220-1101 Hardware and Network Troubleshooting Practice Test 11 — 15 Questions

Question 1

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?

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

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 2

A technician is troubleshooting a desktop PC that powers on (fans spin, LEDs light up) but does not display anything and produces no POST beeps. The motherboard has four diagnostic LEDs labeled CPU, DRAM, VGA, and BOOT. When the system is powered on, the DRAM LED remains solid red. The technician has verified that the RAM module (single 16GB DDR4 stick) is fully seated in slot A2, as recommended by the motherboard manual. The technician has also reseated the GPU and checked all power connections. Which of the following should the technician do NEXT?

Accepted Answer

Try a different RAM slot. The DRAM LED remaining solid red indicates a memory initialization failure. Since the single RAM stick is already fully seated in the recommended slot A2, the next logical step is to try a different RAM slot (e.g., A1 or B2) to rule out a faulty slot or a subtle contact issue. This is a standard first step in memory troubleshooting before replacing components.

Answer

Replace the motherboard

Answer

Reinstall the CPU, checking for bent pins

Answer

Update the motherboard BIOS

Question 3

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 4

A technician is troubleshooting a desktop PC that freezes for several seconds during disk-intensive operations, such as transferring large files. The technician has already replaced the hard drive with an SSD, tested the RAM with a memory diagnostic tool (no errors), and updated the chipset drivers. The issue still occurs. Which of the following is the MOST likely remaining cause of the freezes?

Accepted Answer

A faulty SATA cable. A faulty SATA cable can cause intermittent connectivity issues that manifest as system freezes during disk-intensive operations. Even after replacing the hard drive with an SSD and verifying RAM and drivers, a degraded or loose SATA cable can introduce data transfer errors or link drops, forcing the system to retry commands and causing pauses. This is the most likely remaining cause because the cable is the only component in the data path not yet replaced or tested.

Answer

Overheating CPU

Answer

Incompatible RAM speed

Answer

Outdated network drivers

Question 5

A technician installed a new high-end graphics card in a desktop PC. The system powers on, fans spin, but the monitor remains black. The monitor works fine when connected to the motherboard's integrated video port. The technician has reseated the graphics card, connected the necessary PCIe power cables, and verified the card is fully inserted in the primary PCIe x16 slot. Which of the following is the MOST likely next step to resolve the issue?

Accepted Answer

Check the BIOS/UEFI settings to ensure the primary display is set to PCIe. When a discrete graphics card is installed, the BIOS/UEFI must be configured to use the PCIe slot as the primary display adapter. If the system defaults to the integrated GPU, the monitor will remain black when connected to the new card, even though the card is powered and seated correctly. Checking and setting the primary display to PCIe in BIOS/UEFI directly addresses this common misconfiguration.

Answer

Replace the monitor with a 4K display

Answer

Update the graphics card driver in Safe Mode

Answer

Test the graphics card in another computer

Question 6

A technician is troubleshooting a desktop computer that experiences brief network disconnections lasting 5-10 seconds several times an hour. During the disconnections, the network activity and link lights on both the NIC and the switch remain illuminated. The technician has replaced the Ethernet cable, updated the NIC driver, and disabled power saving settings for the NIC. The issue persists. Which of the following should the technician do NEXT?

Accepted Answer

Perform a loopback test on the NIC. The correct next step is to perform a loopback test on the NIC. Since the link lights remain active during disconnections, the physical layer (cable, switch port) appears intact, and the issue persists after replacing the cable, updating the driver, and disabling power saving. A loopback test isolates whether the NIC itself can successfully send and receive data internally, ruling out internal NIC failure or a faulty transceiver without relying on external network traffic.

Answer

Check for an IP address conflict on the network

Answer

Replace the network switch

Answer

Review the system event logs for network-related errors

Question 7

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?

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

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 network printer with a static IP address of 192.168.1.100/24 is unreachable from all workstations on the same subnet. The technician can successfully ping the printer's IP address. The printer's web interface loads when accessed from a browser, but shows the status as 'Offline.' Print jobs sent from workstations remain in the queue with a 'printing' status and are never printed. Which of the following is the MOST likely cause?

Accepted Answer

The printer's firmware is in a hung state. The printer is reachable via ping and its web interface loads, confirming Layer 3 connectivity and that the IP/subnet mask configuration is correct. However, the web interface shows 'Offline' and print jobs are stuck in the queue with a 'printing' status, indicating the printer's firmware or internal print engine is hung and not processing jobs. A hung firmware state prevents the printer from accepting or processing print data even though network communication is intact.

Answer

The printer's subnet mask is misconfigured

Answer

The print server's driver is corrupted

Answer

The network cable is faulty

Question 9

A technician is troubleshooting a desktop PC that randomly shuts down without warning, particularly when the user runs resource-intensive applications like video editing software. The technician has already replaced the power supply, verified that the CPU temperature remains within normal limits under load, and updated all drivers. The event logs show a kernel-power 41 error with no preceding critical errors. Which of the following should the technician check NEXT?

Accepted Answer

Inspect the CPU socket for bent pins or improper seating. The kernel-power 41 error indicates an unexpected loss of power or system crash without a clean shutdown. Since the power supply has been replaced and CPU temperatures are normal, the next likely cause is an intermittent electrical or physical connection issue at the CPU socket. Bent pins or improper seating can cause voltage drops or signal corruption under heavy load, leading to sudden shutdowns even when temperatures are acceptable.

Answer

Replace the RAM modules with known-good sticks

Answer

Replace the CMOS battery

Answer

Reinstall the operating system

Question 10

A user reports that the network printer in the office is no longer accessible from any workstation after an overnight power outage. The printer has a static IP address of 192.168.1.50. The technician checks the printer and sees it is powered on, the network cable is connected, and the link light on both the printer and the switch port is solid. The technician pings 192.168.1.50 from a workstation, but there is no reply. The technician checks the printer's network settings from its front panel and sees that the IP address is 169.254.10.25. Which of the following is the MOST likely cause of this issue?

Accepted Answer

The printer lost its static IP configuration due to the power outage.. The printer's IP address changed from the static 192.168.1.50 to an Automatic Private IP Addressing (APIPA) address in the 169.254.0.0/16 range. This occurs when a device configured for DHCP fails to obtain a lease from a DHCP server, which can happen after a power outage if the printer's non-volatile RAM (NVRAM) lost its static IP configuration and it reverted to DHCP. Since the printer is now on a different subnet, workstations cannot reach it, explaining the failed ping.

Answer

The printer's network adapter is faulty.

Answer

The switch port is configured with the wrong VLAN.

Answer

The DNS server is not resolving the printer's hostname.

Question 11

A technician is troubleshooting a laser printer that produces pages with faint text and a gray background. The toner cartridge has already been replaced with a new one, but the issue persists. Which of the following should the technician do NEXT?

Accepted Answer

Clean the corona wire. Faint text with a gray background on a laser printer typically indicates a problem with the primary corona wire (or charge roller) failing to apply a uniform negative charge to the photosensitive drum. Even with a new toner cartridge, if the corona wire is dirty or damaged, the drum will not be properly charged, causing toner to be attracted to non-image areas (gray background) and insufficient toner to be deposited for the image (faint text). Cleaning the corona wire restores the correct electrostatic charge distribution, resolving both symptoms.

Answer

Replace the fuser assembly

Answer

Check the transfer roller

Answer

Run the printer's self-cleaning cycle

Question 12

A technician is troubleshooting a desktop computer that powers on. The case fans and power supply fan spin, but the monitor displays 'No Signal' and the keyboard and mouse do not light up. No beep codes are heard. Which component is MOST likely causing the issue?

Accepted Answer

Failed RAM. The absence of beep codes, combined with spinning fans but no POST (Power-On Self-Test) progression, indicates that the CPU is receiving power and the motherboard is powered on, but the system is halting before it can initialize the keyboard, mouse, or video output. RAM is the most common cause of a 'no POST' scenario because the motherboard's firmware cannot complete memory training or integrity checks without functional RAM, causing it to hang silently with no beep codes if the speaker is not connected or the board lacks a built-in speaker.

Answer

Failed CPU

Answer

Failed graphics card

Answer

Faulty power supply

Question 13

A technician is troubleshooting a network issue in an office. Users connected to a specific wall jack report intermittent connectivity. The switch port corresponding to that jack shows a high number of CRC errors. The technician removes the wall plate and finds that the twisted pairs are untwisted too far back from the RJ45 connector. Which of the following is the MOST likely cause of the CRC errors?

Accepted Answer

The twisted pairs are not properly terminated. CRC errors indicate that frames are being received with invalid checksums, typically due to signal integrity issues. Untwisting the pairs too far from the RJ45 connector disrupts the cable's impedance and crosstalk rejection, causing bit corruption that leads to CRC errors. Proper termination requires maintaining the twist up to within 0.5 inches (13 mm) of the connector per TIA/EIA-568 standards.

Answer

The cable length exceeds 100 meters

Answer

The switch port is configured for the wrong speed or duplex

Answer

Electromagnetic interference (EMI) from nearby power cables

Question 14

A user reports that their laptop is connected to the office Wi-Fi and can browse the internet, but cannot access any shared folders on the network. Other laptops on the same Wi-Fi can access the shares without issue. The laptop received a valid IP address from DHCP. Which of the following should the technician check FIRST?

Accepted Answer

The network profile is set to Public. The network profile being set to Public applies Windows Firewall rules that block file and printer sharing (SMB traffic on ports 445, 139) by default. Since the user can browse the internet but cannot access shared folders, and other laptops work fine, the most likely cause is that the laptop's network profile is Public, which disables network discovery and file sharing. Changing it to Private or Domain profile resolves the issue without affecting internet connectivity.

Answer

The DNS server configuration

Answer

A faulty wireless network adapter

Answer

Duplicate IP address on the network

Question 15

A technician replaced a damaged Cat5e patch cable that connected a workstation to a wall jack. After replacement, the workstation reports a network connection speed of 100 Mbps instead of the expected 1 Gbps. Both the workstation's NIC and the switch port support 1 Gbps. Which of the following is the MOST likely cause of the reduced speed?

Accepted Answer

The new cable is a Cat5 cable instead of Cat5e. Cat5e cable is rated for 1 Gbps (1000BASE-T) up to 100 meters, while Cat5 cable is only certified for 100 Mbps (100BASE-TX) over the same distance. Using a Cat5 cable instead of Cat5e forces the auto-negotiation process to fall back to the highest common denominator supported by the cable, which is 100 Mbps. This explains why the workstation reports 100 Mbps despite both the NIC and switch port supporting 1 Gbps.

Answer

The new cable is a crossover cable

Answer

The new cable exceeds the maximum length for 1 Gbps

Answer

The switch port is configured for 100 Mbps only