220-1201 That their wired connection is intermittent Practice Question

Answer analysis

Option-by-option breakdown

For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.

• ✗

  The switch port is set to half-duplex

  Why it's wrong here

  Configuring a switch port to half-duplex while the client's network card operates in full-duplex mode would primarily result in significant collision errors and drastically reduced network performance. While this mismatch would certainly degrade communication, it would not typically manifest as an intermittent link light or a connection that drops and re-establishes. The physical link itself would usually remain stable, indicated by a steady link light, even as data transfer becomes highly inefficient due to constant retransmissions.

• ✓

  The cable is damaged or has a loose connector

  Why this is correct

  A damaged Ethernet cable, such as one with internal wire breaks or kinks, or a connector that is not fully seated or has bent pins, directly impacts the physical layer's ability to maintain a stable electrical signal. This physical compromise can cause the network link to repeatedly drop and re-establish, leading to intermittent connectivity. The rapid blinking or flickering of the link light on both the network card and the switch port is a strong indicator of this unstable physical connection as the devices attempt to negotiate and maintain the link.

• ✗

  The network card is configured for 10 Mbps

  Why it's wrong here

  If a network card is manually configured for 10 Mbps and the switch port is set to auto-negotiate or a higher fixed speed (e.g., 100 Mbps or 1 Gbps), a speed mismatch can occur. This mismatch would typically result in either no link being established at all, with the link light remaining off, or a stable but slow link if both devices successfully negotiate down to 10 Mbps. It would not cause the link to intermittently drop and re-establish with rapid link light blinking, as the negotiation process usually settles on a stable speed or fails entirely.

• ✗

  The switch is overloaded with traffic

  Why it's wrong here

  An overloaded network switch, experiencing excessive traffic volume, would primarily manifest as significantly degraded network performance, including high latency and packet loss, rather than an intermittent physical connection. While users would experience slow data transfers and applications might time out, the physical link between the client and the switch would remain stable and active. The link light on the network card and switch port would typically stay solid, indicating a continuous physical connection, even as logical data flow is severely hampered by congestion.

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