220-1101 A+ Core Exam 1

You are an IT technician for your company. The company has 10BaseT, 100BaseT, and 1000BaseT networks that are interconnected. What is the maximum segment distance for data transmission on these networks? A) 100 meters (328 feet) B) 50 meters (164 feet) C) 185 meters (607 feet) D) 25 meters (82 feet) E) 500 meters (1.,640 feet)

A) 100 meters (328 feet) /10BaseT, 100BaseT, and 1000BaseT Ethernet use unshielded twisted-pair cable (UTP) as their transmission medium. The maximum transmission distance of UTP cable is 100 meters, or 328 feet. This distance can be increased using repeaters.

Your cloud deployment is accessed by several employees of the company over a VPN. Currently, the employees enter a username and a password combination. Management wants to increase the level of security by implementing mulifactor authentication. Which of the following authentication factors could you implement to provide this? (Choose all that apply.) A) A retinal scan B) an electronic token C) a smart card D) a PIN

A) A retinal scan B) an electronic token C) a smart card /To successfully implement multifactor authentication, you would need to bring in something a user is or has. An electronic token and a smart card are both examples of something a user has. A retinal scan is a biometric proof of identity, which is something that a user is.

RAM is high-speed memory used by a PC to store what types of data when the system is in use? (Select all that apply.) A) Active programs B) SQL database C) In-use data D) Operating system kernel

A) Active programs C) In-use data D) Operating system kernel

Your company wants to upgrade its twisted pair (TP) cable network to handle up to 10 GB data rates from switches to network nodes over lengths of up to 90 meters. Which TP category type must the company deploy to meet its requirements? A) Cat6a B) Cat3 C) Cat6 D) Cat4 E) Cat5e

A) Cat6a /Cat6a, which stands for Category 6 Augmented twisted-pair cable, makes use of better conductors and shielding to support the nominal 100-meter (90-meter cable run) distances for data rates up to 10 Gbps. It is an improved and more advanced version of Cat6 and it offers better performance. It is backward compatible with Cat5e and Cat6.

Your laptop computer, which typically draws 2 amperes (amps) under normal usage, has a rechargeable nickel-cadmium (NiCad) battery that provides 150 minutes of battery power. lately, the laptop runs out of power after only 30 minutes of use. Which actions should you take to extend the time your computer can operate on battery power? A) Clean the battery terminals. B) Configure APM. C) Run fewer applications while using battery power. D) Use a charging device with a higher output voltage. E) Perform several cycles of discharging and recharging the battery.

A) Clean the battery terminals. E) Perform several cycles of discharging and recharging the battery. /Contacts can develop a resistive film that prevents the battery from being fully charged and reduces the voltage available to the computer. NICad batteries can develop a memory capacity problem, which prevents them from delivering their full power capacity. It is often possible to resolve memory capacity problems by forcing a battery through several discharge/recharge cycles. You should also check the battery pack for damage if its operating life is shorter than you would expect from its ampere-hour (Ah) rating. The battery described in this scenario should provide 2 amperes for 2.5 hours; therefore, it has an Ah rating of 5.0.

A customer wants a computer for performing a single-threaded task as quickly as possible. Which of the following CPU characteristics is the MOST important? A) Clock speed B) Hyperthreading C) Fan speed D) Number of cores

A) Clock speed /Hyperthreading is an ability CPUs have to perform tasks that are multi-threaded.

You have a motherboard that includes an LGA 1155 socket. Which CPU would NOT be supported with this motherboard? A) Core 2 Duo B) Celeron C) Xeon D) Core i7

A) Core 2 Duo /AN LGA 1155 socket supports i3/i5/i7, Pentium, Celeron, and Xeon CPUs. Core 2 Duo CPUs will require an LGA 775 socket. LGA 775 sockets also support Pentium 4, Celeron, Pentium 4 Extreme Edition, Core 2 Quad, and Xeon processors.

To connect multiple monitors to your computer you can use Daisy-Chaining. What cable types are used to Daisy-Chain monitors? A) DisplayPort B) DVI C) VGA D) HDMI

A) DisplayPort

Not all graphics cards and monitors are capable of Daisy-Chaining. What minimum protocol does your equipment need to be capable of to support Daisy-Chaining? A) DisplayPort 1.2 B) HDMI 2.1 C) USB-C 3.2 D) DVI-D Dual Link

A) DisplayPort 1.2

When Kevin was hired, he inherited a box of different types of RAM. Which RAM would you ask him to set aside if you needed to increase the number of data wires available from 64 to 128? A) Dual-channel B) Double-sided C) Single-sided D) Single-channel

A) Dual-channel /The dual-channel memory architecture increases the number of data wires available from 64 to 128. The triple-channel memory architecture increases the number of data wires to 192. The quad-channel memory architecture increases the number of data wires to 256. Single-channel architecture has 64 wires and has each RAM module run separately from the other installed RAM modules. Single-sided RAM has chips on one side of the RAM. Double-sided RAM has chips on both sides of the RAM.

You are repairing a computer that contains two processor cores in a single processor package. Which processor technology provides this? A) Dual-core technology B) MMX technology C) i5 technology D) Hyper-Threading technology E) CPU throttle technology

A) Dual-core technology /Dual-core technology contains two processor cores in a single processor package and provides almost all of the advantages of a multi-processor computer. Dual-core technology was introduced by both AMD and Intel in 2005. Dual-core processors are 32-bit processors that can run in 64-bit mode. A single-core processor contains a single processor core. A CPU chip that has an x86 architecture refers to a 32-bit CPU, whereas an x64 architecture refers to a 64-bit CPU. The biggest difference in these two types of CPUs is the amount of RAM they can access. The 32-bit CPU has a limited amount of maximum physical memory capped at 4 GBs where the 64-bit CPU can handle 8-32 GBs of memory.

A user's desktop computer is overheating and continually rebooting without user input. What is the most likely cause of this problem? A) Dust B) Humidity C) Power sags D) Power surges

A) Dust /Dust is the most likely cause of desktop computer overheating. Dust buildup can cause cooling fans to fail. For this reason, you should often clean your computer, both inside and out, to ensure that dust accumulation does not occur. All users should be educated on computer cleaning methods to ensure that dust buildup does not occur. Humidity usually does not cause overheating. Low humidity causes electrostatic discharge (ESD) issues. High humidity causes moisture and condensation buildup.

In a desktop PC case, where are the drive bays typically located? A) Front of the case B) Rear of the case C) Next to the PSU D) Behind the motherboard tray

A) Front of the case

A support technician is installing a PCIe card that will use a combination of system memory and dedicated memory. What type of card is the tech installing? A) Graphics B) Sound C) NIC D) Wi-Fi

A) Graphics

During a class, the instructor discusses technology that allows a single processor to handle two independent sets of instructions at the same time. Which technology provides this functionality? A) Hyper-Threading (HT) technology B) Dual Independent bus (DIB) C) CPU throttle technology D) Dual-core technology

A) Hyper-Threading (HT) technology /Hyper-Threading (HT) technology allows a single processor to handle two independent sets of instructions at the same time. HT technology converts a single physical processor into two virtual processors.

Every time a Windows 10 computer boots, you receive an error message stating that the cover was previously removed. You want to prevent this alert from being displayed. In which location should you disable this alert? A) In the BIOS B) In Device Manager C) In the System Configuration utility D) In Event Viewer

A) In the BIOS /To prevent an alert regarding the cover being removed from displaying, you should disable the chassis intrusion detection, no matter which operating system you are running. Chassis intrusion detection is always configured in the system's BIOS. Chassis intrusion detection is a method of physical intrusion detection. It provides an alert the next time the computer is booted that tells the user that the chassis has opened. Often, hackers will physically open a computer to insert hardware that is used to capture confidential or sensitive information. Chassis Intrusion detection is not configured in the System Configuration utility, in Event Viewer, or in Device Manager.

You are trying to help your customer connect to a USB 3.0 printer to her laptop and desktop computer. The laptop computer only has USB 1.1 ports and PCIe slots available. What would be the most logical and affordable option to recommend to her? A) Install a SUB 3.0 card in the PCIe slot B) Purchase another printer that supports USB 2.0 C) Purchase a newer laptop with USB 2.0 ports D) Replace all USB 1.1 ports with USB 3.0 hubs E) Purchase another printer that supports USB 1.1

A) Install a SUB 3.0 card in the PCIe slot. You can purchase an inexpensive USB 3.0 PCIe card and install it into the PCI Express slot. Newer-model laptops will usually have two to four port USB 3.0 Express Card Adapter cards that can easily plug into the PCIe slot located on the side of the laptop. To connect a USB printer to a computer or laptop, you will need to install the USB A (female) type connector into the computer port and the USB B (male) type connector or side into the printer or peripheral itself.

A hardware technician installed a new PSU in a server and is removing any unnecessary power connector cables from it. What type of PSU did the technician install? A) Modular B) Redundant C) ATX D) ATX12V

A) Modular /A redundant power supply is going to be a UPS, primarily we call these generators so they are backups. ATX is the motherboard, and ATX12V is a rail on the motherboard.

You want to use Enhanced Intel SpeedStep Technology in a laptop. Which components must support this technology to use it? (Choose all that apply.) A motherboard B BIOS C software drivers D operating system

A) Motherboard B) BIOS|C D) Operating System /If you want to use Enhanced Intel SpeedStep Technology in a laptop, the motherboard, BIOS, and operating system must support SpeedStep. In addition, the chipset and processor must support the technology. The software drivers do not need to support SpeedStep. Enhanced Intel SpeedStep Technology allows the computer to dynamically adjust processor voltage and core frequency, which decrease average power consumption and average heat production. You disable SpeedStep in the system's BIOS. SpeedStep would prevent a computer from using 100% of the CPU.

Which printer upgrade option allows a printer to act as a standalone printer on a network? A) NIC B) RAM C) Duplexer D) Finisher

A) NIC

When installing a 2.5" SSD, what data connection type is used? A) SATA B) SCSI C) PCIe D) NVMe

A) SATA

You have been asked to upgrade the hard drives in several legacy computers. Management wants you to upgrade them to the hard drive specification that has the fastest theoretical bus speed. Of the options given, which hard drive specification should you implement? A) SATA 3 B) SATA 2 C) SATA 1 D) IEEE 1394 FireWire

A) SATA 3

A user has recently moved to the United States from the United Kingdom. He contacts you asking how to switch his desktop computer to the appropriate voltage. What should you tell him to do? A) Slide the voltage switch on the side of the power supply to the appropriate voltage. B) Replace the power supply. C) Slide the switch on the inside of the power supply to the appropriate voltage. D) Slide the switch on the motherboard to the appropriate voltage.

A) Slide the voltage switch on the side of the power supply to the appropriate voltage. /Most power supplies include the ability to switch between 110V and 220V power.

Your company implements a new policy that all computers must use drive-level encryption for security. You want to enhance the security provided by BitLocker. What should you enable? A) TPM B) NTFS C) EFS D) BIOS passwords

A) TPM /You should use Trusted Platform Module (TPM) to enhance the security provided by BitLocker. BitLockerf is a hard drive encryption technology included in Windows 7 and above. A TPM chip is an international standard secure crypto processor that will exculsively handle encryption and decryption for a device,

Beverly has contacted you and stating that her computer will not boot and keeps beeping. Which components must pass a computer's power-on self-test (POST) before an operating system will load? (Choose three.) A) The video card B) The keyboard C) The central processing unit (CPU) D) The hard disk drive E) The network interface card (NIC) F) The memory

A) The video card C) The central processing unit (CPU) F) The memory

You have begun the process of replacing the CPU in your computer by physically installing the CPU. You must ensure that the motherboard recognizes the new CPU. What should you do first? A) Update the firmware. B) Update the driver. C) Access the motherboard vendor's website to find out if the CPU is compatible with the moterboard. D) Contact the motherboard vendor to inquire about compatibility.

A) Update the firmware./You should not update the driver until after you have ensured that the motherboard recognizes the new CPU and the computer has booted in the operating system. You should not access the motherboard vendor's website to find out if the CPU is compatible with the motherboard. You should perform this step prior to physically installing the CPU.

A technician would like to upgrade a workstation by adding a USB 3.1 card, and upgrading the video card, sound card, and NIC. The technician is concerned about power consumption by the expansion cards. Which of the following upgrades would MOST likely require also upgrading the power supply? A) Video card B) USB 3.1 card C) Sound card D) Network card

A) Video card

A user reports that his Windows computer often issues errors about running out of virtual memory. The performance is sometimes sluggish. You want to increase the amount of available virtual memory. What should you do? A) Open the case and verify the type of RAM installed. B) Edit the size of the paging file in the operating system. C) Edit the size of the paging file in the CMOS D) Restart the computer.

B) Edit the size of the paging file in the operating system. /In many Windows versions, you can accomplish this by clicking the Settings button in the Performance section of the System Properties dialog box's Advanced tab. Virtual memory is managed by the operating system. The initial size and maximum size of the paging file can be manually configured by the user. The paging file is virtual memory.

When installing two RAM DIMM's into a desktop that has 4 DIMM slots, which two slots will you typically install the RAM DIMM's into to enable dual channel memory? (Select both that apply.) A) 1 & 2 B) 1 & 3 C) 3 & 4 D) 2 & 4

B) 1 & 3 D) 2 & 4

You need to install several USB devices on a server. You have been asked to attach USB hubs to the computer. Only one USB port is available. How many hubs can you daisy chain to a single port? A) 4 B) 5 C) 3 D) 2

B) 5 /While the specification does allow chaining of up to five hubs, you may experience problems configuring more than two hubs in a line.

A technician must determine why a computer is overheating. Which of the following may be the cause? (Select all that apply.) A) Blanking plates are covering holes B) A fan is not working C) There is an invalid cable specification D) The room is too warm

B) A fan is not working D) The room is too warm /In the world of CompTIA, blanking plates are going to help redirect airflow. An invalid cable specification would most likely be a display issue.

Jack has several areas in office where he needs to install cabling. He has coaxial cable on hand, and he would like to use splitters to connect the different computers and areas. If he runs multiple splitters, which effects should he anticipate? A) Fewer collisions B) Connection speed issues C) More collisions D) Service quality issues E) Signal loss

B) Connection speed issues D) Service quality issues E) Signal loss / If he runs multiple splitters, he should anticipate signal loss, connection speed issues, and service quality issues. Adding a splitter should not affect the number of collisions on the network. There should not be more or fewer collisions as a result of this change. Splitters are devices that take two or more signals of the same frequency range and reassembles the signals from multiple sources. Splitters are meant to extend cables on networks.

A hardware technician is working on a new desktop that can send 128 bits of data per transfer rather than 64 bits. What is this referred to as? A) Single Channel B) Dual Channel C) Triple Channel D) Quadruple Channel

B) Dual Channel

You need to implement a RAID level that duplicates a partition on another physical disk, providing two identical copies of data. Which RAID level should you use? A) Level 2 B) Level 1 C) Level 3 D) Level 0 E) Level 5 F) Level 4

B) Level 1 /RAID Level 1, also known as disk mirroring, duplicates the original disk, and this duplicate is placed on a separate disk, creating a "mirror." Disk mirroring requires two disks of equal size. It is simple to implement and offers fast recovery if a single disk fails. However, because disk mirroring requires duplication of the initial partition, only 50 % of the total available disk space is used. RAID Level 1 is less efficient when performing disk writes.

A computer receives a parity check error message. Which component should you check first? A) Hard drive B) Memory C) Video card D) Motherboard

B) Memory / You should first check the memory. A parity check error can be caused by the computer's RAM, motherboard, memory or a hardware adapter on the computer. You should not check the hard drive, motherboard, or video card until after you have checked the memory.

A technician is troubleshooting a computer that will not turn on. The technician has verified that the wall socket and devices leading to the computer are working correctly. What could remain as an issue? A) On premises distribution circuit B) Motherboard C) Power supply unit D) Power grid

B) Motherboard C) Power supply unit

A technician is troubleshooting a computer that will not turn on. The technician has verified that the wall socket and devices leading to the computer are working correctly. What could remain as an issue? (Select all that apply.) A) On premises distribution circuit B) Motherboard C) Power supply unit D) Power grid

B) Motherboard C) Power supply unit

A company has a network that uses a light-emitting diode (LED) to transmit data. Which cable is being used on this network? A) Coaxial cable B) Multi-mode fiber optic cable C) Unshielded twisted-pair (UTP) cable D) Shielded twisted pair (STP) cable

B) Multi-mode fiber optic cable /A multi-mode fiber optic cable uses an LED to emit the light from the current that passes through the LED. An LED uses two semiconductors: p-type semiconductors and n-type semiconductors. When both the semiconductors are kept in direct contact, they form a religion called a P-N junction. The current is passed from the p-type semiconductor to the n-type semiconductor, and light emits from the current. The LED is used in fiber optics for faster data transmission that occurs in remote controls and LCD backlighting. Coaxial cable does not use an LED.

A software developer is creating an application that will run multiple parallel threads through the CPU at the same time to reduce the amount of "idle time" the CPU spends waiting for new instructions to process. What type of process is the developer taking advantage of? A) Mulit-socket B) Multithreading C) Multicore D) Processor extensions

B) Multithreading /What matters in this is that we're running parallel threads at the same time. Multicore is SMP (Symmetric Multiprocessing) which can also be multithreaded. Screaming fast.

You need to replace a computer's power supply. When you purchase the new power supply, you notice an 8-pin power connection. For which device type is this connection intended? A) ATA hard drives B) PCI Express devices C) CPU connector D) SATA hard drives

B) PCI Express devices /The 8-pin power connector is used for PCI Express (PCIe) devices. This is an 8-pin 12V power connection. It provides 12 volts. PCIe can also use 6-pin connectors. SATA hard drives use a 15-pin connector that provides 3.3, 5, or 12 volts.

When installing RAM DIMM's, what steps are part of the installation process? (Select all that apply.) A) Apply thermal paste B) Press firmly on both sides of the DIMM until the locking tab clicks C) Pull back locking tabs prior to installation D) Secure DIMM with a case screw

B) Press firmly on both sides of the DIMM until the locking tab clicks C) Pull back locking tabs prior to installation

You have finished preparing a user guide containing password reset instructions for your users. Rather than printing out a hard copy, you are going to make it available in an online repository. Users will be reading the document on Windows, Android, and Apple devices. Which virtual print technology would be the most restrictive and be the least compatible with users' devices? A) Print to PDF B) Print to XPS C) Print to File D) Print to Image

B) Print to XPS /XPS is a file format created by Microsoft as their own version of a PDF file. In its XPS state, the document would only be available to Windows users, and only to those users who have an XPS viewer installed.

You are troubleshooting a problem with a Windows desktop computer. When you boot up the computer, the hard disk spins, the computer beeps once, and everything appears normal except the display. The display is blank. You confirm that the monitor's power switch is on and the monitor is plugged in. What should you do next to troubleshoot this problem? (Choose two.) A) Replace the CPU's power supply. B) Replace the monitor cables. C) Install new video display drivers. D) Replace the monitor. E) Replace the video card.

B) Replace the monitor cables. D) Replace the monitor. /An external display screen that stays blank through the entire boot process can indicate a problem with the monitor or with the video card. You should first check the monitor's power switch and cables. If you confirm that the monitor is getting power from the power outlet and turned on, verify that the power and video cables are connected properly. If they are, test for a defective monitor cable by replacing it with a new one (such as the DVI or HDMI cable). If that does not work, replace the monitor with a known-good unit.

Steven's computer includes a hard drive that connects to the computer's motherboard using a 7-wire cable with a single interface. Which hard drive interface is used by Steven's disk drive? A) IDE B) Serial ATA C) EIDE D) SCSI

B) Serial ATA /The hard disk drive in Steven's computer uses the SATA Interface. SATA supports a maximum data transmission speed of 150 Mbps and uses a 7-wire cable that can be up to one meter in length. SATA hard drives are the primary storage devices used in many desktop computers.

You are a desktop engineer for DreamSuites Corporation. Irene Jones has joined DreamSuites as an HR executive in the London office. You configure a new computer for Irene. The computer will not power up, and you have been asked to troubleshoot the problem. Which action is NOT required to troubleshoot the problem? A) Check the power cords. B) Set the power output of the wall outlet to 230 volts. C) Ensure that the 115/230 voltage selector switch is set to the correct voltage. D) Ensure that the power is available.

B) Set the power output of the wall outlet to 230 volts. /The voltage selector switch on the back of the computer may be set to 115. Applying 230 volts to a system set at 115 volts will ruin the power supply. You should first ensure that the 115/230 voltage selector switch is set to 230 volts before changing the power output to 230 volts.

You frequently operate your Windows 10 portable computer on battery power when you are traveling. When you use battery power, your Windows 10 computer is configured to enter standby mode after 15 minutes of inactivity. Which components are turned off in this mode? (Choose two.) A) The CPU B) The monitor C) The keyboard D) The hard disk

B) The monitor D) The hard disk

When prepping the CPU to install the cooler, what needs to be installed/applied first? A) cooler fan B) Thermal paste C) Dielectric grease D) Thermal pad

B) Thermal paste

If you were explaining to your company's IT personnel the difference between their old hard drive technology and newer solid state drives, which statement would be false? A) They are not as fragile as magnetic hard drives. B) They use a read/write assembly. C) They are silent when in operation. D) They do not require an external power source.

B) They use a read/write assembly. /Solid state drives do NOT use a read/write assembly and do NOT require an external power source. They pull electrical current for operation from the USB drive. Serial ATA (SATA) solid state drives do require electricity by plugging into the power supply.

Alice needs to connect many external devices to her PC. Which of the following expansion cards would enable her to connect the largest number of devices? A) Riser card B) USB expansion card C) Thunderbolt card D) FireWire expansion card

B) USB expansion card /A USB port supports up to 127 devices. The other cards would not connect more devices than a USB expansion card. Each FireWire port supports up to 63 devices. Thunderbolt supports us to 7 devices. Devices do not connect directly to riser cards. Riser cards provide a means to attach extra adapter cards to the motherboard.

You have determined that several computers on your company's network need to have the BIOS updated. Which of the following changes to your computer would MOST likely require that you flash a computer's BIOS afterward. A) Changing the boot sequence B) Upgrading the CPU C) Replacing the system board D) Adding memory

B) Upgrading the CPU /Most modern computers make use of a technology known as flash read-only memory (ROM) or flash basic input/ouput system (BIOS) that allows code in a computer's core chips (firmware) to be updated by software that is available through the BIOS manufacturer or system board manufacturer. You may need to flash a computer's BIOS after you integrate certain types of technological enhancements, such as a CPU with a new instruction set, into your computer. Before you flash the BIOS, you should back up the BIOS settings on a floppy disk and document the complementary metal-oxide semiconductor (CMOS) configuration settings. This update can also be referred to as a firmware update.

RAM is one of the types of system memory your PC uses. Which of the following best describes it? A) Non-volatile B) Volatile C) Discrete D) Stable

B) Volatile

You need to set up a network that needs to span multiple buildings. For this reason, you want to use the cabling that supports the longest maximum cable length. Which network topology provides this? A) 10Base5 B) 100BaseT C) 10BaseF D) 10Base2

C) 10BaseF /Of the choices given, 10BaseF networks, which operate at 10 megabits per second (Mbps), support the longest cable length with a maximum distance of 2,000 meters (m) or 2 kilometers (km), 10BaseF is also known as 10BaseFL; another fiber-optic standard known as 10BaseFP exists, but it never received widespread acceptance. The 100BaseFX standard is identical to 10BaseFL except that the network speed is 100 Mbps rather than 10 Mbps. Networks configured with a 10Base2 topology support a maximum cable length of 185 meters. Networks built on a 10Base5 topology support a maximum cable length of 500 meters. The 10BaseT and 100BaseT topologies support a maximum distance of 100 meters between two devices.

What is the greatest distance that can separate the USB 2.0 device from the computer? A) 10 meters B) 1.5 meters C) 5 meters D) 3 meters

C) 5 meters /USB 1.0 support rates up to 12 megabits per second (Mbps). USB 2.0 supports rates of up to 480 Mbps. USB 3.0 supports rates of up to 5 gigabits per second (Gbps).

A user complains that his computer is taking a long time to boot. During the boot process, you observe that the hard drive activity light is staying on. You discover that the hard drive is nearing its maximum capacity. The computer contains a single 150 GB hard drive. What should you do? A) Add an identical hard drive and configure a RAID-5 volume. B) Defragment the hard drive. C) Add an identical hard drive and configure a RAID-0 volume. D) Add an identical hard drive and configure a RAID-1 volume.

C) Add an identical hard drive and configure a RAID-0 volume. /In this configuration, the two drives will appear as a single drive to the user. Data will be striped across the two drives. Anytime you experience long boot times and the hard drive activity light stays on during the boot, the most likely cause is that the hard drive is nearing its maximum capacity.

To increase the graphics processing of a computer, you are installing a discrete graphics card. What do you need to remove from the case to install the new graphics card? A) Case fan B) M.2 SSD C) Blanking plates D) CPU Cooler

C) Blanking plates

You are setting up a new subnetwork on an existing network. Management has asked that you use existing cabling that the company has already purchased. However, you need to ensure that the cabling can be used on a 10BaseT network. What is the minimum category of UTP cable you can use? A) Category 2 B) Category 6 C) Category 3 D) Category 5e E) Category 5

C) Category 3 /10BaseT requires a minimum of Cat3 cable. Cat3 cable is acceptable for 10-Mbps transmissions. It may still be found in legacy installations, but has largely been phased out in favor of the Category 5e and Category 6 standards. These newer cables are rated for much faster speeds (1000 Mbps) and provide backwards compatibility with the older, and much slower, 10-Mbps standards. Most cable suppliers no longer manufacture Cat 3 cable.

You need to upgrade your Windows computer to the latest Windows edition from a master boot image. You put a DVD that contains the files for the new edition into the DVD drive and reboot the system. The system does not boot from the DVD. What should you do to first solve this problem? A) Change the disk format from ISO 9660 to Joliet. B) Replace the DVD drive. C) Configure the UEFI to boot from the DVD drive. D) Make sure the DVD drive is set to master.

C) Configure the UEFI to boot from the DVD drive. /You can set the order in which the system looks for a boot image. By default, the (Unified Extensible Firmware Interface) UEFI in most computers looks for a boot manager first, then for the USB drive, then for the CD or DVD drive, and finally for a network adapter, before reporting the error that it does not find a boot image. If you want to boot from a DVD drive, you should tell UEFI to search the DVD drive for a boot image. In this case, the boot manager would be found on the local drive so other options would not be accessed. To ensure that the system would boot to the DVD drive, the DVD drive would need to be the first boot option in UEFI. You should not replace the DVD drive as your first step. The DVD drive could be defective, but it is much more likely that the UEFI is not configured to first search the DVD drive for a boot record.

A technician is troubleshooting a failed redundant array of independent disks (RAID) configuration and is unable to access the RAID configuration utility. What does this indicate? A) Disk failure B) Boot process failure C) Controller failure D) Multiple disk failure

C) Controller failure /If we have a problem with a boot process it is more than likely a disk failure issue. If we have something that looks to be a configuration issue, we have a controller problem.

Susan has just been hired as your new tech support. You are explaining different RAM types to her. Which RAM technology would you tell him fetches 4 bits of data per clock cycle and uses 1.8V to operate? A) SDRAM B) SGRAM C) DDR2 SDRAM D) DDR3 SDRAM

C) DDR2 SDRAM /DDR2 SDRAM uses differential pairs of signal wires to allow faster signalling without noise and interference problems to achieve higher throughput. DDR2 SDRAM uses 1.8V to operate and fetches 4 bits of data per clock cycle instead of 2 bits as with DDR SDRAM, DDR2 chips typically use Fine Pitch Ball Grid Array (FBGA) packaging rather than the Thin Small Outline Package (TSOP) chip packaging used by most DDR and conventional SDRAM chips.

A technician upgrades an older computer to Windows 10. The computer is running unusually slow, but the hardware has no problems and is adequate for the OS. Which of the following is the MOST likely solution? A) Change the boot sequence B) Switch the BIOS to UEFI C) Defragment the hard drive D) Enable virtualization

C) Defragment the hard drive /Beware of flashing the BIOS. The only time you should do it is when it needs to be done.

Your company's mobile sales force is complaining about how slow their laptops are. You are considering replacing the mechanical hard drives in their laptops with solid state drives (SSD). This will provide an increase in performance, but you are concerned about the SSD's limited storage capacity. What type of SSD should you consider? A) SATA 2.5 drives B) NVME drives C) Hybrid drives D) M2 drives

C) Hybrid drives /Hybrid drives have both SSD and mechanical hard drives. Hybrid drives store the operating system, applications, and system files on the SSD side, and use the mechanical hard drive for long-term storage. This type of drive will provide the users with a performance boost while still maintaining the storage capacity of mechanical drives.

You want to ensure that a computer has a 64-bit architecture and is able to fully utilize 64-bit computing. Which component is NOT important for this purpose? A) Operating system B) Processor C) Memory D) Device drivers

C) Memory

A support technician is connecting an IDE (Integrated Drive Electronics) cable to a PC's motherboard and knows that pin 1 on the cable must match up with pin 1 on the port. How can the tech know where pin 1 is on the cable? A) Pin 1 has a blue stripe B) Pin 1 has a black stripe C) Pin 1 has a red stripe D) Pin 1 has a grey stripe

C) Pin 1 has a red stripe /IDE is legacy technology

You are creating a crossover cable. You know that each end of the crossover cable must be configured differently. Which pins contain the Blue wire? A) Pin6/Pin 2 B) Pin5/Pin5 C) Pin4/Pin4 D) Pin3/Pin1

C) Pin4/Pin4

Which of the following would most likely be used to control a legacy system? A) AA B) TCP/IP C) SCADA D) DHCP E) DNS

C) SCADA /Supervisory Control and DATA Acquisition (SCADA) is a system of software and hardware elements that allows organizations to control automated processes locally or at remote locations; to monitor, gather, and process data; to directly interact with devices like sensors or valves; and to record events into a log file. SCADA systems must frequently control legacy hardware or run alongside obsolete, out-of-support operating systems due to the highly specialized nature of the process being controlled.

You have decided to enable overclocking to increase performance of a computer. On which computer components can you specifically enable overclocking? (Choose all that apply.) A) Motherboard B) Hard drive C) System bus D) RAM E) Processor

C) System bus D) RAM E) Processor /No other computer components can be overclocked. Overclocking allows you to run the processor or system bus at a higher speed than the manufacturer's rating to gain increased performance. Overclocking cannot be specifically enabled on the motherboard or hard drive.

A support technician needs to install a legacy PCI sound card. Which of the following statements about PCI is NOT true? A) PCIe supersedes PCI B) PCI uses parallel communications C) The PCI card can fit into the PCIe slot D) PCI is software compatible with PCIe

C) The PCI card can fit into the PCIe slot /The pin configuration on the PCI card is different from the PCIe card.

A user contacts you stating that his laptop is making a weird buzzing noise. When you examine the laptop, you notice that the buzzing noise is coming from the bottom of the display assembly. Which device should you probably replace? A) The hard drive B) The motherboard C) The inverter board D) The display screen

C) The inverter board /The buzzing noise can be a sign that the inverter board is failing. When the inverter board fails, the image on the screen will be dim or dark, even when you adjust the brightness settings. Inverters convert the DC power being used to power the device into the AC power used by the display. One good test for video display problems with a laptop is to connect the laptop to an external monitor. If the external display is good, then the internal video card is not the problem. The problem is most likely caused by the inverter or the backlight. The backlight can also be the source of dimming problems. However, when you have problems with the backlight, the dimming occurs gradually. Often, the only way to tell whether the inverter or backlight is the problem is to test the inverter with a multimeter. The inverter is easier to replace than the backlight. None of the other devices usually make a buzzing noise when failing. In addition, the motherboard and hard drive are not located in the display assembly. A failing hard drive may make a grinding noise. Strange noises can also be caused when a cable is improperly routed and is hitting an internal fan or when a fan is beginning to fail.

Aligning the CPU to the socket properly is critical when installing the CPU. What shape on the CPU indicates the direction the chip should be aligned with the socket? A) Line B) Arrow C) Triangle D) Square

C) Triangle

You are teaching a one-week computer repair class. Early Monday morning, you discover that a student from the previous week protected his computer with a BIOS startup password, and you are unable to contact the student to obtain the password. This week's class starts in one hour, and all seats are taken. What should you do to make the computer available to a student in this week's class? A) Use your Windows Administrator password. B) Remove the CMOS battery. C) Use a system board jumper. D) Replace the system board. E) Replace the CMOS chip.

C) Use a system board jumper./Some system boards include a jumper that allows only the complementary metal-oxide semiconductor (CMOS) password and no other CMOS settings to be cleared. Removing the computer's CMOS battery would clear all CMOS settings, including the password; after replacing the battery, you would have to reconfigure the necessary CMOS settings.

Which of the following types of cables are MOST likely to be used to connect an external hard drive? (Select TWO). A) Molex B) SPDIF C) eSATA D) USB 3.0 E) CAT 6e F) HDMI

C) eSATA D) USB 3.0 /SPDIF is for surround sound and Molex is for power

On a network that you administer, you cannot use a Windows computer named Wkst1 to connect to an Internet host with the fully qualified domain name (FQDN) www.cybervista.net. You want to determine whether a WAN link between Wkst1 and www.cybervista.net is down. You know that data normally passes through 10 hops in transit from Wkst1 to www.cybervista.net. Which command should you use to test connectivity? A) nbstat www.cybervista.net B) arp www.cybervista.net C) tracert www.cybervista.net D) ipconfig www.cybervista.net

C) tracert www.cybervista.net /Of the listed commands, you should use the tracert www.cybervista.net command to determine whether a WAN link between Wkst1 and www.cybervista.net is broken. The tracert computername command or tracert IP-Address command starts the tracert utility. The tracert utility displays the path that data travels through a network. The path begins at the host, which is the computer on which the utility is started, and ends up at the host specified in the computername or IP-Address variables.

Which of the following memory types is primarily used in laptops? A) SDRAM B) DDR2 C) ECC D) SODIMM

D) SODIMM /Small Outline Dual Inline Memory Module

You have several different RAM modules that you can use in a new computer. You need to ensure that the fastest memory is used. Which speed denotes the fastest memory? A) 60 ns B) 10 ns C) 8 ns D) 7 ns

D) 7 ns /Memory access speed is sometimes expressed in terms of access time. Access time measures, in nanoseconds (ns), the amount of time from when the memory module receives a data request to the time when that data becomes available. The smaller the number, the less time it takes to access data in the memory.

You suspect that an uninterruptible power supply (UPS) is malfunctioning. You need to test the output from the UPS using a multimeter. Which multimeter setting should you use? A) Ohms B) DC Voltage C) Continuity D) AC Voltage

D) AC Voltage /A UPS provides AC power even when it is supplying power from its internal battery. This is true because components that normally plug into a UPS, such as a monitor, are powered by AC current.

You have a network that uses single-mode fiber optic cable. What is the transmission distance supported by this network? A) Approximately 50 feet B) Approximately 3,000 feet C) Approximately 74 miles D) Approximately 20 miles

D) Approximately 20 miles (or more) /Single-mode fiber has an advantage over the multi-mode fiber and all other transmission mediums in terms of transmission distance. The coaxial cable that is used in a 10Base2 network is known as RG-58 or ThinNet. The coaxial cable that is used in a 10Base5 network is known as RG-8 or ThickNet. A ThinNet cable supports a transmission range up to 185 meters, and a ThickNet cable can support transmission up to 500 meters. RG-8 ThickNet cabling is best to use if the data range speed is not an issue and the segment length must be 500 meters long. Multi-mode fiber optic supports a transmission distance of 3,000 feet. Unshielded twisted-pair (UTP) or shielded twisted-pair (STP) cables have a transmission range up to 100 meters or 328 feet.

A CPU cooler fan speed is usually controlled by the operating system to compensate for increasing or decreasing CPU temperatures. What connector do you plug the cooler fan into on the motherboard? A) 8 pin 12v CPU B) Case fan controller C) 4 pin Molex D) CPU fan header

D) CPU fan header

You need to install a network that uses cable that can operate at up to 10 gigabits per second (Gbps). Which cabling should you use? A) Cat5 B) Cat3 C) Cat5e D) Cat6

D) Cat6 /Cat6 cable can operate at up to 10 Gbps in 55-meter segments. It is often referred to as Gigabit Ethernet. Cat6 UTP standards support up to 1.000 Mbps at 100-meter segments. Cat6a supports up to 10 Gbps and 250 MHz at 100-meter segments. Cat7, Known as F type cabling, supports the same speed and length but up to 600 MHz. Cat3 cable can operate at up to 10 Mbps. Cat5 cable can operate at up to 100 Mbps. Cat5e cable can operate at up to 1 Gbps. Cat5e networks can also be referred to as Gigabit Ethernet, but Gigabit Ethernet is more often used to refer to Cat6 networks.

You are teaching a class on computer hardware to new IT technicians. You are discussing the component on an Advanced Technology eXtended (ATX) motherboard that supports communication between the CPU and RAM. Which component provides this functionality? A) Advanced Technology Attachment (ATA) interface B) Firmware C) Southbridge chip D) Northbridge chip

D) Northbridge chip /The Northbridge chip (also referred to as the north bridge) supports communication between the RAM and the CPU. It also supports the Peripheral Component Interconnect (PCI) bus, the Level2 cache, and the Accelerated Graphics Port (AGP) port. It provides communication to higher speed devices than the south bridge chip. The Southbridge chip (also referred to as the south bridge) supports slower devices, such as expansion slots, Integrated Drive Electronics (IDE) drives, Parallel ATA drives, and USB ports. It handles all input/output (I/O) functions. The ATA interface is used to connect storage devices to the motherboard, such as CD-ROM drives and hard disks. Firmware is a software program that stores a set of programming instructions in read-only memory to control the desired device functionality.

Christine has a motherboard with a Socket 1156 and has called you to see if a Socket 1150 CPU could be used in its place. What would you recommend that she do? A) Replace the heat sink. B) Upgrade the socket on the existing motherboard so it is compatible with an LGA 1156. C) Replace the thermal paste and pins. D) Purchase a new motherboard that has an 1150 socket.

D) Purchase a new motherboard that has an 1150 socket. /Intel motherboards with a Socket 1156, also known as Socket H, hold LGA Socket 1156 CPUs and have 1,156 pins. An 1156 socket is not compatible with LGA Socket 1150 (Socket H3), which has 1,150 pins and was compatible with 4th- and 5th-generation Core desktops and Xeon E#, v3, and v4 for servers. Therefore, you should recommend that she purchase a new motherboard that has an 1150 socket. Alternatively, you could recommend that she purchase a new CPU. If both choices are an option, determining which has the best value for the price would help you to determine what to do.

A system engineer is configuring fault tolerance with a configuration that uses a logical striped volume with two mirrored arrays. What RAID disks is the engineer using? A) RAID 0 B) RAID 1 C) RAID 5 D) RAID 10

D) RAID 10 / RAID 0 : striping, RAID 1 : mirroring, RAID 5 : striping with parity, RAID 10 : striping with mirrored array

A user contacts you regarding his front panel connectors on his PC. He wants to plug a device into one of these ports. Which of the following are you LEAST likely to see as a front-panel connector on a motherboard? A) USB port B) Drive activity lights C) Reset button D) SCSI port

D) SCSI port /You are LEAST likely to see a SCSI port as a front-panel connector on a motherboard. The front-panel connectors on a motherboard include USB port connectors, audio port connectors, power button connectors, power light connectors, drive activity light connectors, and reset button connectors.

An instructor is describing a component that is always located on the CPU and accelerates the processing of instructions. Which component is being discussed? A) The address bus B) The L2 cache C) The heat sink D) The L1 cache

D) The L1 cache /The CPU uses cache memory to accelerate the processing of instructions and data. A secondary cache, or Level 2 (L2) cache, is also included on most computers. The L2 cache is frequently located on the motherboard, although it can be adjacent to or included on the CPU as part of the chip package. When the L2 cache is on the motherboard, its size can often be increased. The L2 cache can be enabled or disabled from within the complementary metal-oxide semiconductor (CMOS) setup program. Both the L1 cache and the L2 cache use static random access memory (SRAM), which can operate at faster clock speeds than other types of RAM.

A client, Warren, reports CMOS mismatch errors at startup. Further conversation with Warren reveals that he had forgotten the startup password he assigned in CMOS, and he had to clear all CMOS settings for his computer to complete a successful startup. Although he can now start his computer, he continues to observe CMOS errors each time he starts the computer. He replaced the CMOS battery, but the problem continues. Which component should you investigate first to resolve the problem? A) The availability of a BIOS flash for the CMOS B) The presence of new hardware C) The CMOS battery voltage D) The system board jumper settings

D) The system board jumper settings /You should first investigate the system board's jumper settings, specifically the jumper that is used to clear the complementary metal-oxide semiconductor (CMOS) settings. A common method for clearing CMOS settings, including the startup password, is to use a jumper on the system board that is specifically designed for clearing CMOS settings. If Warren selected this method for clearing his password, then he may have neglected to move the jumper back to its original position after the settings were cleared. If this jumper is left in the clear settings position, then the system board will continue to clear all the CMOS settings at each startup.

You are replacing several laptop components to upgrade a customer's laptop computer. Which device ALWAYS involves the detaching and reattaching of antenna connectors? A) The touchpad B) Mini-PCIe C) The screen D) The wireless card

D) The wireless card /When replacing the wireless card, you need to detach the antenna connectors and reattach them to the new card. Always refer to the manufacturer's documentation to learn how to replace laptop components and to determine Wi-Fi antenna connector/placement before performing any upgrades or component replacement.

A support technician is installing a camera that requires USB 3.1. What type of connector is synonymous with USB 3.1? A) Type A B) Type B C) Type B Micro D) Type C

D) Type C

Andrea works for a local law firm's help desk and is getting complaints that employees cannot access the company's intranet site. What is the first tool she should use? A) ipconfig B) dir /w C) Cable tester D) ping

D) ping /The first tool she should use is the ping command. Ping is a tool that can be used to test the connection between two computers. For example, Andrea can sit at her computer and ping the company's intranet site to see it she can reach it. If all the pings fail from client computers, then the problem is most likely with the intranet site. However, if only one or a few computers experience the problem, then the issue is more likely to be with internal computer components or network components. The ipconfig command assists users in viewing or modifying their IP settings. While the ping command is usually run first, ipconfig can often be used next if the problem you are experiencing only happens on a single computer.

Mark is the network administrator in his building and is responsible for training all the new technicians on various troubleshooting techniques. He is instructing them on documenting their actions at the end of the troubleshooting process. What should he NOT encourage them to document at that time? A) findings discovered B) actions taken C) outcomes achieved D) theories used

D) theories used /It is only necessary to document the findings discovered, actions taken, and outcomes achieved.

You are repairing a computer that contains two processor cores in a single processor package. Which processor technology provides this? A) i5 technology B) MMX technology C) CPU throttle technology D) Hyper-Threading technology E) Dual-core technology

E) Dual-core technology /The dual-core technology is different from Hyper-Threading (HT) technology because HT technology does not contain two processor cores in a single processor package. The HT technology allows a single processor to handle two independent sets of instructions at the same time. HT technology converts a single physical processor into two virtual processors. CPU throttling is a feature that protects a CPU from heat damage. When a CPU is not cooled properly and the temperature of the CPU becomes very high, the CPU throttle technology slows down the clock rate on the CPU to prevent further overheating and damage.

Last year, your department replaced all of the desktop computers with laptops. Recently, you company adopted a new minimum standards policy that requires a memory upgrade for the majority of the new laptops. Which type(s) of memory could be installed in the new laptops? (Choose all that apply.) A) DIMMS B) CRIMMS C) SIMMS D) RIMMS E) So-DIMM F) Micro-DIMM

E) So-DIMM F) Micro-DIMM /Small outline dual inline memory modules (So-DIMMs) are the compact versions of the dual inline memory modules (DIMMs). So-DIMMS are installed in laptops in empty banks that make programs run efficiently. Micro-DIMMS are the same as So-DIMMS, except they are bulkier in size. They are installed the same way as So-DIMMs but only fit certain form factors. Regular DIMMS, RIMS, and CRIMMS are types of memory used by desktop computers, not laptops.