- A
The modem is overheating
Why wrong: Overheating would cause intermittent drops, not predictable evening slowdowns.
- B
Bandwidth congestion from neighbors
Cable internet shares bandwidth locally, leading to slower speeds during peak hours.
- C
A faulty Ethernet cable
Why wrong: A faulty cable would cause constant issues, not time-specific slowdowns.
- D
The ISP is throttling video streaming
Why wrong: Throttling would apply to specific services, not general speed tests.
Question 838 of 1,020
220-1201 Internet Connection Types Practice Question
This 220-1201 practice question tests your understanding of internet connection types. The scenario asks you to isolate a root cause — eliminate options that address a different problem before choosing. After answering, compare your reasoning against the explanation and wrong-answer breakdown below. Once you have made your selection, read the full explanation to reinforce the concept and understand why each distractor is designed to mislead on exam day.
A home user complains that their internet is extremely slow during peak evening hours, but speed tests show fast results late at night. They have a cable modem connection. What is the most likely cause of this issue?
Clue words in this question
Noticing these words before you look at the options changes how you read each choice.
Clue:
"most likely"Why it matters: Probability qualifier — the question wants the most probable cause or outcome, not a guaranteed one. Eliminate low-probability options.
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
✓
Bandwidth congestion from neighbors
Cable internet uses a shared bandwidth model where multiple homes in the same neighborhood connect to a common node. During peak evening hours, increased simultaneous usage from neighbors causes congestion on this shared medium, resulting in slower speeds. Late-night tests are fast because fewer users are active, confirming the issue is contention-based rather than a hardware or throttling problem.
Key principle: Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
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 modem is overheating
Why it's wrong here
Overheating would cause intermittent drops, not predictable evening slowdowns.
- ✓
Bandwidth congestion from neighbors
Why this is correct
Cable internet shares bandwidth locally, leading to slower speeds during peak hours.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "most likely" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
A faulty Ethernet cable
Why it's wrong here
A faulty cable would cause constant issues, not time-specific slowdowns.
- ✗
The ISP is throttling video streaming
Why it's wrong here
Throttling would apply to specific services, not general speed tests.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
CompTIA A+ often tests the misconception that ISP throttling is the default explanation for slow speeds, but the key differentiator here is the time-based pattern, which points to shared medium congestion rather than selective traffic management.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Cable modems operate on the DOCSIS standard, where a Cable Modem Termination System (CMTS) serves multiple subscribers in a shared RF domain. During peak usage, the CMTS may enforce traffic shaping or queue management, leading to increased latency and reduced throughput. Real-world scenarios often show that even a single heavy user (e.g., streaming 4K video) can degrade performance for others on the same node due to limited upstream/downstream channel capacity.
KKey Concepts to Remember
- Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- Find the constraint that changes the correct option.
- Eliminate answers that are true in general but not in this case.
TExam Day Tips
- Watch for words such as best, first, most likely and least administrative effort.
- Review why wrong options are wrong, not only why the correct option is correct.
Key takeaway
Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Real-world example
How this comes up in practice
A network engineer at a university connects two campus buildings via a fibre link. Both routers run OSPF, but no adjacency forms — even though both routers can ping each other. The engineer finds one router is in area 0 and the other in area 1. OSPF adjacency requires matching area numbers, hello/dead timers, and network type. IP reachability alone is not enough.
What to study next
Got this wrong? Here's your next step.
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
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FAQ
Questions learners often ask
What does this 220-1201 question test?
Internet Connection Types — This question tests Internet Connection Types — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Bandwidth congestion from neighbors — Cable internet uses a shared bandwidth model where multiple homes in the same neighborhood connect to a common node. During peak evening hours, increased simultaneous usage from neighbors causes congestion on this shared medium, resulting in slower speeds. Late-night tests are fast because fewer users are active, confirming the issue is contention-based rather than a hardware or throttling problem.
What should I do if I get this 220-1201 question wrong?
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
Are there clue words in this question I should notice?
Yes — watch for: "most likely". Probability qualifier — the question wants the most probable cause or outcome, not a guaranteed one. Eliminate low-probability options.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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Last reviewed: Jul 4, 2026
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