A small office has 15 workstations connected to a single unmanaged switch, which is connected to a router that provides internet access. Users report that the network is slow. A technician notices that the activity lights on the switch are blinking rapidly and almost constantly, even during off-peak hours. Which of the following is the most likely cause?

Duplicate IP addresses

Duplicate IP addresses cause intermittent connectivity issues for affected devices but do not generate the high, constant traffic that would explain continuous blinking activity lights.

Faulty default gateway

A faulty default gateway would prevent internet access but would not cause unusually high traffic on the local switch, as local communication between workstations would continue normally.

DNS server failure

DNS server failure would cause name resolution failures, but traffic to and from the DNS server is relatively low and would not account for constant rapid blinking of switch lights.

What does this 220-1101 question test?

CIDR notation defines the prefix length.

What is the correct answer to this question?

The correct answer is: Excessive broadcast traffic — Rapid, constant blinking of switch activity lights indicates a high volume of traffic. Excessive broadcast traffic, such as from a broadcast storm or a misconfigured device flooding the network with broadcasts, can saturate the switch, degrading performance for all users. Duplicate IP addresses cause intermittent conflicts but not continuous high traffic. Faulty default gateway would affect internet access but not local traffic. DNS failure would impact name resolution without causing constant switch activity.

What should I do if I get this 220-1101 question wrong?

Then try more questions from the same exam bank and focus on understanding why the wrong options are tempting.