220-1101 Practice Exam 64 — 20 Questions

Question 1

A technician is troubleshooting a workstation that is connected to a managed switch. The link lights on both the workstation and switch are illuminated, but the workstation cannot obtain an IP address from the DHCP server. The technician manually configures a static IP address (192.168.1.100, subnet mask 255.255.255.0, default gateway 192.168.1.1) on the workstation, but it still cannot ping the router (192.168.1.1). Other workstations on the same switch can ping the router successfully. Which of the following is the MOST likely cause of this issue?

Accepted Answer

Speed/duplex mismatch between the switch port and the workstation NIC. The link lights are on, indicating Layer 1 connectivity, but the inability to obtain a DHCP lease or ping the gateway despite a correct static IP suggests a Layer 2 issue. A speed/duplex mismatch causes excessive frame errors and collisions, effectively breaking communication even though the physical link appears active. This is the most likely cause because other workstations on the same switch work fine, isolating the problem to the specific switch port or workstation NIC configuration.

Answer

Duplicate IP address on the network

Answer

Incorrect subnet mask

Answer

Damaged Ethernet cable

Question 2

A systems administrator is planning to deploy a critical application to the cloud. The application requires dedicated physical hardware to meet compliance standards. The administrator also needs full control over the operating system, including kernel configurations. Which cloud service model BEST meets these requirements?

Accepted Answer

Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) with dedicated hosts. Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) with dedicated hosts is the correct choice because it provides the administrator with dedicated physical hardware, ensuring compliance with standards that require no multi-tenancy, and full control over the operating system, including kernel configurations. Unlike shared IaaS, dedicated hosts guarantee that the underlying physical server is not shared with other tenants, meeting strict compliance and performance requirements.

Answer

Platform as a Service (PaaS)

Answer

Software as a Service (SaaS)

Answer

Function as a Service (FaaS)

Question 3

A technician is troubleshooting a workstation that experiences slow file transfers and occasional timeouts on the local network. The workstation is connected to a managed switch via a Cat5e cable. The technician checks the switch port configuration and finds it is set to 'auto-negotiate'. The workstation's network adapter properties show it is manually configured to '100 Mbps Full Duplex'. Other workstations on the same switch do not experience these issues. Which of the following is the MOST likely cause of the problem?

Accepted Answer

The switch port is negotiating to half-duplex because the workstation is manually set to full duplex.. The workstation's NIC is manually set to 100 Mbps Full Duplex, while the switch port is set to auto-negotiate. During auto-negotiation, if one side is manually configured, the other side will detect the speed via link pulses but cannot determine the duplex setting, defaulting to half-duplex. This duplex mismatch causes collisions, leading to slow file transfers and timeouts, while other workstations using auto-negotiation on both sides operate correctly.

Answer

The Cat5e cable is damaged or too long.

Answer

The switch port is faulty and needs to be replaced.

Answer

The workstation's NIC driver is outdated or corrupt.

Question 4

A technician connects a new workstation to a switch port that is configured with port security and a maximum of one MAC address. After connecting the workstation, the port link LED remains off. The technician has verified the Ethernet cable is good, the switchport is not administratively down, and the workstation's NIC is functioning. Which of the following is the MOST likely cause?

Accepted Answer

The workstation's MAC address violates port security, causing the port to error-disable. Port security with a maximum of one MAC address will place the port into an error-disabled state if a MAC address violation occurs, such as when the workstation's MAC address differs from the one already learned or when the port detects a new MAC after the limit is reached. The link LED being off indicates the port is administratively up but not operational, which is consistent with an error-disabled condition caused by a security violation. Since the cable, switchport status, and NIC are verified good, the most likely cause is that the workstation's MAC triggered a port security violation, disabling the port.

Answer

The switchport is configured for a different VLAN than the workstation

Answer

The switch requires a reboot to recognize the new workstation

Answer

The workstation has a duplicate IP address on the network

Question 5

A technician builds a new workstation with an AMD Ryzen 7 CPU (with integrated graphics) and a compatible B550 motherboard. The technician installs 32 GB (2x16 GB) of DDR4-3600 RAM in the recommended slots (A2, B2). When powering on, the system fans spin, but there is no video output. The monitor is connected to the motherboard's HDMI port. The technician tries a different monitor and cable, with no success. Which of the following is the most likely cause?

Accepted Answer

B. The BIOS needs to be updated to support the CPU. The AMD Ryzen 7 CPU requires a BIOS version that supports its architecture. B550 motherboards were released before some Ryzen 7 models (e.g., 5000 series), so the BIOS may need an update to recognize the CPU. Without CPU initialization, the integrated graphics cannot output video, even though fans spin and power is present.

Answer

A. The RAM is too fast for the CPU's memory controller

Answer

C. The motherboard's CMOS battery is dead

Answer

D. The CPU requires a discrete GPU to output video

Question 6

A technician configured a workstation with a static IP address of 192.168.1.100, subnet mask 255.255.255.0, default gateway 192.168.1.1, and DNS server 8.8.8.8. The workstation can successfully ping the default gateway and other local devices on the same subnet. However, the user cannot browse any websites. The technician verifies that the internet connection is working from other devices on the network. Which of the following is the MOST likely reason the workstation cannot access websites?

Accepted Answer

The DNS server is unreachable, preventing domain name resolution.. The workstation can ping the default gateway and local devices, confirming that Layer 3 IP connectivity and the subnet mask are correct. However, it cannot browse websites, which requires DNS resolution to translate domain names into IP addresses. Since the DNS server 8.8.8.8 is unreachable (possibly blocked or not responding), the browser cannot resolve website names, even though internet connectivity exists for other devices.

Answer

The default gateway is incorrect.

Answer

The subnet mask is incorrect.

Answer

The workstation has a duplicate IP address.

Question 7

A technician is upgrading a desktop computer by installing a new high-end graphics card that requires two 8-pin PCIe power connectors. The existing power supply unit (PSU) is a 500W unit with only one 8-pin connector. The technician uses a Y-splitter adapter to power both connectors on the GPU from the single 8-pin rail. After powering on, the computer boots but the display remains blank, and the GPU's fans do not spin. Which of the following is the MOST likely cause?

Accepted Answer

The power supply does not provide enough wattage for the GPU. The most likely cause is that the 500W power supply does not provide enough wattage for the new high-end graphics card. Even though the Y-splitter adapter allows two physical connections, it draws power from a single 8-pin rail, which is limited to 150W (plus 75W from the PCIe slot). A high-end GPU typically requires 250W or more, and the total system load may exceed the PSU's capacity, causing the GPU to fail to initialize and its fans not to spin.

Answer

The GPU is not properly seated in the PCIe slot

Answer

The Y-splitter adapter is defective

Answer

The monitor cable is not correctly connected

Question 8

A technician is troubleshooting inter-subnet connectivity. The network consists of a router with two interfaces: 192.168.1.1/24 for Subnet A and 192.168.2.1/24 for Subnet B. A device on Subnet A (192.168.1.10/24) can ping the router's Subnet A interface (192.168.1.1) and other devices on Subnet A, but cannot ping a device on Subnet B (192.168.2.10/24). The device on Subnet B can ping its gateway (192.168.2.1) and other Subnet B devices. The router has IP routing enabled and no ACLs are configured. Which of the following is the MOST likely cause of the issue?

Accepted Answer

The device on Subnet A has a software firewall blocking incoming ICMP traffic. The device on Subnet A can reach its own gateway and local hosts, and the router has IP routing enabled with no ACLs, so routing is functional. The device on Subnet B can ping its own gateway, confirming that Subnet B's network and the router's interface are up. The most likely cause is that the device on Subnet A has a software firewall (e.g., Windows Defender Firewall) blocking incoming ICMP Echo Replies, which prevents the ping response from Subnet B from reaching Subnet A. This is a common scenario where outbound ICMP is allowed but inbound ICMP is blocked by the host firewall.

Answer

The router's interface on Subnet A is administratively down

Answer

The subnet mask on the device in Subnet B is incorrect

Answer

The switch port connecting the router to Subnet B is configured as an access port in the wrong VLAN

Question 9

A technician replaced the cracked screen on an iPhone 11. After reassembling the device, the phone powers on and responds to touch, but the display remains black. The technician hears the camera shutter sound when tapping the camera icon. Which of the following is the MOST likely cause?

Accepted Answer

The display cable is not connected properly. The iPhone 11 uses a single display assembly cable that carries both the LCD data and the digitizer (touch) signals. If the display cable is not fully seated or is damaged, the phone may still power on and register touch input (because the digitizer portion of the cable has partial contact), but the LCD backlight or data lines may be interrupted, resulting in a black screen. The camera shutter sound confirms the device is operational and the logic board is functioning, isolating the issue to the display connection.

Answer

The battery connector is loose

Answer

The front camera flex cable is damaged

Answer

The motherboard was damaged during the repair

Question 10

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 11

A small business uses a cloud service where they can deploy custom web applications written in various programming languages. They do not want to manage any servers, operating systems, or runtime environments. The cloud provider handles all underlying infrastructure, scaling, and patching. Which cloud service model is being used?

Accepted Answer

Platform as a Service (PaaS). Platform as a Service (PaaS) provides a managed platform where developers can deploy custom applications without managing the underlying servers, operating systems, or runtime environments. The cloud provider handles infrastructure, scaling, and patching, which matches the scenario exactly.

Answer

Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS)

Answer

Software as a Service (SaaS)

Answer

Desktop as a Service (DaaS)

Question 12

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

Question 13

A technician assembles a new desktop PC using an Intel Core i7-12700K CPU (with integrated graphics), a Z690 motherboard, and a discrete GPU. The monitor is connected to the motherboard's HDMI port. The system powers on, fans spin, but no image appears on the monitor. Which of the following should the technician do FIRST?

Accepted Answer

Enable integrated graphics in BIOS. The Intel Core i7-12700K includes integrated graphics, but many Z690 motherboards disable the iGPU by default when a discrete GPU is detected. Since the monitor is connected to the motherboard's HDMI port, the system will not output video until the integrated graphics are manually enabled in the BIOS. This is the most direct and likely cause of the no-display issue, and checking BIOS settings is the appropriate first step before reseating hardware or replacing cables.

Answer

Reseat the discrete GPU

Answer

Replace the monitor cable

Answer

Install the CPU again

Question 14

A technician is assembling a new desktop computer. After installing the CPU, CPU cooler, RAM, and a dedicated graphics card, the system powers on. All fans spin, there are no beeps, but the monitor remains dark. The monitor and cable have been verified to work on another computer. Which of the following should the technician check FIRST?

Accepted Answer

C. Ensure the graphics card power cables are connected. The correct answer is C because a dedicated graphics card requires its own power connectors (e.g., 6-pin or 8-pin PCIe power) from the power supply. If these cables are not connected, the card will not initialize, causing a black screen despite fans spinning. The monitor and cable are verified working, so the issue is likely power delivery to the GPU.

Answer

A. Reset the CMOS battery

Answer

B. Replace the RAM with known-good modules

Answer

D. Update the motherboard BIOS to the latest version

Question 15

A user installs a new third-party security software suite on their Windows workstation. After installation, the user can still access files on the local network and can ping external IP addresses like 8.8.8.8, but cannot browse any websites using a web browser. Other workstations on the same network are unaffected. Which of the following is the MOST likely cause?

Accepted Answer

The security software's firewall is blocking outbound HTTP/HTTPS traffic. The user can ping external IP addresses (e.g., 8.8.8.8) and access local network files, which confirms that IP connectivity, the default gateway, and DNS resolution for local resources are working. However, the inability to browse websites (which use HTTP/HTTPS) while other workstations are unaffected strongly indicates that the new third-party security software's firewall is blocking outbound TCP ports 80 and 443. This is a common behavior of security suites that enable strict outbound filtering by default.

Answer

The DNS server address was changed by the software

Answer

The workstation's default gateway was removed

Answer

The security software corrupted the browser's configuration files

Question 16

A user dropped their smartphone onto a tile floor. The screen is not cracked and displays images and colors perfectly, but the touch input is completely unresponsive in all areas. The user has rebooted the phone and cleaned the screen. Which of the following hardware components is MOST likely damaged?

Accepted Answer

Digitizer. The digitizer is the layer responsible for converting touch input into electrical signals. Since the display (LCD panel) shows perfect images and colors, the LCD is intact, but the complete lack of touch response indicates the digitizer has been damaged by the drop, likely a cracked or delaminated sensor layer or broken traces.

Answer

LCD panel

Answer

Battery

Answer

Motherboard

Question 17

A technician sets up a small office network using two unmanaged switches to connect 25 computers. After connecting both switches to the router, the network becomes extremely slow and many computers lose connectivity intermittently. The technician notices that the router's status lights on all ports are flashing rapidly. Which of the following is the MOST likely cause of this issue?

Accepted Answer

A broadcast storm caused by a network loop. When two unmanaged switches are connected to the same router without any loop-prevention mechanism (such as STP), broadcast frames forwarded by one switch can be received and re-forwarded by the other, creating a network loop. This causes a broadcast storm, where broadcast frames circulate endlessly, saturating the network bandwidth and causing the router's ports to flash rapidly due to the high traffic load. The resulting congestion leads to extreme slowness and intermittent connectivity loss for all devices.

Answer

A faulty router causing packet loss

Answer

DNS server misconfiguration

Answer

Incorrect DHCP scope size

Question 18

A user brings in an iPhone that will not turn on. The technician has verified that the charging cable and power adapter work correctly by testing them with another iPhone. The technician attempts a force restart by pressing and holding the Side and Volume Down buttons, but the device remains unresponsive. Which of the following is the MOST likely cause of the issue?

Accepted Answer

Battery is completely discharged. The iPhone remains unresponsive even after a force restart, but the charging cable and adapter work with another device. This indicates the battery is completely discharged below the threshold required to initiate charging or power-on. Lithium-ion batteries have a protection circuit that can enter deep discharge mode, requiring a period of charging before the device will respond to any button presses.

Answer

Faulty power button

Answer

Water damage

Answer

Logic board failure

Question 19

A user drops their smartphone onto a concrete floor. The screen displays images and colors correctly, but the touch input is completely unresponsive in all areas. The user has rebooted the phone and cleaned the screen. Which of the following hardware components is MOST likely damaged?

Accepted Answer

Digitizer. The digitizer is the touch-sensitive layer that registers touch input. Since the display shows images and colors correctly but touch is completely unresponsive, the LCD panel and backlight are functioning, isolating the fault to the digitizer. Reboot and cleaning rule out software or surface debris, confirming a hardware digitizer failure.

Answer

LCD panel

Answer

Backlight inverter

Answer

Battery connector

Question 20

A user accidentally spills coffee over their smartphone. They immediately pick it up and wipe the exterior. The phone is still powered on and functioning, but the touchscreen is not responding correctly in the area where the liquid was spilled. Which of the following should the user do FIRST to prevent further damage?

Accepted Answer

Power off the phone and remove the battery if possible.. Powering off the phone and removing the battery (if possible) immediately stops electrical current from flowing through the device, which prevents short circuits and electrochemical corrosion caused by the conductive and corrosive nature of coffee. This is the first and most critical step to mitigate damage to the motherboard and other internal components.

Answer

Place the phone in a bag of uncooked rice for 24 hours.

Answer

Use a hairdryer on high heat to dry the phone.

Answer

Continue using the phone and hope it dries out naturally.