220-1101 Hardware and Network Troubleshooting Practice Question
A technician is troubleshooting a workstation in a small office that loses network connectivity sporadically. The technician notices that the problem occurs every time a nearby heavy-duty laser printer starts a print job. The workstation is connected to the same network switch as the printer but is on a different electrical circuit. The technician has already replaced the Ethernet patch cable and verified the workstation’s network settings are correct. The link light on the workstation’s NIC turns off during the outages. Which of the following should the technician check NEXT?
⚠ Common exam trap
The trap here is that candidates focus on network-layer causes (DHCP, NIC, power management) and ignore the physical-layer power quality issue, even though the link light turning off is a clear indicator of a Layer 1 problem tied to an electrical event.
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
✓
Check the power supply unit (PSU) output voltage during a printer startup
The sporadic network outage coinciding with the heavy-duty laser printer starting a print job, combined with the link light turning off, strongly indicates a power quality issue. The printer and workstation are on different electrical circuits, but a large inductive load like a laser printer's fuser can cause electrical noise or a voltage sag on the shared mains supply, which can disrupt the workstation's power supply unit (PSU) output. If the PSU cannot maintain stable voltages (e.g., +3.3V, +5V, +12V) during the sag, the NIC may lose power or become unstable, causing the link light to drop. Checking the PSU output voltage during printer startup is the logical next step to confirm or rule out this power-related cause.
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 network interface card (NIC)
Why it's wrong here
A failing NIC can certainly cause intermittent link drops, but the trigger here is the laser printer's startup, which draws a large inrush current. That pattern points to an electrical disturbance (like a voltage sag) rather than a defective adapter. Replacing the NIC before checking PSU output and power quality is premature and could leave the underlying power problem unresolved.
- ✓
Check the power supply unit (PSU) output voltage during a printer startup
Why this is correct
The laser printer's high startup current may cause a voltage sag on the electrical system, affecting the workstation’s PSU and causing the NIC to lose power temporarily. Measuring the PSU output during an event can confirm if the voltage drops below acceptable levels.
- ✗
Increase the DHCP lease time on the router
Why it's wrong here
DHCP lease time controls how often a client renews its IP address; it has no effect on the physical link state. The symptom described is a NIC link light turning off, which is a Layer 1 issue, not an IP-layer issue. A printer starting up could not cause a DHCP lease problem, so extending the lease time would not address the actual cause.
- ✗
Disable power management on the network adapter
Why it's wrong here
Power management on a NIC typically shuts the adapter down after a period of inactivity, which would not explain a drop that occurs specifically when the printer starts up. The workstation is presumably in active use at that moment, so the NIC would not be in a low-power state. The correlation with printer startup strongly suggests a power supply or electrical sag problem, and disabling power management would not resolve that.
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JA
Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
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