The correct next step is to inspect the paper feed rollers, because horizontal white lines across the page on an inkjet printer, even after a successful nozzle check pattern, point to a mechanical feed issue rather than a clogged printhead. When feed rollers become dirty or worn, they lose traction and cause the paper to advance unevenly, creating gaps that manifest as those white lines. On the CompTIA A+ Core 1 220-1201 exam, this scenario tests your ability to differentiate between printhead defects and paper transport problems—a common trap is to immediately replace cartridges or run cleaning cycles when the nozzle check is already clean. Remember that if the nozzle check pattern prints perfectly, the issue is almost certainly in the paper path. A useful memory tip is “Lines from the rollers, not the nozzles”—if the printhead is fine, look for a mechanical cause in the feed system.
220-1101 Printers Practice Question
This 220-1201 practice question tests your understanding of printers. The scenario asks you to isolate a root cause — eliminate options that address a different problem before choosing. After answering, compare your reasoning against the explanation and wrong-answer breakdown below. Once you have made your selection, read the full explanation to reinforce the concept and understand why each distractor is designed to mislead on exam day.
A customer complains that their inkjet printer's output has horizontal white lines across the page. The cartridges are new and the printer passes a nozzle check pattern. What should the technician check next?
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Inspect the paper feed rollers
Horizontal white lines on inkjet output often indicate a paper feed issue, such as dirty or worn feed rollers. The roller's surface can lose traction, causing the paper to feed unevenly and creating gaps. Cleaning or replacing the feed rollers typically resolves the problem.
Key principle: NAT direction and interface roles matter as much as the IP address mapping. Inside/outside designation controls which traffic is translated.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
✗
Replace the printhead
Why it's wrong here
The nozzle check pattern passed, so the printhead is not clogged; replacing it would be unnecessary.
✗
Clean the encoder strip
Why it's wrong here
A dirty encoder strip causes vertical banding or misalignment, not horizontal white lines.
✓
Inspect the paper feed rollers
Why this is correct
Worn or dirty feed rollers cause inconsistent paper movement, resulting in horizontal white lines.
Related concept
Static NAT maps one inside address to one outside address.
✗
Update the printer driver
Why it's wrong here
Driver issues cause communication or formatting errors, not physical print defects like white lines.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: NAT rules depend on direction and matching traffic
NAT is not only about the public address. The inside/outside interface roles and the ACL or rule that matches traffic are just as important.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
NAT questions usually test address translation, overload/PAT behaviour, static mappings and whether the right traffic is being translated. Read the interface direction and address terms carefully.
KKey Concepts to Remember
Static NAT maps one inside address to one outside address.
PAT allows many inside hosts to share one public address using ports.
Inside local and inside global describe the private and translated addresses.
NAT ACLs identify traffic for translation, not always security filtering.
TExam Day Tips
→Identify inside and outside interfaces first.
→Check whether the scenario needs static NAT, dynamic NAT or PAT.
→Do not confuse NAT matching ACLs with normal packet-filtering intent.
Key takeaway
NAT direction and interface roles matter as much as the IP address mapping. Inside/outside designation controls which traffic is translated.
Real-world example
How this comes up in practice
A small business has 20 workstations on the 192.168.1.0/24 network and one public IP from its ISP. The router uses PAT (NAT overload) so all 20 devices share one public address using different source ports. NAT questions test whether you understand the four address terms and which direction each translation applies.
Related glossary terms
Concepts from this question explained
These glossary pages explain the core terms tested in this 220-1201 question in full detail.
Review the four NAT address types (inside local, inside global, outside local, outside global), PAT port overload, and static vs dynamic NAT use cases. Then practise related 220-1201 NAT questions on configuration and troubleshooting.
Printers — This question tests Printers — Static NAT maps one inside address to one outside address..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Inspect the paper feed rollers — Horizontal white lines on inkjet output often indicate a paper feed issue, such as dirty or worn feed rollers. The roller's surface can lose traction, causing the paper to feed unevenly and creating gaps. Cleaning or replacing the feed rollers typically resolves the problem.
What should I do if I get this 220-1201 question wrong?
Review the four NAT address types (inside local, inside global, outside local, outside global), PAT port overload, and static vs dynamic NAT use cases. Then practise related 220-1201 NAT questions on configuration and troubleshooting.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Static NAT maps one inside address to one outside address.
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Question Discussion
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