220-1101 Hardware and Network Troubleshooting Practice Question
A user reports that their wired desktop computer loses network connectivity for a few seconds at random times. The technician observes that when the issue occurs, the network activity LED on the integrated NIC turns off. The technician has already replaced the Ethernet cable, tested the switch port with another device (which works fine), and updated the NIC driver. Which of the following should the technician check NEXT?
⚠ Common exam trap
The trap here is that candidates often jump to hardware replacement (Option A) or network-layer fixes (Option C) because they assume a physical-layer LED turning off must be a hardware fault, when in fact it is a power management feature controlled by the OS.
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
✓
B) Check the NIC's power management settings in Device Manager and disable 'Allow the computer to turn off this device to save power'
The symptom—random, brief connectivity loss with the NIC activity LED turning off—strongly suggests the operating system is powering down the NIC to save energy. Disabling the 'Allow the computer to turn off this device to save power' setting in the NIC's power management properties prevents the OS from entering a low-power state that drops the link. Since the cable, switch port, and driver have already been verified, this is the logical next step.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
A) Replace the motherboard
Why it's wrong here
Replacing the motherboard is excessive when the fault may lie with the integrated NIC's power management or a failing adapter. Swapping the motherboard is tempting as a catch-all hardware fix, but a discrete NIC or power-saving setting should be investigated first, since the LED loss suggests the adapter itself.
- ✓
B) Check the NIC's power management settings in Device Manager and disable 'Allow the computer to turn off this device to save power'
Why this is correct
The NIC's power management setting can let Windows suspend the adapter to save energy, dropping the link and extinguishing the activity LED. Since cabling, switch port and driver are already eliminated, disabling 'Allow the computer to turn off this device to save power' addresses the remaining cause.
- ✗
C) Disable IPv6 on the NIC
Why it's wrong here
IPv6 is a Layer 3 protocol setting and has no bearing on the NIC's link-state LED extinguishing, which indicates a physical or link-layer fault. Disabling it is tempting when troubleshooting odd connectivity, but the symptom points to hardware or power management, not protocol configuration.
- ✗
D) Manually set the NIC speed and duplex to 10 Mbps Full Duplex
Why it's wrong here
Forcing 10 Mbps full duplex would not restore a link that drops entirely; the LED extinguishing indicates the physical link itself is failing, not a negotiation mismatch. Duplex and speed settings are tempting because mismatches cause errors and slowness, but they do not switch the link off.
Go deeper
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Home and SOHO Network Setup
Key term
Operating system
An operating system (OS) is the core software that manages a computer's hardware and software resources, providing common services for computer programs.
Key term
Light-emitting Diode
A light-emitting diode (LED) is a semiconductor device that emits light when an electric current passes through it, commonly used as an indicator or illumination source in electronic devices.
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Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
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