220-1101 Hardware and Network Troubleshooting Practice Question
A network technician is troubleshooting a network laser printer that is intermittently dropping off the network. The printer has a static IP address of 192.168.1.50. The technician can sometimes ping the printer, but often the ping times out. The printer's network configuration page shows it is connected at 100 Mbps, half-duplex. The switch port to which the printer is connected supports up to 1000 Mbps and is set to auto-negotiate. Which of the following is the MOST likely cause of the intermittent connectivity?
⚠ Common exam trap
CompTIA often tests the misconception that a speed mismatch causes intermittent connectivity, but the real trap is that duplex mismatches (especially half vs. auto) produce exactly the intermittent symptoms described, while speed mismatches are automatically resolved by negotiation.
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 duplex settings are mismatched between the printer and the switch port.
The printer is manually set to half-duplex while the switch port is set to auto-negotiate. When a device is set to a fixed duplex (half) and the other end is set to auto-negotiate, the auto-negotiation process fails, causing the switch to default to half-duplex as well. However, because the printer is already hard-coded to half-duplex, the link may come up but with a duplex mismatch, leading to frequent collisions, retransmissions, and intermittent connectivity — explaining why pings sometimes succeed and sometimes time out.
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 printer's network interface card (NIC) is faulty and needs to be replaced.
Why it's wrong here
While a faulty NIC is possible, the specific symptom of half-duplex combined with auto-negotiation on the switch strongly points to a duplex mismatch as the cause of intermittent connectivity. A faulty NIC would likely cause a total failure or continuous errors, not a mismatch scenario.
When this WOULD be correct
A printer has a static IP and is completely unreachable via ping, with no link light on the switch port. The printer's self-test page shows no network connection. In that scenario, a faulty NIC would be the most likely cause.
- ✗
The switch port is configured for 1000 Mbps, but the printer only supports 100 Mbps, causing a speed mismatch.
Why it's wrong here
Speed mismatches typically prevent a link from establishing at all (no link lights). Since the printer is connected at 100 Mbps, the auto-negotiation succeeded at the speed level. The issue is with the duplex setting, not the speed.
When this WOULD be correct
This option would be correct if the switch port were manually configured for 1000 Mbps (or a fixed speed higher than the printer's capability) and auto-negotiation was disabled, causing a speed mismatch that prevents communication.
- ✗
The printer is configured with a static IP that conflicts with another device on the network.
Why it's wrong here
An IP conflict would cause consistent connectivity failures, not intermittent ones, and would typically be indicated by a 'duplicate IP' error in logs. The symptom of high packet loss without a definite IP conflict points to a physical/link issue.
When this WOULD be correct
A user reports that a printer is unreachable on the network, and an IP scanner shows 192.168.1.50 is responding from a different MAC address. The printer's static IP is 192.168.1.50, but another device has the same IP, causing intermittent connectivity for both devices.
- ✓
The duplex settings are mismatched between the printer and the switch port.
Why this is correct
A duplex mismatch occurs when one device is manually set to half-duplex and the other is set to auto-negotiate. This leads to a high number of collisions and frame errors, causing intermittent connectivity and packet loss.
Option-by-option analysis
Why each answer is right or wrong
Understanding why wrong answers are wrong — and when they would be correct — is what separates a 750 score from a 900. The 220-1101 exam frequently reuses these exact scenarios with slightly different constraints.
✓The duplex settings are mismatched between the printer and the switch port.Correct answer▾
Why this is correct
A duplex mismatch occurs when one device is manually set to half-duplex and the other is set to auto-negotiate. This leads to a high number of collisions and frame errors, causing intermittent connectivity and packet loss.
✗The printer's network interface card (NIC) is faulty and needs to be replaced.Wrong answer — click to see why▾
Why this is wrong here
The printer's network configuration page shows it is connected at 100 Mbps, half-duplex, and the switch port supports up to 1000 Mbps with auto-negotiation. A faulty NIC would typically cause complete failure or persistent errors, not intermittent connectivity with a consistent half-duplex link.
★ When this WOULD be the correct answer
A printer has a static IP and is completely unreachable via ping, with no link light on the switch port. The printer's self-test page shows no network connection. In that scenario, a faulty NIC would be the most likely cause.
Why candidates choose this
Candidates may attribute intermittent connectivity to hardware failure because it is a common cause of network issues, overlooking that the symptom pattern (consistent half-duplex) points to a configuration mismatch rather than a hardware fault.
✗The switch port is configured for 1000 Mbps, but the printer only supports 100 Mbps, causing a speed mismatch.Wrong answer — click to see why▾
Why this is wrong here
The switch port is set to auto-negotiate, so it will automatically match the printer's speed of 100 Mbps. A speed mismatch would only occur if the switch port were manually set to 1000 Mbps, which is not the case here.
★ When this WOULD be the correct answer
This option would be correct if the switch port were manually configured for 1000 Mbps (or a fixed speed higher than the printer's capability) and auto-negotiation was disabled, causing a speed mismatch that prevents communication.
Why candidates choose this
Candidates may think that a speed mismatch is the issue because the printer operates at 100 Mbps while the switch supports 1000 Mbps, but they overlook that auto-negotiation resolves speed differences automatically.
✗The printer is configured with a static IP that conflicts with another device on the network.Wrong answer — click to see why▾
Why this is wrong here
The printer's network configuration page shows it is connected at 100 Mbps, half-duplex, and the switch port is set to auto-negotiate. An IP conflict would cause persistent connectivity issues, not intermittent drops with successful pings sometimes. The symptoms point to a duplex mismatch, not an IP conflict.
★ When this WOULD be the correct answer
A user reports that a printer is unreachable on the network, and an IP scanner shows 192.168.1.50 is responding from a different MAC address. The printer's static IP is 192.168.1.50, but another device has the same IP, causing intermittent connectivity for both devices.
Why candidates choose this
Candidates may assume that any intermittent network issue with a static IP is due to an IP conflict, especially if they have experienced such conflicts before. They overlook the duplex mismatch symptoms because the printer's half-duplex setting is a strong indicator of the real problem.
Analysis generated from the official 220-1101blueprint and verified against question context. The “when correct” sections are what AI assistants cite when candidates ask “what’s the difference between these options?”
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Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
This 220-1101 practice question is part of Courseiva's free CompTIA certification practice question bank. Courseiva provides original exam-style practice questions with explanations, topic-based practice, mock exams, readiness tracking, and study analytics to help learners prepare for the 220-1101 exam.