hardMultiple Choice
220-1201 Practice Question: A technician is troubleshooting a network where…
A technician is troubleshooting a network where one workstation intermittently loses connectivity. The cable run is 85 meters and passes through a conduit with several sharp bends. The cable tester shows intermittent shorts. Which cabling issue is most likely?
⚠ Common exam trap
CompTIA A+ exams often test the distinction between length-related attenuation and physical damage symptoms, so the trap here is that candidates see '85 meters' and immediately assume a length violation, ignoring the intermittent shorts and sharp bends that indicate a physical crush.
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 being pinched or crushed in the conduit.
The cable tester indicates intermittent shorts, which are classic symptoms of physical damage to the cable. The 85-meter run with sharp bends in the conduit creates a high risk of the cable being pinched or crushed, leading to conductor contact or insulation breakdown. This physical stress causes intermittent connectivity issues, not a length or interference problem.
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 cable is too long for the network standard.
Why it's wrong here
At 85 metres the run remains within the 100-metre Ethernet limit, so length is not the fault; the intermittent shorts stem from conductor damage caused by sharp bends exceeding the cable's bend radius. Length would be the answer only if the run exceeded the standard's maximum distance.
- ✓
The cable is being pinched or crushed in the conduit.
Why this is correct
Sharp bends in conduit crush the twisted pairs, deforming the cable geometry so conductors intermittently touch, which the tester reports as shorts. The 85-metre length sits within Cat5e/Cat6 limits, so distance is not the fault; physical pinching is.
- ✗
The cable is unshielded and picking up EMI.
Why it's wrong here
The tester reports intermittent shorts, which indicate a physical conductor fault, not induced noise; EMI produces crosstalk or signal degradation, not short circuits. Unshielded cable is the right consideration where twisted-pair runs sit near motors, fluorescent ballasts or radio transmitters in electrically noisy industrial environments.
- ✗
The cable is a flat patch cable used for a permanent run.
Why it's wrong here
Flat patch cables use stranded conductors intended for short patch connections, not permanent horizontal runs. It is tempting because flat cable is genuinely unsuitable for fixed installation, and would be correct if the run were specified as permanent, but the tester's intermittent shorts indicate physical damage from the sharp bends.
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Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
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