220-1101 Hardware and Network Troubleshooting Practice Test 5 — 15 Questions

Question 1

A technician is troubleshooting a user's wired desktop that can access local network shares and printers but cannot reach any internet websites. The technician pings the default gateway successfully. Which of the following is the most likely cause of this issue?

Accepted Answer

DNS server configuration is incorrect or the DNS server is unreachable. The user can access local resources (shares, printers) and successfully ping the default gateway, which confirms that Layer 2/3 connectivity, IP addressing, and routing are functional. However, the inability to reach internet websites while local access works points to a name resolution failure. DNS translates domain names to IP addresses; if the DNS server configuration is incorrect or unreachable, the browser cannot resolve website names, even though the network path to the internet is intact.

Answer

IP address conflict with another device on the network

Answer

Faulty network interface card (NIC)

Answer

Incorrect subnet mask on the workstation

Question 2

A technician is troubleshooting a server that unexpectedly shut down. The server has redundant power supplies, and the building power is stable. The technician checks the BIOS event log and finds a thermal warning before shutdown. The server is in a rack with other servers, all within temperature range. Which of the following is the most likely cause?

Accepted Answer

Loose CPU heatsink. A loose CPU heatsink causes poor thermal transfer between the CPU and the heatsink, leading to localized overheating even when ambient temperatures are normal. The BIOS thermal warning followed by shutdown indicates the CPU exceeded its critical temperature threshold, triggering an automatic protection mechanism. Redundant power supplies and stable building power rule out power issues, and the other servers in the rack are within range, isolating the problem to the specific server's cooling hardware.

Answer

A failed power supply unit

Answer

Incompatible RAM

Answer

Hard drive failure

Question 3

A technician is troubleshooting a workstation that shuts down randomly after running for 20-30 minutes. The technician has reseated the RAM modules, confirmed the power supply voltages are within specification using a multimeter, and verified that all case fans are spinning. The system has a dedicated graphics card. Which of the following should the technician do NEXT to diagnose the issue?

Accepted Answer

Check the CPU cooler for proper contact and reapply thermal paste. The random shutdown after 20-30 minutes strongly indicates thermal throttling or overheating. Since the technician has already verified power supply voltages and case fan operation, the most likely cause is inadequate CPU cooling due to poor contact between the CPU cooler and the processor or dried-out thermal paste. Reseating the RAM and checking fans would not address a CPU thermal issue, so checking the CPU cooler and reapplying thermal paste is the correct next step.

Answer

Replace the motherboard

Answer

Update the GPU driver

Answer

Disable the onboard network interface card (NIC)

Question 4

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

Question 5

A user reports that their desktop computer shuts down randomly after about 10 minutes of use. The technician checks the event log and sees thermal warnings. The technician has verified that all fans are spinning and the CPU heatsink is properly attached. Which of the following should the technician do NEXT?

Accepted Answer

Apply new thermal paste between the CPU and heatsink.. The thermal warnings in the event log indicate that the CPU is overheating despite the fans spinning and the heatsink being properly attached. Over time, thermal paste can dry out or become less effective, reducing heat transfer from the CPU to the heatsink. Applying new thermal paste restores proper thermal conductivity, which is the most likely fix given the symptoms.

Answer

Replace the power supply.

Answer

Update the BIOS firmware.

Answer

Replace the CPU.

Question 6

A technician is troubleshooting a desktop computer that randomly shuts down after about 20 minutes of use. The technician checks the event log and finds a critical thermal event. The technician verifies that both the CPU fan and case fans are spinning, and the CPU heatsink is securely attached. Which of the following should the technician do NEXT?

Accepted Answer

Apply new thermal paste between the CPU and heatsink.. The critical thermal event indicates the CPU is overheating despite the heatsink being securely attached and fans spinning. Over time, thermal paste can dry out or become less effective, reducing heat transfer between the CPU and heatsink. Applying new thermal paste restores proper thermal conductivity, which is the most likely fix given the symptoms and the technician's initial checks.

Answer

Replace the power supply.

Answer

Reinstall the operating system.

Answer

Run a memory diagnostic.

Question 7

A user reports that their laptop’s Wi-Fi connection is slow and drops frequently, but only when they are in the break room. Other laptops in the same area have no issues. The technician tests the signal strength in the break room and it is excellent. Which of the following is the most likely cause?

Accepted Answer

The laptop’s wireless adapter is malfunctioning. The correct answer is B because the issue is isolated to a single laptop in a specific location where signal strength is excellent and other devices work fine. This points to a hardware fault in the laptop's wireless adapter, such as a failing chipset, driver corruption, or antenna disconnection, rather than environmental interference or network congestion.

Answer

Interference from a microwave oven

Answer

The access point is overloaded with too many clients

Answer

The laptop is connected to the 5 GHz band which has shorter range

Question 8

A small office has a file server that is a virtual machine running on a Type 1 hypervisor. Users report intermittent connectivity to the file server. The technician has already verified the following: the physical network cables are intact, the switch ports are configured correctly, the host server's physical NICs are operating, and the VM's operating system shows no errors. The technician notices that the file server experiences brief packet loss when communicating with other VMs on the same host, but not when communicating with physical workstations. Which of the following should the technician investigate next?

Accepted Answer

The virtual switch configuration or the VM's network adapter driver. The issue is isolated to VM-to-VM communication on the same host, which bypasses the physical network and relies entirely on the virtual switch and VM network adapter. Packet loss only between VMs points to a misconfigured virtual switch (e.g., promiscuous mode, VLAN tagging, or teaming settings) or a faulty/driver-level issue with the VM's virtual NIC. Physical connectivity and host NICs are already verified, so the virtual networking layer is the logical next step.

Answer

The host server's RAID controller

Answer

The DHCP server lease time

Answer

The file server's hard disk performance

Question 9

A user reports that their desktop computer shuts down randomly after about 15 minutes of use. A technician checks the event log and finds a critical error related to a thermal event. The technician has verified that the CPU heatsink fan and all case fans are spinning, and the heatsink is securely attached. However, the computer still shuts down. Which of the following should the technician do NEXT?

Accepted Answer

Check the CPU thermal paste application.. The technician has already verified that the CPU heatsink fan and case fans are spinning and the heatsink is securely attached, which rules out a loose cooler or a failed fan. The critical thermal event error indicates the CPU is overheating despite these checks, so the most likely remaining cause is degraded or improperly applied thermal paste, which prevents efficient heat transfer from the CPU die to the heatsink. Reapplying high-quality thermal paste is the standard next step before considering component replacement.

Answer

Replace the power supply unit.

Answer

Update the BIOS firmware.

Answer

Replace the CPU.

Question 10

A user reports that their laptop's Wi-Fi connection is unreliable and frequently drops. A technician checks Device Manager on the laptop and sees that the wireless adapter is listed with a yellow exclamation mark. Which of the following should the technician do FIRST?

Accepted Answer

Update the wireless adapter driver.. The yellow exclamation mark in Device Manager indicates a driver problem, such as a corrupted, missing, or incompatible driver. Updating the wireless adapter driver is the first logical step because it directly addresses the most common cause of this specific error, restoring proper communication between the OS and the hardware.

Answer

Replace the wireless adapter.

Answer

Disable and re-enable the wireless adapter.

Answer

Check the Wi-Fi antenna connections.

Question 11

A user reports that their laptop's Wi-Fi connection drops frequently, especially when the laptop is running on battery power. The technician checks Device Manager and sees the following setting enabled for the wireless adapter: 'Allow the computer to turn off this device to save power'. Which of the following is the MOST likely solution?

Accepted Answer

Uncheck the power saving option for the adapter. The 'Allow the computer to turn off this device to save power' setting in Device Manager causes the wireless adapter to be powered down when the laptop switches to battery power to conserve energy. This power-down interrupts the Wi-Fi connection, leading to frequent drops. Unchecking this option prevents the OS from suspending the adapter, ensuring a stable connection regardless of power source.

Answer

Disable the wireless adapter in Device Manager

Answer

Update the wireless adapter driver

Answer

Change the power plan to High Performance

Question 12

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 13

A desktop computer will not power on. The technician presses the power button, but there are no signs of activity—no fans, no LEDs. The power supply unit (PSU) is securely connected and the wall outlet is working. The technician uses a multimeter to check the PSU's main power connector. The technician finds that the green wire (PS_ON) goes low (0V) when the power button is pressed, indicating the motherboard is sending the signal to turn on. However, no other pins on the main connector show any voltage, and the PSU fan does not spin. Which of the following is the most likely cause?

Accepted Answer

The power supply unit has failed internally.. The green wire (PS_ON) going low (0V) confirms the motherboard is correctly signaling the PSU to turn on. Since no other pins show voltage and the PSU fan does not spin, the PSU is failing to convert AC to DC and distribute power internally, indicating an internal failure. A working PSU would respond to the PS_ON signal by activating its fan and outputting voltages on the other pins.

Answer

The power button is faulty.

Answer

The motherboard is not providing power to the PSU.

Answer

The CPU is not seated correctly.

Question 14

A technician is troubleshooting a desktop computer that consistently shuts down after approximately 30 minutes of normal operation. The technician has already replaced the power supply unit and cleaned the CPU heatsink of dust. The CPU temperatures in the BIOS are normal (35°C idle). After the shutdown, the event log shows a 'Kernel-Power 41' critical error. The technician reseated all power cables and checked for loose connections. Which of the following should the technician check NEXT?

Accepted Answer

The motherboard's capacitors for signs of bulging or leaking.. The Kernel-Power 41 error indicates an unexpected loss of power or system instability, not a software crash. Since the PSU has been replaced and the CPU temperatures are normal, the most likely hardware cause is failing motherboard capacitors, which can cause intermittent shutdowns under load as they lose their ability to filter voltage ripple. Bulging or leaking capacitors are a common failure point on aging motherboards and should be visually inspected next.

Answer

The RAM modules for errors using a diagnostic tool.

Answer

The hard drive for bad sectors.

Answer

The power button for sticking.

Question 15

A user reports that their desktop computer powers on but the monitor shows no display. The technician has already verified the monitor works with another computer, the video cable is securely connected, and the computer's internal fans spin. The computer has a dedicated graphics card and the monitor is connected to the motherboard's video port. Which of the following should the technician do NEXT?

Accepted Answer

Connect the monitor to the dedicated graphics card's port.. The monitor is connected to the motherboard's video port, but the system has a dedicated graphics card. When a dedicated GPU is installed, the motherboard's integrated graphics port is typically disabled by the BIOS/UEFI. Connecting the monitor to the dedicated graphics card's port will likely restore display output, as the GPU is the active video source.

Answer

Replace the graphics card.

Answer

Reseat the RAM modules.

Answer

Update the graphics drivers.