Hardware practice questions

The charging port is loose.

Why wrong: A loose charging port would cause intermittent charging, not rapid battery drain when not in use.

The power management IC is faulty.

Why wrong: While possible, a faulty PMIC is less common than battery degradation; battery issues are more typical after a year.

The screen brightness is set too high.

Why wrong: High brightness drains battery during use, but not significantly when the device is idle.

The keyboard driver is corrupted.

Why wrong: Driver issues typically cause no response or wrong characters from specific keys, not random characters from unrelated keys.

The keyboard ribbon cable is loose.

Why wrong: A loose cable would cause some keys to not work or intermittent failure, not random character output.

The operating system has a malware infection.

Why wrong: Malware can simulate keystrokes, but it would usually produce consistent patterns, not random characters on key press.

Install a screen protector on each tablet.

Why wrong: While protective, this is not essential for kiosk mode configuration.

Remove the SIM card from each tablet.

Why wrong: SIM removal is unnecessary unless cellular access is restricted; kiosk mode can be set with or without it.

Replace the stock ROM with a custom firmware.

Why wrong: Custom firmware voids warranty and is not standard practice for enterprise deployment; kiosk mode uses built-in OS features.

Calibrate the battery by fully draining and recharging.

Why wrong: Calibration helps with inaccurate charge reporting, not with actual capacity loss.

Update the operating system to the latest version.

Why wrong: OS updates may improve efficiency but won't fix hardware degradation of the battery.

Disable all background apps and notifications.

Why wrong: This is a software workaround, not a hardware servicing solution for a degraded battery.

Replace the entire keyboard assembly.

Why wrong: The keyboard is separate from the touchpad; replacing it won't fix touchpad issues.

Replace the laptop's LCD screen.

Why wrong: The LCD screen has no relation to touchpad input.

Reinstall the operating system.

Why wrong: Driver update already done; reinstalling OS is excessive and unlikely to fix a hardware connection issue.

The battery is completely drained.

Why wrong: If the battery were drained, the device wouldn't vibrate on power-on.

The digitizer is cracked.

Why wrong: A cracked digitizer doesn't cause a completely black screen; the LCD would still show an image.

The OS is corrupted.

Why wrong: A corrupted OS would typically show a boot loop or error screen, not a black screen with vibration.

Replace the LCD screen assembly.

Why wrong: The tablet does not power on at all (no vibration, no sound), not just a black screen. The LCD is not the cause of a complete power failure.

Replace the motherboard.

Why wrong: Motherboard failure is possible but less likely than a simple connection issue. The technician should check simpler components first.

Perform a hard reset by holding the power and volume buttons for 30 seconds.

Why wrong: A hard reset is a software troubleshooting step, but the technician has already confirmed the battery is charged and the button feels normal. The issue is likely hardware, not software.

The Bluetooth mouse is out of range.

Why wrong: Out-of-range would cause mouse disconnection, not Wi-Fi drops.

The laptop's Wi-Fi driver is outdated.

Why wrong: While possible, the correlation with Bluetooth mouse activity points to interference, not a driver issue.

The Bluetooth mouse uses a proprietary frequency.

Why wrong: Standard Bluetooth mice use the 2.4 GHz band, not proprietary frequencies.

The phone's battery level

Why wrong: Battery level does not affect NFC functionality as long as the phone is on.

The payment terminal's internet connection

Why wrong: NFC transactions can work offline; the terminal's internet is for authorization, not detection.

The phone's default payment app settings

Why wrong: App settings affect which card is used, but the terminal not detecting the phone at all points to a hardware or alignment issue.

The tablet's camera hardware is defective.

Why wrong: A hardware defect would affect all camera apps, not just this one, and the scenario does not mention other camera apps failing.

The app is not compatible with the tablet's Android version.

Why wrong: If compatibility were the issue, the app would likely fail on all tablets with the same OS, not just one.

The tablet's storage is full, preventing the app from saving photos.

Why wrong: Storage fullness might affect saving images but would not prevent the camera from opening initially.

The tablet's display panel is failing.

Why wrong: A failing display would cause flickering across all apps and the home screen, not just one app.

The GPU (Graphics Processing Unit) is overheating.

Why wrong: GPU overheating would affect all graphics-intensive tasks, not just a single streaming app.

The tablet's battery is swollen and pressing on the display.

Why wrong: A swollen battery would cause physical distortion and likely affect the entire display, not just one app.

The router’s 5 GHz radio is set to a channel not supported by the laptop

Why wrong: While channel mismatch can cause issues, most modern adapters support standard 5 GHz channels; the more fundamental issue is hardware support.

The 5 GHz SSID is hidden

Why wrong: A hidden SSID still appears in network scans as an unnamed network; the laptop would see it as 'Hidden Network'.

Interference from microwave ovens is blocking the 5 GHz signal

Why wrong: Microwaves primarily interfere with 2.4 GHz, not 5 GHz, and would not cause a network to be invisible.

The switch ports are configured for half-duplex

Why wrong: Half-duplex would cause collisions and poor performance, but the symptom of showing 100 Mbps indicates a speed mismatch, not duplex.

The Ethernet cables are Cat5 instead of Cat5e or Cat6

Why wrong: Cat5 can support gigabit at shorter distances, but the issue is that the switch is negotiating at 100 Mbps, which is more likely due to the client NIC.

The switch has a faulty power supply causing reduced performance

Why wrong: A faulty power supply would likely cause intermittent connectivity or port failures, not a consistent speed negotiation to 100 Mbps.

Replace the Cat5e cable with a Cat6 cable.

Why wrong: Cat5e supports gigabit speeds and is not the cause. Replacing it without diagnosing the issue is premature.

Reboot the switch in the wiring closet.

Why wrong: Since other devices work, the switch is likely fine. Rebooting it would disrupt other users unnecessarily.

Replace the network adapter in the PC.

Why wrong: The link light indicates the adapter is functioning. Replacing it without further testing is not warranted.

A DSL modem

Why wrong: DSL uses existing phone lines and is not dedicated; bandwidth can vary. It's not suitable for a dedicated corporate link.

A cable modem

Why wrong: Cable modems share bandwidth with other subscribers, making it non-dedicated and inconsistent.

A wireless access point

Why wrong: WAPs provide local wireless connectivity, not WAN connectivity. They cannot connect to a corporate network across a city.

A second router

Why wrong: A second router could create a separate network, but it would be more complex and expensive. A managed switch with VLANs is the standard solution.

A hub

Why wrong: A hub extends the same broadcast domain and does not provide segmentation. It would actually increase collisions.

A wireless access point

Why wrong: A WAP only provides wireless connectivity and does not create separate broadcast domains. It would connect to the existing network.

Install multiple thick access points with overlapping channels.

Why wrong: Thick APs operate independently, so roaming may cause disconnections. Overlapping channels can cause interference, not seamless roaming.

Use a single high-power access point in the center of the building.

Why wrong: A single AP cannot provide adequate coverage through concrete floors and metal studs. Users on different floors would have poor signals.

Use mesh access points with wireless backhaul.

Why wrong: Mesh APs can extend coverage, but wireless backhaul through concrete and metal is inefficient and can cause latency. Wired backhaul is preferred for seamless roaming.

Replace the Cat6a cabling with Cat7 cabling.

Why wrong: Cat6a already supports 10 Gbps at 100 meters. Cat7 is not necessary and is not a standard recognized by TIA/EIA for Ethernet.

Replace the switches with Gigabit models that have SFP+ ports for fiber.

Why wrong: SFP+ ports can support 10 Gbps, but the scenario states existing cabling is Cat6a, which is copper. Using SFP+ would require fiber cabling, adding cost.

Add a repeater to boost the signal on the existing Cat6a cabling.

Why wrong: Repeaters are used to extend distance, not increase speed. Cat6a already supports 10 Gbps at the required distance, so a repeater is unnecessary.

Use a single 120-meter Cat6 cable.

Why wrong: Cat6 cable is limited to 100 meters for 1 Gbps; exceeding this distance will cause signal degradation and loss of connectivity.

Use a fiber optic cable with media converters on both ends.

Why wrong: Fiber optic cable can cover 120 meters easily, but this option is more expensive and complex than necessary. It is a valid solution but not the most straightforward for the scenario.

Replace one switch with a hub to increase signal strength.

Why wrong: A hub does not regenerate signals as effectively as a switch and would cause collisions and performance issues. It is not a recommended solution for extending distance.

Enable Link Aggregation Control Protocol (LACP) on the server connections.

Why wrong: LACP combines multiple links for increased bandwidth and redundancy, but it does not prevent loops on its own. STP is still needed to manage redundant paths.

Use a hub instead of a switch for the core connection.

Why wrong: Hubs do not prevent loops and would cause collisions and performance issues. They are not suitable for data center networks.

Configure all switch ports as access ports.

Why wrong: Access ports are for end devices and do not affect loop prevention. Redundant links would still cause loops without STP.