CompTIA A+ Core 1 220-1201 (220-1201) — Questions 976–1020

Flickering that changes with screen angle is a classic symptom of a damaged or loose display cable (LVDS or eDP ribbon) that connects the screen to the motherboard. This is common in laptops due to hinge wear. The correct answer identifies the cable as the likely culprit.

Hyper-V requires the Windows Hyper-V role to be installed and the hardware virtualization features (VT-x/AMD-V) to be enabled in the BIOS. If the hypervisor is not running, it is often because virtualization is disabled in BIOS or the Hyper-V role is not properly configured. The correct answer addresses enabling virtualization in BIOS.

RAID 6 stripes data and uses dual parity, allowing up to two drive failures while maintaining good read performance. This question tests knowledge of RAID levels and their fault tolerance capabilities.

The faint horizontal lines and blurry image are classic symptoms of a ground loop, where a difference in electrical potential between the computer and monitor causes interference on the analog VGA signal. Since the monitor works perfectly with another computer using the same cable, the cable and monitor are exonerated, isolating the issue to the computer's grounding or power supply.

Three beeps in many BIOS versions (especially AMI and Award) indicate a memory error, such as a faulty or improperly seated RAM module. This is a standard POST diagnostic code. The question tests basic familiarity with beep codes.

VGA is an analog signal and can suffer from interference. Damaged or loose pins in the VGA connector can cause distortion even if the cable appears secure. The pins may be bent or broken.

UEFI requires GPT partition table to boot, and GPT supports drives larger than 2 TB. Legacy BIOS with MBR cannot address beyond 2 TB. This question reinforces the relationship between UEFI and GPT for large drives.

This question tests knowledge of network protocols used for scanning to a network folder. SMB (Server Message Block) is the standard protocol for file sharing in Windows environments. FTP or email would require additional services, and SNMP is for management only.

A blinking DSL light on a modem indicates that the modem is actively attempting to establish synchronization (sync) with the DSLAM (Digital Subscriber Line Access Multiplexer) at the provider's central office. This process involves training the line to negotiate a stable connection speed and protocol, such as ADSL or VDSL, and typically takes 30–60 seconds. A solid DSL light confirms successful sync, while a blinking light means the handshake is still in progress or has failed.

A rapidly blinking link light typically indicates active data transmission, but when paired with an intermittent connection, it often points to physical-layer issues. A damaged Cat5e cable or loose connector can cause frequent link flaps and CRC errors, leading to the rapid blinking as the switch repeatedly attempts to re-establish the link. This is the most likely cause because the symptom (blinking link light) aligns with physical-layer problems rather than configuration or load issues.

The workstation can ping the router's LAN interface (10.0.0.1), confirming Layer 2 and basic IP connectivity on the LAN. However, for the workstation to reach the internet, the router must have a default route (0.0.0.0/0) pointing to the ISP's next-hop gateway (likely 203.0.113.6, the other end of the /30 WAN link). Without this route, the router does not know where to forward packets destined for external networks, even though the WAN interface has a valid IP from DHCP.

This question tests understanding of multifunction device network configuration, specifically scanning to email. The most likely cause is incorrect authentication credentials for the SMTP server, as the printer must log in to send email. Checking network connectivity or DNS would be secondary if the IP is valid and the server address is correct.

USB-C supports faster data transfer rates (up to 10 Gbps or more) compared to USB-A's typical 5 Gbps, and it is the correct connector for the drive. Using a USB-A port would require an adapter and may limit speed. This question tests knowledge of USB connector generations and their performance capabilities.

The most likely cause is that both Wi-Fi and Bluetooth operate in the 2.4 GHz ISM band, and when a tablet is actively using Wi-Fi to sync data to a cloud server, the radio can cause interference with the Bluetooth signal, leading to periodic disconnections. This is a well-known coexistence issue, especially in dense environments where both radios are active simultaneously.

The user can send emails (SMTP works) but cannot receive them, and the incoming protocol is POP3. POP3 uses port 110 by default. Since the server is reachable, a firewall blocking port 110 would prevent the email client from retrieving incoming messages, while SMTP on port 25 remains unaffected.

This question tests understanding of Ethernet wiring errors. The correct answer is that a swap of pairs 1-2 and 3-6 creates a crossover cable, which may still work with Auto-MDIX, but if not, it can cause a 'No Link' or 'Unidentified Network' error.

In RAID 5, a single drive failure is survivable, but during rebuild, the remaining drives are under heavy read stress. If another drive fails or has an unrecoverable read error, the array fails. This is known as a 'double fault' during rebuild, a common risk with large-capacity drives.

The most likely reason is that the laptop's wireless adapter only supports 2.4 GHz frequencies. Since the old phone could see the 5 GHz network, the router's 5 GHz radio is functioning correctly, but the laptop's hardware lacks the capability to detect or connect to 5 GHz bands, which is a common limitation in budget or older laptops.

When a smartphone shows full signal bars but cannot make or receive voice calls while SMS works, the most likely cause is that the device is set to 'LTE only' as its preferred network type and VoLTE (Voice over LTE) is disabled. SMS can be carried over LTE via IMS (IP Multimedia Subsystem) or fallback to circuit-switched networks, but voice calls require either VoLTE or a circuit-switched fallback (CSFB) to 2G/3G. With 'LTE only' selected and VoLTE off, the device cannot initiate or accept voice calls because it lacks a circuit-switched connection and has no fallback path.

Ghosting—a faint duplicate of a previous image—is often caused by a failing fuser that does not properly clean residual toner from the drum or by a worn cleaning blade. Even with new consumables, the fuser or cleaning assembly may be worn. The fuser's heat and pressure can cause toner to stick and transfer later.

Cat6a (Augmented Category 6) cabling is the correct choice because it supports 10 Gigabit Ethernet (10GBASE-T) over distances up to 100 meters, easily covering the required 50 meters. Cat6a uses thicker insulation and tighter twists to reduce alien crosstalk, which is critical for maintaining signal integrity at 10 Gbps over longer runs.

A Metropolitan Area Network (MAN) is the correct choice because it is designed to interconnect multiple locations across a city or large campus, providing private, high-speed connectivity. In this scenario, the hospital requires a network that spans beyond a single building but is confined to a campus-sized area, which fits the MAN scope. Technologies like Metro Ethernet or MPLS can deliver the necessary bandwidth for sharing patient records and imaging data securely.

Successful pings to the default gateway (192.168.1.1) confirm that Layer 2 and Layer 3 connectivity within the local subnet is working, and that the workstation's IP, subnet mask, and default gateway are correctly configured. Failure to ping 8.8.8.8 (a public IP) indicates that traffic is not being routed beyond the local network, which points to an issue with the router's WAN connection or its routing configuration to the internet.

Option A is correct because SMTP is the standard protocol for sending outgoing email, POP3 allows desktop clients like Outlook to download and store emails locally, and HTTP enables web browser access to the email server (often via a webmail interface). This combination supports both client types: Outlook uses SMTP/POP3, while a browser uses HTTP to access the webmail service.

10GBASE-SR is designed for multimode fiber (MMF) over short distances, typically up to 300 meters. Using single-mode fiber (SMF) would not work because the transceiver is optimized for multimode. The correct answer is multimode fiber (OM3 or OM4).

The digitizer flex cable must be fully seated and locked into its connector on the tablet's mainboard to establish electrical continuity for touch signals. If the cable is loose or not properly inserted, the touch controller cannot communicate with the digitizer, resulting in a completely unresponsive touch input despite the LCD display functioning correctly.

A drop can easily damage the digitizer layer, which is responsible for detecting touch input, even if the glass display remains intact. The LCD/OLED panel may still function for display, but without a working digitizer, touch input will not register.

When an iPhone has sufficient storage but fails to install an app with an 'unable to be installed' message, the most common cause is an issue with the Apple ID account, such as being locked, restricted, or having payment problems. Apple's App Store installation process requires a valid, unlocked Apple ID to authenticate the download and verify entitlements. Checking the Apple ID status is the first logical step before exploring other potential causes.

DNS is required to resolve the domain name www.company.com to the public IP address 203.0.113.5, so external users can reach the router. NAT (specifically destination NAT or port forwarding) is needed to translate the public IP and port to the internal private IP address of the web server, allowing inbound traffic to reach the internal host.

At the native 4K resolution (3840x2160), pixels are densely packed, making UI elements physically tiny. Increasing the display scaling percentage (e.g., to 150% or 200%) instructs the OS to render text and icons at a larger logical size while keeping the monitor at its native resolution, preserving full sharpness and detail. This is the standard solution for high-DPI displays.

The correct answer is to check the SATA configuration mode. If the SATA controller is set to RAID or AHCI when the drive requires the other, or if it's disabled, the drive may not be detected. This tests understanding of how UEFI/BIOS settings affect hardware enumeration.

Continuous beeps that do not match standard codes often indicate a power-related issue, such as a failed voltage regulator module (VRM) on the motherboard. Power surges can damage the VRM circuitry, leading to erratic POST behavior. The dual PSUs may be fine, but the motherboard's power regulation has failed.

If no dedicated GPU is installed and the integrated graphics are not working, the issue could be that the CPU does not have integrated graphics, or the integrated graphics are disabled in BIOS. However, the most common cause when the system powers on but no video is that the RAM is not properly seated or is faulty, as the system cannot complete POST without working memory.

Server consolidation uses a Type 1 hypervisor (bare-metal) to run multiple VMs directly on hardware, maximizing resource utilization. This is the standard approach for data center virtualization.

A blinking cursor after POST often indicates the system cannot find a bootable operating system. This commonly happens when the boot order is incorrect or the new SSD is not set as the first boot device.

When a device's screen is cracked, the digitizer may still work, but the user might not be able to change USB settings from 'Charging only' to 'File transfer' if the touch input is needed for that selection. This is a common scenario where the default USB mode prevents data access.

The SSD may not be initialized with a GPT partition table or may lack an EFI system partition, making it invisible to the UEFI boot manager. The technician should check the partition style and ensure the SSD is properly formatted for UEFI boot. This question tests advanced knowledge of UEFI boot requirements.

The smart bulb uses a personal area network (PAN) because it communicates directly with the smartphone over a short-range wireless technology, such as Bluetooth or Zigbee, without connecting to a home Wi-Fi router. The 10-meter range limitation is a key characteristic of PAN technologies, which are designed for device-to-device communication within a few meters to about 10 meters. This contrasts with WLAN, which would require Wi-Fi and a router for broader coverage.

Option C is correct because wireless charging relies on inductive coupling between the phone's receiver coil and the pad's transmitter coil. A thick case (especially one containing metal) can physically separate the coils beyond the effective range or cause eddy current losses that trigger thermal protection, causing the pad to shut down after a few minutes. The fact that the pad works with another phone and the phone charges via cable isolates the issue to the case, not the phone's battery or charging coil.

Option B is correct because the most common reason a device sees only the 2.4 GHz band is that its wireless adapter lacks 5 GHz support. Many older or budget smart TVs ship with single-band 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi chipsets, so even though the router broadcasts both bands, the TV’s hardware cannot detect or connect to the 5 GHz network.

High-end CPUs and GPUs like the i9-13900K and RTX 4080 can draw over 300W each under load, plus other components. A 1000W PSU provides sufficient headroom for peak power spikes and ensures stability during intensive tasks.

The 'plugged in, not charging' message often indicates a failed battery that cannot accept a charge, even though the system detects it. A defective battery cell will prevent charging. The power adapter and charging circuit are likely fine since the laptop powers on.

ECC memory requires support from the CPU's memory controller. Not all CPUs support ECC; it is typically found in workstation or server-class processors. This question tests knowledge of CPU features beyond just speed and cores.

The ping reply confirms Layer 3 connectivity between the workstation and the web server, so the issue is not with IP routing or the default gateway. Since the web page does not load despite successful ICMP echo replies, the problem is likely at Layer 4 or above, such as the web server's firewall blocking HTTP (port 80) or HTTPS (port 443) traffic. The technician should check the server's firewall rules to ensure these ports are open.

The branch office's internal network connects 50 employees within a single physical location, providing shared access to local resources like printers and servers. This fits the definition of a Local Area Network (LAN), which operates over a limited geographic area and uses high-speed technologies such as Ethernet (IEEE 802.3) and Wi-Fi (IEEE 802.11). The leased line to headquarters is a separate WAN connection, but the internal network itself remains a LAN.