220-1101 Hardware and Network Troubleshooting Practice Test 13 — 15 Questions

Question 1

A technician runs a new Cat6 Ethernet cable between a switch in the server room and a workstation in an office. The cable run is approximately 120 meters long. The workstation shows a 'Network cable unplugged' error and the switch port LED does not light. The technician confirms the cable is properly terminated with T568B on both ends and the switch port is enabled. 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

The cable length exceeds the maximum allowable segment length. The maximum segment length for a Cat6 Ethernet cable is 100 meters (328 feet) for reliable 1000BASE-T operation. At 120 meters, the signal attenuation exceeds the IEEE 802.3ab specification, causing the link to fail. The 'Network cable unplugged' error and unlit switch port LED indicate a physical layer issue, which is most likely due to the excessive cable length.

Answer

Electromagnetic interference from nearby power cables

Answer

The switch does not support auto-MDIX

Answer

A poor crimp on one of the RJ45 connectors

Question 2

A technician upgrades a workstation's RAM from 8GB to 16GB by installing two matching 8GB DDR4-3200 modules in the correct dual-channel slots (A2 and B2) on the motherboard. The system boots, but the POST beep code indicates a memory error. The technician tests each module individually in slot A2 and both modules work fine. When both modules are installed in A2 and B2, the error returns. The technician has confirmed the motherboard supports 32GB total and the modules are on the manufacturer's Qualified Vendor List (QVL). Which of the following is the MOST likely cause?

Accepted Answer

One of the DIMM slots is defective. The technician tested each module individually in slot A2 and both worked, but the error occurs only when both slots A2 and B2 are populated. This isolates the problem to slot B2, indicating it is defective. A faulty DIMM slot prevents the dual-channel memory configuration from initializing correctly, triggering the POST memory error.

Answer

The memory controller is faulty

Answer

The BIOS needs an update to support the new RAM

Answer

The power supply is insufficient for the additional RAM

Question 3

A technician is troubleshooting a desktop computer that shuts down unexpectedly after about 15 minutes of running a graphics-intensive application. The computer operates normally during light use, such as web browsing and word processing. The technician has verified that all cooling fans are spinning and that the CPU and GPU temperatures are within normal ranges. Which of the following is the MOST likely cause of the issue?

Accepted Answer

Insufficient power supply capacity. The symptom of a computer shutting down under heavy GPU/CPU load after a consistent time interval, despite normal temperatures and fan operation, strongly points to the power supply unit (PSU) being unable to deliver sustained peak current. Graphics-intensive applications draw high transient power spikes; if the PSU's rated capacity is insufficient or its 12V rail is degraded, the overcurrent protection (OCP) or undervoltage protection (UVP) will trip, causing an abrupt shutdown. The fact that light workloads run fine confirms the issue is load-dependent, not a thermal or component failure.

Answer

Failing memory module

Answer

Corrupt operating system files

Answer

Faulty motherboard

Question 4

A technician relocates a workstation to a different office. The workstation's link light on the NIC is solid green, and the switch port link light is also solid. The workstation shows a valid IP address but cannot ping any other devices on the network, including the default gateway. The technician verifies that the IP configuration is correct and that other devices on the same switch can communicate. Which of the following is the MOST likely cause?

Accepted Answer

The switch port is configured for a different VLAN. The link lights are solid on both the NIC and switch port, indicating Layer 1 (physical) connectivity is intact. A valid IP address but inability to ping any devices, including the gateway, while other devices on the same switch communicate normally, points to a Layer 2 segmentation issue. The most likely cause is that the switch port is configured for a different VLAN, which isolates the workstation's broadcast domain and prevents it from reaching devices outside that VLAN, including the default gateway.

Answer

The Ethernet cable is faulty

Answer

The workstation has a duplicate IP address

Answer

The subnet mask is incorrect

Question 5

A technician is troubleshooting a desktop computer that randomly reboots under heavy CPU load. The technician has verified the CPU cooler is properly seated with thermal paste, run memory diagnostics (no errors), replaced the power supply, and updated all drivers. Running a CPU stress test causes the system to reboot after approximately 10 minutes. Which of the following should the technician check NEXT?

Accepted Answer

Check the CPU voltage settings in BIOS. The technician has already ruled out overheating (cooler seated with paste), memory errors, power supply issues, and driver conflicts. Under heavy CPU load, the system reboots after a consistent 10 minutes, which strongly suggests the CPU is not receiving stable voltage under load. Checking and adjusting the CPU voltage settings in BIOS is the next logical step because incorrect or insufficient vCore can cause the CPU to crash or trigger a thermal/voltage protection reboot when the CPU draws high current during a stress test.

Answer

Replace the CPU

Answer

Update the motherboard BIOS

Answer

Replace the motherboard

Question 6

A technician installs a new Gigabit Ethernet NIC in a workstation to replace a faulty onboard NIC. After installation, the technician connects the Ethernet cable from the switch to the new NIC. The link light on the new NIC is off. The technician swaps the cable with a known-good cable, but the light remains off. The new NIC is detected in Device Manager with no errors. The technician tries the new NIC in another workstation and it works fine. Which of the following should the technician do NEXT?

Accepted Answer

Check the switch port configuration for port security or error-disable state. Since the NIC works in another workstation and a known-good cable doesn't resolve the issue, the problem is isolated to the switch port. Port security violations or error-disable states (e.g., from spanning-tree BPDU guard, UDLD, or a duplex mismatch) can administratively shut down the port, turning off the link light. Checking the switch port configuration is the logical next step to identify and clear such a condition.

Answer

Replace the switch

Answer

Update the NIC driver to the latest version

Answer

Change the NIC's duplex setting in Windows

Question 7

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 8

A technician is troubleshooting a desktop PC that randomly restarts during intensive tasks, such as rendering video. The technician has replaced the power supply, updated drivers, run memory diagnostics, and verified CPU temperatures. The problem persists. The technician examines the motherboard and notices that several capacitors near the CPU socket appear slightly domed on top. Which of the following is the MOST likely cause of the random restarts?

Accepted Answer

The motherboard has failing capacitors causing voltage instability.. Domed capacitors indicate that the electrolytic fluid inside has leaked or the capacitor has failed, leading to an inability to maintain stable voltage regulation. Under the high current draw of intensive tasks like video rendering, this voltage instability causes the motherboard to trigger a reset or shutdown to protect components. Since the technician has already replaced the power supply and verified CPU temperatures, the failing capacitors are the most likely remaining cause.

Answer

The CPU is failing under load.

Answer

The hard drive is failing.

Answer

The operating system is corrupt.

Question 9

A technician is troubleshooting a workstation that has a solid link light on its NIC and on the switch port, but the workstation fails to obtain an IP address via DHCP. The technician manually assigns a static IP and can ping other devices, but experiences slow transfers and packet loss. Checking the switch's port statistics reveals a high number of CRC errors and runts. Which of the following is the MOST likely cause?

Accepted Answer

A duplex mismatch between the NIC and the switch port.. A duplex mismatch causes the NIC and switch port to use different methods for collision detection (half-duplex vs. full-duplex). This leads to CRC errors and runts because frames are corrupted when both sides transmit simultaneously (collisions) or when the half-duplex side misinterprets full-duplex traffic. The solid link light and successful static IP ping confirm Layer 1 and basic Layer 3 connectivity, but the high error counts point directly to a Layer 2 duplex negotiation failure.

Answer

The cable is too long (exceeds 100 meters).

Answer

The switch port is in a different VLAN.

Answer

The workstation's NIC driver is corrupted.

Question 10

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?

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 11

A technician is troubleshooting a workstation that lost network connectivity after a lightning storm. The workstation's Ethernet link light on both the NIC and the switch port is solid, but the workstation cannot access any network resources. The technician can ping 127.0.0.1 successfully. When pinging the default gateway (192.168.1.1), the request times out. The technician connects a known-good laptop to the same switch port and cable, and the laptop accesses the network normally. Which of the following is the MOST likely cause?

Accepted Answer

The lightning storm damaged the NIC, causing it to fail at the data link layer while maintaining a physical link.. The solid link light indicates a physical layer (Layer 1) connection is established, and the successful ping to 127.0.0.1 confirms the TCP/IP stack is functioning. However, the inability to ping the default gateway, combined with a known-good laptop working on the same port and cable, isolates the fault to the workstation's NIC. The most likely cause is that the lightning storm damaged the NIC at the data link layer (Layer 2), allowing link pulses (Layer 1) to pass but corrupting frame processing, which prevents successful ARP and IP communication.

Answer

The workstation's IP address is statically configured with an incorrect subnet mask.

Answer

The switch port is configured with the incorrect VLAN, but the link light remains on because the switch port is up.

Answer

The workstation's network cable is faulty and only passes link pulses but not data frames.

Question 12

A technician is adding a new RAID controller to a server. After installing the card into a PCIe slot and connecting the internal cables, the server powers on but does not POST. The fans spin and power LED is on, but there is no display output or beep codes. The technician removes the RAID controller and the server boots normally. The technician reseats the controller in a different PCIe slot, but the same symptom occurs. The controller is listed as compatible with the server model. Which of the following is the MOST likely cause?

Accepted Answer

The RAID controller requires more power than the PCIe slot can provide. The RAID controller is a high-power PCIe device that may exceed the 75W power limit of a standard PCIe slot. When the controller draws more power than the slot can supply, the motherboard may fail to initialize the device during POST, causing a no-POST condition with fans spinning and no beep codes. Removing the controller allows the system to boot normally, confirming the power draw issue.

Answer

The PCIe slot is defective

Answer

The server's BIOS needs to be updated

Answer

The RAID controller's firmware is corrupted

Question 13

A technician is troubleshooting a laptop that will not display an image on its built-in screen. When the power button is pressed, the power LED turns on, the fan spins, and the technician can hear the Windows startup sound. Connecting an external monitor via HDMI shows the desktop correctly. The technician has already tried adjusting the screen brightness using the function keys, but there is no change. The laptop was working normally yesterday and was not dropped. Which of the following components is MOST likely faulty?

Accepted Answer

The LCD cable connecting the motherboard to the display. The LCD cable (eDP or LVDS ribbon) connects the motherboard to the built-in display panel. Since the external monitor works perfectly via HDMI, the GPU is fully functional and generating video output. The fact that the power LED, fan, and Windows startup sound are all normal confirms the system boots successfully, isolating the fault to the internal display path — most commonly the LCD cable, which can fail due to flexing, pin damage, or a loose connection even without physical trauma.

Answer

The graphics processing unit (GPU) on the motherboard

Answer

The DC jack or power adapter

Answer

The hard drive or SSD

Question 14

A technician is troubleshooting a Windows 10 workstation that cannot access network shares on a file server. The technician confirms that the workstation can ping the server by IP address and by hostname. The technician tests access from another workstation on the same subnet and successfully maps the network drive. On the problematic workstation, the technician runs the command 'net use * \server\share' and receives the error 'System error 53 has occurred. The network path was not found.' Which of the following is the MOST likely cause of this error?

Accepted Answer

The workstation's Windows Firewall is blocking File and Printer Sharing.. The error 'System error 53: The network path was not found' typically indicates that the SMB connection is being blocked at the client side. Since the workstation can ping the server by hostname (DNS resolution works) and another workstation on the same subnet can map the drive, the issue is isolated to the problematic workstation. The most likely cause is that the workstation's Windows Firewall is blocking File and Printer Sharing (which includes SMB traffic on ports 445 and 139), preventing the outbound connection to the server.

Answer

The file server's firewall is blocking incoming SMB connections.

Answer

The workstation's DNS suffix search order is incorrect.

Answer

The file server is using an SMB protocol version that the workstation does not support.

Question 15

A technician is troubleshooting a network printer issue. The printer is connected via Ethernet to a managed switch. Users on some workstations can print without problems, but users on other workstations cannot. On a problematic workstation, the technician can ping the printer's IP address successfully and can access the printer's built-in web interface. When attempting to print a test page, the job appears in the local print queue on the workstation but never reaches the printer. The printer's event log shows no errors or rejected jobs. Which of the following is the MOST likely cause?

Accepted Answer

The printer driver on the workstation is incorrect or corrupt.. The printer is reachable via ping and web interface, confirming Layer 3 connectivity is fine. The job appears in the local print queue but never reaches the printer, and the printer logs show no errors, which points to a local issue on the workstation. An incorrect or corrupt printer driver can cause the print job to be spooled locally but fail to render or transmit properly to the printer, even though network connectivity is intact.

Answer

The printer's IP address is in a different subnet from the workstation.

Answer

The workstation's firewall is blocking the printer traffic.

Answer

The switch port for the printer is assigned to a different VLAN than the workstation.