220-1101 Networking 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.

• ✓

  Ensure power cable connected and PSU switch on, then check video cable connections, then test with a known-good monitor, then reseat RAM and GPU.

  Why this is correct

  This order follows a logical, least-invasive-to-most-invasive diagnostic progression. Power is the absolute prerequisite for any display output, so verifying the power cable and PSU switch is the first and most fundamental check. Next, confirming video cable connections is an external, quick test that can eliminate common loose-connection issues. Only after these external factors are ruled out does testing with a known-good monitor isolate whether the fault lies with the display itself or the source device. Finally, reseating RAM and GPU addresses potential internal connection issues, which is the most invasive step and should be deferred until all external possibilities are exhausted.

• ✗

  Test with a known-good monitor first, then check power, then check video cable connections, then reseat internal components.

  Why it's wrong here

  Leading with a known-good monitor test is inefficient and conceptually flawed because a known-good monitor will also show no display if the power supply is off or the video cable is defective or loose. This order risks misdiagnosing the problem as internal when the fault is actually external, leading to unnecessary disassembly and wasted time. The diagnostic process should always start with the most basic requirement—power—then progress to cables, before using a known-good monitor to differentiate between display and source issues. Skipping these preliminary steps can produce misleading results, as the known-good monitor's lack of signal cannot be correctly interpreted without first confirming that the source is properly powered and connected.

• ✗

  Check power, then check cables, then reseat RAM and GPU, then test with a known-good monitor.

  Why it's wrong here

  This order unnecessarily opens the case to reseat RAM and GPU before using a known-good monitor to test the display itself. Reseating internal components is invasive, carries a risk of electrostatic discharge or improper reseating, and takes significantly more time than swapping in a known-good monitor. If the issue is actually a faulty monitor, the reseating step is completely wasted effort and may even introduce new problems. Correct troubleshooting requires isolating the monitor as the culprit first—after verifying power and cables—so that internal components are only touched when the external components have been eliminated as suspects.

• ✗

  Check video cable connections first, then check power, then test with a known-good monitor, then reseat internal components.

  Why it's wrong here

  Checking video cable connections before verifying power is a subtle but critical logical misstep in the diagnostic sequence. Without confirmed power delivery to the PC, the video cable's condition is irrelevant because the graphics output cannot produce a signal regardless of cable integrity. Power is the foundational layer of the entire troubleshooting pyramid; if the PSU is off or unplugged, no downstream step can succeed. Once power is verified, then checking cables and proceeding to a known-good monitor makes sense, but the initial order incorrectly elevates a secondary connection over the primary power requirement.

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