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220-1201 Practice Question: A technician is troubleshooting a network drop…
A technician is troubleshooting a network drop where the link light on the switch port is solid but the computer shows 'Unidentified Network'. The cable run is 80 meters and uses Cat5e. The technician tests the cable and finds that pins 1 and 2 are swapped with pins 3 and 6 at one end. What is the most likely result?
Answer choices
Why each option matters
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
The cable is wired as a crossover, which may cause the 'Unidentified Network' if Auto-MDIX is disabled.
This question tests understanding of Ethernet wiring errors. The correct answer is that a swap of pairs 1-2 and 3-6 creates a crossover cable, which may still work with Auto-MDIX, but if not, it can cause a 'No Link' or 'Unidentified Network' error.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
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The cable will work at 100 Mbps but not at 1000 Mbps.
Why it's wrong here
This statement is incorrect because the functionality of a crossover cable, particularly with modern equipment, is not selectively dependent on speed. If Auto-MDIX is enabled on the connected devices, a crossover cable will function correctly at any supported speed, including 100 Mbps or 1000 Mbps, as the interface automatically corrects the wiring. Conversely, if Auto-MDIX is disabled, the cable will likely fail to establish a link at either speed, as the transmit and receive pairs will not align correctly for communication.
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The cable will not work at all because it is a crossover cable.
Why it's wrong here
This statement is often incorrect in modern networking environments due to the widespread adoption of Auto-MDIX (Automatic Medium-Dependent Interface Crossover) technology. Many contemporary network switches, routers, and network interface cards (NICs) automatically detect the cable type and adjust their internal wiring to accommodate either a straight-through or a crossover cable. Therefore, a crossover cable can function perfectly well, establishing a proper link and communication, even when connecting devices that would traditionally require a straight-through cable.
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The cable will cause intermittent connectivity.
Why it's wrong here
A crossover cable represents a fixed physical layer wiring configuration, meaning the transmit and receive pairs are consistently swapped. If this wiring causes a problem, such as an inability to establish a link or an 'Unidentified Network' status, the issue will be constant and reproducible, not intermittent. Intermittent connectivity typically arises from factors like loose connections, faulty hardware, electromagnetic interference, or software glitches, which are dynamic rather than static wiring conditions.
- ✓
The cable is wired as a crossover, which may cause the 'Unidentified Network' if Auto-MDIX is disabled.
Why this is correct
This is the correct explanation. If a network drop is wired as a crossover cable and connected to a device (like a switch port or a computer's NIC) where Auto-MDIX is disabled, the transmit (TX) pins of one device will connect to the TX pins of the other, and similarly for the receive (RX) pins. This prevents proper communication and link establishment, as data cannot be sent and received correctly. Consequently, the operating system will often report an 'Unidentified Network' or 'No Network Access' because it cannot detect a valid network connection or acquire an IP address.
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Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
This 220-1201 practice question is part of Courseiva's free CompTIA certification practice question bank. Courseiva provides original exam-style practice questions with explanations, topic-based practice, mock exams, readiness tracking, and study analytics to help learners prepare for the 220-1201 exam.