220-1101 Hardware and Network Troubleshooting 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.

• ✓

  Perform a loopback test on the NIC

  Why this is correct

  A loopback test on the NIC sends a packet to the network interface's own receive path, verifying that the internal transmit and receive circuitry of the adapter is functioning correctly. Given that the link lights stay on, the physical layer link is present, but the test isolates whether the NIC itself can handle frames end-to-end without relying on external cabling. If the test passes, the NIC is not the culprit, and attention should shift to the cable, switch port, or upper-layer protocol configuration; if it fails, the NIC is confirmed as the fault and replacement or driver troubleshooting is the next step.

• ✗

  Check for an IP address conflict on the network

  Why it's wrong here

  Checking for an IP address conflict is unlikely to resolve this scenario because a duplicate IP typically produces a persistent, disruptive error—such as an OS pop-up warning, inability to reach the gateway, or complete loss of network access—rather than brief, sporadic disconnections while link lights remain lit. The fact that the link lights stay active indicates the physical connection is stable, which points the fault to the NIC or the cable, not to the network-layer addressing scheme. An IP conflict also would not typically cause the link light to stay on while network communication intermittently drops, so it is an incorrect first step here.

• ✗

  Replace the network switch

  Why it's wrong here

  Replacing the network switch is a drastic, potentially disruptive action that should be taken only after the fault has been conclusively isolated to the switch port or switch hardware, which is not established by the given symptoms. The link lights remaining on suggest the NIC and the switch see a viable carrier, and the intermittent nature of the drops could stem from a faulty NIC, a damaged Ethernet cable, or a marginal switch port; swapping the switch without testing these variables risks replacing a perfectly good device and leaves the true fault unresolved. A loopback test is non-intrusive and free, whereas a switch replacement introduces downtime and configuration overhead, and it should be deferred until simpler components like the NIC and cable are ruled out.

• ✗

  Review the system event logs for network-related errors

  Why it's wrong here

  Reviewing the system event logs for network-related errors is a passive diagnostic step that may record past NIC resets, link-down events, or driver timeouts, but it relies on the chance that the symptoms were captured and often reveals only the result of a failure, not the hardware state itself. A loopback test, by contrast, actively exercises the NIC's transmit and receive path in a controlled manner and gives an immediate pass/fail verdict on the adapter's hardware integrity, making it a faster and more conclusive first step than sifting through logs for clues. While event logs can support a later investigation into driver or software issues, they cannot definitively determine whether the NIC hardware has failed, so they should not be chosen as the primary action for this intermittent symptom.

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