one of the router's LAN ports. After connecting all workstations, some users report intermittent network connectivity. The technician checks the switch and notices the collision LED is flashing rapidly. Which of the following is the MOST likely cause of the issue?

Accepted Answer

The network is experiencing excessive collisions due to a duplex mismatch. The rapid flashing of the collision LED on the switch indicates that the network is experiencing an abnormally high number of collisions. In a modern switched network, collisions should be virtually nonexistent because each switch port creates its own collision domain. The most common cause of excessive collisions in this scenario is a duplex mismatch, where one device (likely the router's LAN port) is operating at half-duplex while the switch port is set to auto-negotiate or is forced to full-duplex. Half-duplex requires collision detection (CSMA/CD), and when a full-duplex device transmits simultaneously, the half-duplex device interprets the resulting frame corruption as a collision, leading to repeated retransmissions and the observed LED behavior.

Answer

The switch is malfunctioning and needs to be replaced

Answer

The router's LAN port is not configured for the correct speed

Answer

The switch is not receiving enough power from the router

Question 9

A user reports that their Android smartphone can send and receive SMS messages and browse the internet using mobile data, but cannot send or receive MMS (picture messages). The technician has confirmed that mobile data is enabled and the signal is strong. Which of the following should the technician check FIRST?

Accepted Answer

The APN settings for MMS proxy and port. MMS (Multimedia Messaging Service) requires specific APN (Access Point Name) settings, including an MMS proxy and port, to route multimedia content through the carrier's MMS gateway. Since SMS and mobile data work, the issue is isolated to MMS configuration, making APN settings the logical first check. The technician should verify the MMS proxy, port, MMSC URL, and MMS protocol fields in the device's APN configuration.

Answer

The SMS center number

Answer

The phone's storage space

Answer

The messaging app's permissions

Question 10

A desktop computer powers on for about two seconds (fans spin, LEDs flash) then immediately shuts down. It repeats this cycle if the power button is pressed again. The technician has already replaced the power supply with a known-good unit, removed and reseated all expansion cards and memory modules, and tested the system outside the case on a non-conductive surface. The problem persists. Which of the following is the MOST likely cause?

Accepted Answer

The motherboard is faulty. The symptom of powering on for about two seconds and then immediately shutting down, followed by a repeating cycle, is classic for a short circuit or a critical motherboard failure. Since the technician has already replaced the power supply with a known-good unit, reseated all components, and tested the system outside the case (eliminating case shorts), the only remaining component that can cause this exact behavior is the motherboard itself. A faulty motherboard can fail to initialize the CPU or power regulation (VRM) correctly, triggering the system's overcurrent or thermal protection within seconds.

Answer

The CPU is faulty

Answer

The RAM is incompatible

Answer

The graphics card is drawing too much power

Question 11

A technician is troubleshooting a workstation that cannot connect to the network. The link light on the network interface card (NIC) is solid, and the technician can successfully ping the loopback address (127.0.0.1). Running ipconfig shows an IP address of 169.254.15.200 with a subnet mask of 255.255.0.0. Which of the following is the most likely cause of the connectivity issue?

Accepted Answer

The DHCP server is unavailable or not responding. The IP address 169.254.15.200 with a subnet mask of 255.255.0.0 is an Automatic Private IP Addressing (APIPA) address, which Windows assigns when a DHCP discovery broadcast fails to receive a response. Since the link light is solid and loopback ping succeeds, the NIC and TCP/IP stack are functional, pointing to a DHCP server that is unavailable or not responding as the root cause.

Answer

The default gateway is misconfigured

Answer

The DNS server is not resolving domain names

Answer

The NIC driver is faulty

Question 12

A user reports that their Android smartphone displays 'Emergency calls only' at the top of the screen and cannot make or receive regular calls. The device still connects to Wi-Fi and can use messaging apps over Wi-Fi. The technician removes the SIM card, inspects it for damage, and reinserts it. The problem persists. The technician then takes a known-working SIM card from another phone and inserts it into the user's phone; the phone immediately connects to the cellular network. Which of the following is the MOST likely cause?

Accepted Answer

The SIM card is defective or has been deactivated by the carrier.. The technician's swap test with a known-working SIM card immediately restored cellular connectivity, isolating the issue to the original SIM card. Since the phone could still use Wi-Fi and messaging apps, the radio hardware and software stack for cellular were functional, but the SIM card itself was either physically defective or deactivated by the carrier, preventing network registration.

Answer

The phone's cellular antenna is disconnected or damaged.

Answer

The phone is in airplane mode but Wi-Fi is manually re-enabled.

Answer

The mobile network APN settings are incorrectly configured.

Question 13

A technician is troubleshooting a desktop computer that does not power on. The computer was working earlier that day. The technician verifies that the power cord is firmly connected to both the computer and the wall outlet. The power outlet is functional. When the power button is pressed, no fans spin and no LEDs light up. The technician opens the case and sees that the power supply unit's fan is not spinning. Using a multimeter, the technician measures the voltage on the 24-pin motherboard connector and finds that the +5V and +12V rails are within normal range. Which of the following should the technician do NEXT?

Accepted Answer

Test the power button by shorting the two pins on the motherboard.. The power supply is outputting correct voltages on the +5V and +12V rails, so it is likely functional. The fact that no fans spin and no LEDs light up when the power button is pressed suggests the power-on signal from the front panel switch is not reaching the motherboard. Shorting the two power button pins on the motherboard header bypasses the physical switch, confirming whether the switch itself is faulty or the motherboard's power-on circuit is intact.

Answer

Replace the power supply.

Answer

Replace the motherboard.

Answer

Reseat the RAM modules.

Question 14

A technician is troubleshooting a desktop computer that experiences intermittent freezing, especially when running graphics-intensive applications or games. The technician has updated all drivers, run full antivirus scans, and replaced the RAM. The CPU and GPU temperatures stay below 70°C under load. The event logs show no critical errors. However, the freezing always occurs under high load, and sometimes the system restarts without a blue screen. Which component is MOST likely failing?

Accepted Answer

Power supply unit (PSU). The power supply unit (PSU) is the most likely failing component because intermittent freezing and restarts under high load, without blue screens or critical errors, are classic symptoms of an unstable or insufficient power supply. When the GPU and CPU draw maximum current during graphics-intensive tasks, a failing PSU may drop below required voltage rails (e.g., +12V), causing the system to lock up or reboot. The fact that temperatures are normal and RAM has been replaced eliminates thermal and memory issues, pointing directly to power delivery.

Answer

CPU

Answer

GPU

Answer

Motherboard

Question 15

A technician is troubleshooting a desktop computer that randomly freezes and then reboots. The technician runs a CPU stress test; after about 5 minutes, the system freezes and reboots. The CPU temperature during the test is monitored and never exceeds 75°C. The technician has run a full memory test (MemTest86) and a hard drive diagnostic (SMART check); both pass without errors. The power supply voltages are within specifications when measured with a multimeter at idle and under load. Which of the following is the MOST likely cause of the issue?

Accepted Answer

A failing power supply unit. The symptoms—random freezing and rebooting under CPU stress, with all other components (CPU temperature, memory, storage, and power supply voltages) passing diagnostics—point to a failing power supply unit (PSU). Even though the multimeter shows correct voltages at idle and under load, a PSU can fail intermittently under sustained high current draw, causing voltage ripple or transient drops that trigger a system reset. The CPU stress test specifically taxes the 12V rail, and a marginal PSU may not maintain stable output during extended high-load scenarios, leading to the observed behavior.

Answer

Insufficient voltage to the CPU due to motherboard VRM failure

Answer

A corrupted operating system driver

Answer

A failing system fan that spins intermittently

Question 16

A technician is troubleshooting a desktop computer that randomly restarts when running graphically intensive applications like games. The technician has verified that the CPU and GPU temperatures are within normal limits. The power supply unit (PSU) is rated at 400W, and the system includes an Intel Core i7-10700 (125W TDP) and an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 (170W TDP), along with several drives and fans. Which of the following is the MOST likely cause of the random restarts?

Accepted Answer

Insufficient power supply wattage. The system's total power draw under load (CPU 125W + GPU 170W + drives, fans, motherboard ~50-80W) can exceed 400W, causing the PSU to trip its overcurrent protection or drop out of regulation, leading to random restarts during graphically intensive tasks. This is the classic symptom of an underpowered PSU, even though temperatures are normal.

Answer

Faulty RAM module

Answer

Outdated GPU driver

Answer

Failing CPU fan

Question 17

A technician is troubleshooting a desktop computer that periodically loses network connectivity for about one minute at a time. The link light on the NIC remains lit during the outage. The technician has replaced the Ethernet cable and the NIC with known-good parts, but the issue persists. The computer is connected to a managed switch. Which of the following should the technician check NEXT?

Accepted Answer

The Power Management settings for the network adapter. The periodic one-minute loss of connectivity with the link light still lit strongly indicates the network adapter is entering a low-power state. Windows Power Management settings allow the OS to turn off the NIC to save power, and when the adapter wakes from this state, it can take up to a minute to re-establish the link. Since the cable and NIC have already been replaced, checking and disabling the 'Allow the computer to turn off this device to save power' option in the NIC's Power Management tab is the logical next step.

Answer

The device drivers for the network adapter

Answer

The switch port configuration for VLAN assignment

Answer

The network hub for electrical interference

Question 18

A company hosts a critical application on a public cloud platform. The IT team configures the application to run on multiple virtual machines in an auto-scaling group. The cloud platform monitors the health of each instance. If a health check fails, the platform automatically terminates the unhealthy instance and launches a new one to maintain the desired capacity. Which cloud concept does this configuration BEST illustrate?

Accepted Answer

High availability. This configuration best illustrates high availability because the auto-scaling group and health check mechanism ensure that the application remains accessible despite instance failures. By automatically replacing unhealthy instances, the system minimizes downtime and maintains service continuity, which is the core goal of high availability in cloud computing.

Answer

Elasticity

Answer

Fault tolerance

Answer

Disaster recovery

Question 19

A company hosts a web application on a virtual machine in a public cloud. During lunch hours, traffic increases dramatically, and the cloud provider automatically provisions additional compute resources to handle the load. When traffic subsides, the extra resources are automatically released. Which essential characteristic of cloud computing does this scenario BEST describe?

Accepted Answer

Rapid elasticity. The scenario describes automatic scaling up and down of compute resources in response to demand, which is the defining behavior of rapid elasticity. This characteristic allows cloud resources to be provisioned and released quickly, often automatically, to match workload fluctuations. The key here is the dynamic, automated scaling triggered by traffic changes, not just the ability to request resources manually.

Answer

Resource pooling

Answer

Measured service

Answer

On-demand self-service

Question 20

A small office network uses a single router configured as a DHCP server for the 192.168.1.0/24 network. The DHCP scope is set to 192.168.1.10 - 192.168.1.50. Over the past week, several workstations have reported intermittent connectivity. The technician checks a workstation and finds that its IP address has changed from 192.168.1.20 to 169.254.15.100. Other workstations also show similar APIPA addresses. The DHCP server logs indicate that many lease requests are being declined. The network has 45 devices that require IP addresses. Which of the following is the MOST likely cause of the issue?

Accepted Answer

The DHCP scope is too small for the number of devices on the network. The DHCP scope is 192.168.1.10–192.168.1.50, which provides only 41 usable addresses. With 45 devices requiring IP addresses, the scope is exhausted. When a DHCP server cannot assign an address, clients self-assign an APIPA address (169.254.x.x) per RFC 3927, explaining the intermittent connectivity and declined lease requests.

Answer

The DHCP server is malfunctioning and needs to be restarted

Answer

The DNS server is not resolving hostnames correctly

Answer

The network switch is flooding the network with broadcast traffic