Certmaster Learn for A+ CORE 1 (Exam 220-1101) Flash Cards

"A technician connects a single port on a graphics card to two monitors using two cables. What type of interface is being used?"

Both DisplayPort and Thunderbolt interfaces support this type of daisy-chaining.

Wi-Fi

Brand name for the IEEE 802.11 standards that can be used to implement a wireless local area network (WLAN).

Common Internet File System (CIFS)

CIFS was proposed as a means of implementing SMB version 1 as an Internet standard.SMB1 has very serious security vulnerabilities and is now disabled by default on currentWindows versions.

cloud service models

Classifying the provision of cloud services and the limit of the cloud service provider's responsibility as software, platform, infrastructure, and so on.

Sandbox

Computing environment that is isolated from a host system to guarantee that the environment runs in a controlled, secure fashion. Communication links between the sandbox andthe host are usually completely prohibited so that malware or faulty software can be analyzed in isolation and without risk to the host.

Virtualization

Computing environment where multiple independent operating systems can be installed to a single hardware platform and run simultaneously.

virtual machine sprawl (VM sprawl)

Configuration vulnerability where provisioning and deprovisioning of virtual assets are not properly authorized and monitored.

"Which types of data might require mapping between fields when syncing between applications?"

Contacts and calendar items.

universal asynchronous receiver transmitter (UART)

Controller that can send and receive data in an asynchronous serial format.

fan

Cooling device fitted to PC cases and components to improve air flow.

heat sink

Cooling device fitted to PC components to optimize heat transfer.

thermal paste

Cooling substance applied between a component and heat sink to optimize heat transfer.

liquid-based cooling system

Cooling system that uses system of pipes, water blocks, and pumps to transfer heat away from components.

Shielded twisted pair (STP)

Copper twisted-pair cabling with screening and shielding elements for individual wire pairs and/or the whole cable to reduce interference.

resource records

Data file storing information about a DNS zone. The main records are as follows: A (maps a host name to an IPv4 address), AAAA (maps to an IPv6 address), CNAME (an alias for a host name), MX (the IP address of a mail server), and PTR (allows a host name to be identified from an IP address).

preferred roaming list (PRL)

Data that allows a CDMA-based handset to connect to nearby cell towers.

"A user reports that there is a loud clicking noise when she tries to save a file. What should be your first troubleshooting step?"

Determine whether a data backup has been made. If not, try to make one.

Smart devices

Device or appliance (such as a TV, refrigerator, thermostat, video entry phone, or lightbulb) that can be configured and monitored over an IoT network.

Wi-Fi analyzer

Device or software that can report characteristics of a WLAN, such as signal strength and channel utilization.

optical network terminal (ONT)

Device that converts between optical and electrical signaling deployed to facilitate full fiber Internet connection types.

automatic document feeder (ADF)

Device that feeds media automatically into a scanner or printer.

access point (AP)

Device that provides a connection between wireless devices and can connect to wired networks, implementing an infrastructure mode WLAN.

Internet of Things (IoT)

Devices that can report state and configuration data and be remotely managed over IP networks.

Direct burial

A type of outside plant (OSP) installation where cable is laid directly into the ground with no protective conduit.

Why must a vendor account usually be configured on a smartphone?

A vendor account, such as an Apple, Google, or Samsung account, is required to use the app store.

unified threat management (UTM)

All-in-one security appliances and agents that combine the functions of a firewall, malware scanner, intrusion detection, vulnerability scanner, data-loss prevention, content filtering,and so on.

Following some past issues with faults arising in print devices because of improper setup procedures, you are updating the company's work instructions for printer installation. You have noted that technicians must refer to the product instructions, use safe lifting techniques, and ensure removal of packing strips. What additional guidance should you include?

Allow the print device to acclimate for a few hours after unboxing to avoid risks from condensation.

hardware security module (HSM)

An appliance for generating and storing cryptographic keys. This sort of solution may be less susceptible to tampering and insider threats than software-based storage.

Syslog

Application protocol and event-logging format enabling different appliances and software applications to transmit logs or event records to a central server. Syslog works over UDPport 514 by default.

Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP)

Application protocol for operating remote connections to a host using a graphical interface. The protocol sends screen data from the remote host to the client and transfers mouseand keyboard input from the client to the remote host. It uses TCP port 3389.

Internet Message Access Protocol (IMAP)

Application protocol providing a means for a client to access and manage email messages stored in a mailbox on a remote server. IMAP4 utilizes TCP port number 143, while thesecure version IMAPS uses TCP/993.

Secure Shell (SSH)

Application protocol supporting secure tunneling and remote terminal emulation and file copy. SSH runs over TCP port 22.

Telnet

Application protocol supporting unsecure terminal emulation for remote host management. Telnet runs over TCP port 23.

Post Office Protocol (POP)

Application protocol that enables a client to download email messages from a server mailbox to a client over port TCP/110 or secure port TCP/995.

Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP)

Application protocol used for monitoring and managing network devices. SNMP works over UDP ports 161 and 162 by default.

Server Message Block (SMB)

Application protocol used for requesting files from Windows servers and delivering them to clients. SMB allows machines to share files and printers, thus making them available forother machines to use. SMB client software is available for UNIX-based systems. Samba software allows UNIX and Linux servers or NAS appliances to run SMB services forWindows clients.

HyperText Transfer Protocol (HTTP)/HyperText Transfer Protocol Secure (HTTPS)

Application protocol used to provide web content to browsers. HTTP uses port 80. HTTPS(ecure) provides for encrypted transfers, using TLS and port 443.

Simple Mail Transfer Protocol (SMTP)

Application protocol used to send mail between hosts on the Internet. Messages are sent between servers over TCP port 25 or submitted by a mail client over secure port TCP/587.

File Transfer Protocol (FTP)

Application protocol used to transfer files between network hosts. Variants include S(ecure)FTP, FTP with SSL (FTPS and FTPES) and T(rivial)FTP. FTP utilizes ports 20 and 21.

uniform resource locator (URL)

Application-level addressing scheme for TCP/IP, allowing for human-readable resource addressing. For example: protocol://server/file, where "protocol" is the type of resource(HTTP, FTP), "server" is the name of the computer (www.microsoft.com), and "file" is the name of the resource you wish to access.

"A company has contracted the use of a remote datacenter to offer exclusive access to platform as a service resources to its internal business users. How would such a cloud solution be classed?"

As a private deployment model.

digitizer

As part of a touch screen assembly, the digitizer is a touch-sensitive layer placed on top of the display panel. The digitizer converts analog touch and gesture events to digitalsignals that can be interpreted as different types of input.

liquid crystal display (LCD)

Flat-panel display technology where the image is made up of liquid crystal cells with color filters controlled using electrical charges. The display must be illuminated by abacklight.

inverter

Fluorescent lamp backlights require AC power. An inverter component converts DC power from the motherboard to AC. The inverter can fail separately to the backlight.

"What type of peripheral port would you expect to find on a current generation smartphone?"

For Apple devices, the Lightning port. For Android, it will be USB-C.

virtual machines (VMs)

Guest operating system installed on a host computer using virtualization software (a hypervisor).

What is a Type 2 hypervisor?

Hypervisor software that must be installed as an application running on a host OS. A Type 1 (or bare metal) hypervisor is installed directly to the host hardware.

default gateway

IP configuration parameter that identifies the address of a router on the local subnet that the host can use to contact other networks.

wireless internet service provider (WISP)

ISP offering Internet access over ground-based Line of Sight (LoS) microwave transmitters.

print monitor

In Windows, the print monitor is a process that checks the print queue (%SystemRoot%\System32\Spool\Printers\) for print jobs. When they arrive, they are processed, if necessary, then passed via a print port to the print device.

file server

In file server-based networks, a central machine provides dedicated file and print services to workstations. Benefits of server-based networks include ease of administration throughcentralization.

escalate

In the context of support procedures, incident response, and breach-reporting, escalation is the process of involving expert and senior staff to assist in problem management.

belt

Inkjet print device component that moves the print head over the paper.

touch pen

Input device that can be used with a compatible digitizer/track pad/drawing tablet for natural input, such as handwriting and sketching.

beep code

During POST, errors in hardware or the system firmware data can be brought to the attention of the user by beep noises. Each beep code is able to draw attention to a particular fault with the hardware. It was once customary for a computer to beep once to indicate that POST has been successful, though most modern computers boot silently.

True or false? A MAC address identifies the network to which a NIC is attached.

False. A media access control (MAC) address is a unique hardware identifier for an interface port. It does not convey any information about logical network addresses.

"True or false? USB-C ports and connectors are compatible with Apple Lightning connectors and ports."

False. An adapter cable is required.

"True or false? A solid-state drive (SSD) attached to an M.2 port must be using the non-volatile memory host controller interface specification (NVMHCI) or NVM Express (NVMe)."

False. M.2 is a physical form factor and can support both SATA and NVMe interfaces.

"True or false? A SOHO router uses an embedded modem and Ethernet adapter to forward traffic between public and private network segments over a single hardware port."

False. The modem and Ethernet interfaces use separate ports.

"True or false? At the Transport layer, connections between hosts to exchange application data are established over a single port number."

False. The server application is identified by one port, but the client must also assign its own port to track the connection.

"True or false? A long-range fixed wireless installation operating without a license is always illegal."

False. These installations may use unlicensed spectrum but must not exceed the effective isotropic radiated power (EIRP) defined for the frequency band by regulations.

True or false? A memory card reader is needed to attach a thumb drive to a PC.

False—a thumb or pen drive will plug into a USB port.

backlight

LED or fluorescent lamp that illuminates the image on a flat-panel (TFT) screen. If the backlight component fails, only a dim image will be shown.

pairing

Feature of Bluetooth that establishes connectivity between two devices, often by entering a PIN.

Secure boot

Feature of UEFI that prevents unauthorized processes from executing during the boot operation.

orthogonal frequency division multiple access" (OFDMA)

Feature of Wi-Fi 6 allowing an access point to serve multiple client stations simultaneously.

metered utilization

Feature of cloud service models that allows customers to track and pay for precise compute, storage, and network resource units.

data caps

Feature of mobile computing that allows use of a network connection to be limited to avoid incurring additional carrier charges.

location service

Feature of mobile computing that identifies or estimates the device's geographical position using GPS and/or network data.

App Store

Feature of mobile computing that provides a managed interface for installing third-party software apps.

Server Message Block (SMB) or scan to folder

Feature of scanners and multifunction devices that directs output to a cloud storage account.

USB permissions

Feature of system setup allowing USB ports to be disabled.

boot password

Feature of system setup that prevents the computer from booting until the correct user password is supplied. A supervisor password restricts access to the system setup program.

secured print

Feature that holds print jobs until the user authenticates directly with the print device using a PIN or smart badge.

Single-mode fiber (SMF)

Fiber optic cable type that uses laser diodes and narrow core construction to support high bandwidths over distances of more than five kilometers.

Multi-mode fiber (MMF)

Fiber optic cable type using LED or vertical cavity surface emitting laser optics and graded using optical multimode types for core size and bandwidth.

unshielded twisted pair" (UTP)

Media type that uses copper conductors arranged in pairs that are twisted to reduce interference. Typically, cables are 4-pair or 2-pair.

Coaxial (coax) cable

Media type using two separate conductors that share a common axis categorized using the Radio Grade (RG) specifications.

A cloud service provides a billing dashboard that reports the uptime, disk usage, and network bandwidth consumption of a virtual machine. What type of cloud characteristic does this demonstrate?

Metered utilization.

Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA)

Method of multiplexing a communications channel using a code to key the modulation of a particular signal. CDMA is associated with Sprint and Verizon cellular phone networks.

High availability (HA)

Metric that defines how closely systems approach the goal of providing data availability 100% of the time while maintaining a high level of system performance.

blue screen of death (BSOD)

Microsoft status screen that indicates an error from which the system cannot recover (also called a stop error). Blue screens are usually caused by bad driver software or hardware faults (memory or disk). Other operating systems use similar crash indicators, such as Apple's pinwheel and Linux's kernel panic message.

What type of standard adapter card might be used to connect internal FRU devices to the motherboard of a laptop?

Mini-PCIe, mSATA, or M.2.

RAID 1

Mirrored two-disk redundant drive configuration with 50% capacity utilization.

A company has discovered that an employee has been emailing product design documents to her smartphone and then saving the files to the smartphone's flash drive. Which technology can be deployed to prevent such policy breaches?

Mobile application management (MAM) allows an enterprise to create a protected container as a workspace for corporate apps and data and prevent copying to other storage areas.

virtual private network (VPN)

Secure tunnel created between two endpoints connected via an unsecure transport network (typically the Internet).

Transport Layer Security (TLS)

Security protocol that uses certificates for authentication and encryption to protect web communications and other application protocols.

Serial Advanced Technology Attachment (SATA)

Serial ATA is the most widely used interface for hard disks on desktop and laptop computers. It uses a 7-pin data connector with one device per port. There are three SATA standards specifying bandwidths of 1.5 Gb/s, 3 Gb/s, and 6 Gb/s respectively. SATA drives also use a new 15-pin power connector, though adapters for the old style 4-pin Molex connectors are available. External drives are also supported via the eSATA interface. Legacy power connector for internal devices such as hard drives and optical drives.

Double Data Rate SDRAM (DDR SDRAM)

Series of high-bandwidth system-memory standards (DDR3/DDR4/DDR5) where data is transferred twice per clock cycle.

Information Technology Extended

Series of motherboard form factors designed for small form factor (SFF) computers and appliances.

certificate authority (CA)

Server that guarantees subject identities by issuing signed digital certificate wrappers for their public keys.

Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol (TCP/IP)

Network protocol suite used to implement the Internet and most WANs and LANs. It uses a four-layer network model that corresponds roughly to the OSI model as follows:Network Interface (Physical/Data Link), Internet (Network), Transport (Transport), Application (Session, Presentation, Application).

wireless local area network (WLAN)

Network scope and type that uses wireless radio communications based on some variant of the 802.11 (Wi-Fi) standard series.

Metropolitan area network (MAN)

Network scope covers the area of a city (that is, no more than tens of kilometers).

local area network (LAN)

Network scope restricted to a single geographic location and owned/managed by a single organization.

wide area network (WAN)

Network scope that spans a large geographical area, incorporating more than one site and often a mix of different media types and protocols plus the use of public telecommunications networks.

personal area network (PAN)

Network scope that uses close-range wireless technologies (usually based on Bluetooth or NFC) to establish communications between personal devices, such as smartphones, laptops, and printers/peripheral devices.

proxy server

Server that mediates the communications between a client and another server. It can filter and often modify communications as well as provide caching services to improve performance.

Domain Name System (DNS)

Service that maps fully qualified domain name labels to IP addresses on most TCP/IP networks, including the Internet.

Network Basic Input/Output System (NetBIOS)

Session management protocol used to provide name registration and resolution services on legacy Microsoft networks.

What widely supported boot method is missing from the following list? HDD, Optical, USB.

Network/PXE (Pre-eXecution Environment)—obtaining boot information from a specially configured server over the network.

You are specifying a computer for use as a software development workstation. This will be required to run multiple virtual machines (VMs). Can any x64-compatible CPU with sufficient clock speed be used?

No. You must verify that the CPU model supports virtualization extensions.

You are planning to install a network of wireless access points with power supplied over data cabling. Each access point requires a 20W power supply. What version of PoE must the switch support to fulfill this requirement?

PoE+ (802.3at) or PoE++/4PPoE (802.3bt).

battery

Power source for a portable computer, typically a rechargeable Lithium-ion (Li-ion) type. A small coin cell battery is also used in a computer to power CMOS RAM.

end of life (EOL)

Product life-cycle phase where mainstream vendor support is no longer available.

elasticity

Property by which a computing environment can add or remove resources in response to increasing and decreasing demands in workload.

Scalability

Property by which a computing environment is able to gracefully fulfill its ever-increasing resource needs.

Lightning

Proprietary connector and interface used by Apple iPhone and iPad devices.

Transmission Control Protocol (TCP)

Protocol in the TCP/IP suite operating at the transport layer to provide connection-oriented, guaranteed delivery of packets.

User Datagram Protocol (UDP)

Protocol in the TCP/IP suite operating at the transport layer to provide connectionless, non-guaranteed communication.

Lightweight Directory Access Protocol (LDAP)

Protocol used to access network directory databases, which store information about authorized users and their privileges, as well as other organizational information.

dynamic host configuration protocol (DHCP)

Protocol used to automatically assign IP addressing information to hosts that have not been configured manually.

Internet service providers (ISPs)

Provides Internet connectivity and web services to its customers.

What is the minimum number of disks required to implement RAID 10, and how much of the disks' total capacity will be available for the volume?

RAID 10 requires at least four disks (two mirrored pairs) and comes with a 50% capacity overhead, so the volume will only be half the total disk capacity.

If you have a computer with three hard disks, what type of RAID fault-tolerant configuration will make best use of them?

RAID 5 (striping with parity). RAID 0 is not fault tolerant. RAID 1 and RAID 10 require an even number of disks.

input voltage

Range of alternating current (AC) voltages that a PSU can accept when connected to grid power. Some PSUs are manually switched between low-line 110-120 VAC and high-line220-240 VAC.

scope

Range of consecutive IP addresses in the same subnet that a DHCP server can lease to clients.

dynamic frequency selection (DFS)

Regulatory feature of wireless access points that prevents use of certain 5 GHz channels when in range of a facility that uses radar.

What basic factor might you look at in selecting a high-performance hard disk drive?

Revolutions per minute (RPM)—the speed at which it spins. The top-performing drives are 15,000 (15K) or 10,000 (10K).

To minimize paper costs, a department should use the duplex printing option on ashared printer by default. The print device is already configured with an automatic duplex finishing unit. What additional step should you take to try to ensure duplex printing?

Set duplex mode as the default under Printing Preferences.

Near Field Communications (NFC)

Standard for two-way radio communications over very short (around four inches) distances, facilitating contactless payment and similar technologies. NFC is based on RFID.

802.3 Ethernet

Standards developed as the IEEE 802.3 series describing media types, access methods, data rates, and distance limitations at OSI layers 1 and 2 using xBASE-y designations.

Cellular radio

Standards for implementing data access over cellular networks are implemented as successive generations. For 2G (up to about 48 Kb/s) and 3G (up to about 42 Mb/s), there are competing GSM and CDMA provider networks. Standards for 4G (up to about 90 Mb/s) and 5G (up to about 300 Mb/s) are developed under converged LTE standards.

RAID 10

Stripe of mirrored four-disk redundant drive configuration with 50% capacity utilization. A RAID10 volume can support the loss of one device in each mirror.

RAID 0

Striping drive configuration that provides no redundancy against device failure.

RAID 5

Striping with parity-redundant drive configuration supporting a flexible number of devices and better than 50% capacity utilization.

two-factor authentication (2FA)

Strong authentication mechanism that requires a user to submit two different types of credential, such as a fingerprint scan plus PIN. Often, the second credential is transmitted via a second trusted device or account. This is also referred to as 2-step verification.

channels

Subdivision of frequency bands used by Wi-Fi products into smaller channels to allow multiple networks to operate at the same location without interfering with one another.

cyan, magenta, yellow, and black (CMYK)

Subtractive color model used by print devices. CMYK printing involves use of halftone screens. Four screens (or layers) of dots printed in each of the colors are overlaid. The size and density of the dots on each layer produce different shades of color and is viewed as a continuous tone image.

True or false? An HTTP application secured using the SSL/TLS protocol should use a different port to unencrypted HTTP.

True. By default, HTTPS uses port TCP/443. It is possible in theory to apply SSL/TLS to port TCP/80, but most browsers would not support this configuration.

True or false? A valid IPv6 configuration does not require a subnet mask.

True. In IPv6, the host ID portion of the address is always the last 64 bits. The network prefix length is used to determine which network a host is on, but a mask is not required.

True or false? Both 4G and 5G cellular can be used for fixed access broadband as well as in mobile devices.

True. These can work as an alternative to wired broadband or as a backup/failover Internet connection type. Many router models now come with a cellular radio. A subscribed identity module (SIM) card from the service provider must also be installed.

True or false? A SOHO router can be configured to provide an IPv4 address configuration to hosts without further administrator attention.

True. This service is implemented by the Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP).

thermal printer

Type of printer that uses a heated print head and specially treated paper to form the image. Most direct thermal printers are handheld devices used for printing labels or receipts.

Inkjet printers

Type of printer where colored ink is sprayed onto the paper using microscopic nozzles in the print head. There are two main types of ink dispersion system: thermal shock (heating the ink to form a bubble that bursts through the nozzles) and piezoelectric (using a tiny element that changes shape to act as a pump).

flatbed scanner

Type of scanner where the object is placed on a glass faceplate and the scan head moves underneath it.

permanent cable

Type of solid network cable typically terminated to punchdown blocks that is run through wall and ceiling spaces.

load balancer

Type of switch, router, or software that distributes client requests between different resources, such as communications links or similarly configured servers. This provides fault tolerance and improves throughput.

Unified Extensible Firmware Interface (UEFI)

Type of system firmware providing support for 64-bit CPU operation at boot, full GUI and mouse operation at boot, and better boot security.

Containerization

Type of virtualization applied by a host operating system to provision an isolated execution environment for an application.

impact printer

Typically a dot matrix printer, this uses pressure to transfer ink from a ribbon onto paper in a particular pattern, similar to the mechanism of a typewriter.

You are labeling spare parts for inventory. What type of USB connector is shownin the exhibit?(Image ©123RF.com)

USB 2.0 Type B micro.

Self-Monitoring, Analysis, and Reporting Technology (SMART)

Technology designed to alert the user to an error condition in a mass-storage device before the disk becomes unusable.

Indoor Positioning System (IPS)

Technology that can derive a device's location when indoors by triangulating its proximity to radio sources such as Bluetooth beacons or Wi-Fi access points.

print device

Term used to describe the actual printer hardware that services a print job when submitted from an application.

Jitter

Variation in the time it takes for a signal to reach the recipient. Jitter manifests itself as an inconsistent rate of packet delivery. If packet loss or delay is excessive, then noticeableaudio or video problems (artifacts) are experienced by users.

Which network configuration technology can be configured on switches to divide a local network into multiple broadcast domain segments?

Virtual LAN (VLAN).

"When users connect to the network, they use a basic hardware terminal to access a desktop hosted on a virtualization server. What type of infrastructure is being deployed?"

Virtual desktop infrastructure (VDI).

Following a power cut, a user reports that their computer will not boot. The message "BCD missing" is shown on the screen. The computer does not store data that needs to be backed up. What is the best first step to try to resolve the issue?

Use a system recovery disk to try to repair the disk drive's boot information.

switch

Intermediate system used to establish contention-free network segments at OSI layer 2 (Data Link). An unmanaged switch does not support any sort of configuration.

router

Intermediate system working at the Network layer capable of forwarding packets around logical networks of different layer 1 and layer 2 types.

Peripheral Component Interconnect Express (PCIe)

Internal expansion bus that uses serial point-to-point communications between devices. Each link can comprise one or more lanes (x1, x2, x4, x8, x12, x16, or x32). Each lane supports a full-duplex transfer rate of 250 MB/s (v1.0) up to about 4 GB/s (v5.0).

NVM Express (NVMe)

Internal interface for connecting flash memory devices, such as SSDs, directly to a PCI Express bus. NVMe allows much higher transfer rates than SATA/AHCI.

fiber to the premises (FTTP)

Internet connection type that uses a fiber link between the subscriber premises and ISP network. Fiber to the premises (FTTP) uses a full fiber link, while fiber to the curb (FTTC) retains a short segment of copper wire between the subscriber premises and a street cabinet.

Sender Policy Framework (SPF)

DNS record identifying hosts authorized to send mail for the domain.

TXT record

DNS resource record for storing free-form string values.

If you must open the system case to troubleshoot a computer, what should youcheck before proceeding?

You should check that data on the PC has been backed up. You should always verify that you have a backup before beginning any troubleshooting activities.

You receive a support call from a user of one of the company's computer-aided design (CAD) workstations. The user reports that a notification "RAID utility reports that the volume is degraded" is being displayed. A recent backup has been made. What should you do to try to restore the array?

"A degraded volume is still working but has lost one of its disks. In most RAID configurations, another disk failure would cause the volume to fail, so you should add a new disk as soon as possible (though do note that rebuilding the array will reduce performance)."

"You receive a support call from a lecturer. A projector is only displaying a very dim image. Which component should you prioritize for investigation?"

"A dim image is likely to be caused by a blown bulb (or one that is about to blow). If there is no visible sign of damage to the bulb, you should rule out a simple configuration issue, such as the brightness control being turned all the way down."

"What is the main security requirement of a virtualization workstation configured to operate VMs within a sandbox?"

"A sandbox means that the VM environment should be isolated from the host and from other VM environments. A sandbox is often used to investigate malware. If the sandbox is secure, the malware can be executed and observed without the risk of it spreading to other systems (VM escaping)."

"A host is configured with the IP address 172.16.1.100 in the 172.16.1.0/16 IP network. What value should be entered as the subnet mask?"

"A subnet mask field uses dotted decimal format. The /16 network prefix means that the first 16 bits in the mask are set to one: 11111111 11111111 00000000 00000000. A whole octet of ones converts to 255 in decimal. Therefore, the dotted decimal mask is 255.255.0.0."

"You are recommending that a small business owner replace separate firewall and antimalware appliances with a UTM. What is the principal advantage of doing this?"

"A unified threat management (UTM) appliance consolidates the configuration, monitoring, and reporting of multiple security functions to a single console or dashboard. You might also mention that the UTM might provide additional functionality not currently available, such as intrusion detection, spam filtering, or data loss prevention."

What cause might you suspect if a PC experiences intermittent lockups?

"Assuming the cause is not related to software or device drivers, then thermal or power problems are most likely. Loose connections, faulty system components (motherboard, CPU, and memory), and corruption of OS files due to bad sectors/blocks are also possibilities."

"A laptop user reports that they are only getting about two hours of use out of the battery compared to about three hours when the laptop was first supplied to them. What do you suggest?"

"Batteries lose maximum charge over time. It may be possible to recondition the battery or to use power-saving features, but the only real way to restore maximum battery life is to buy a new battery."

"You are trying to install Windows from the setup disc, but the computer will not boot from the DVD. What should you do?"

"Check that the boot order in system setup is set correctly. If the boot order is correct, check that the disc is not dirty or scratched. If the disc loads in another computer, check that the optical drive data and power cables are connected."

How would you track down the source of a paper jam?

"Check the error message reported by the printer (this may be shown on the printer's console). It may indicate the location of the stuck pages. Otherwise, visually inspect the various feed and output mechanisms."

"You are explaining your plan to use the 5 GHz band predominantly for an open plan office network. The business owner has heard that this is shorter range, so what are its advantages over the 2.4 GHz band?"

"Each numbered channel in a 2.4 GHz network is only 5 MHz wide, while Wi-Fi requires about 20 MHz. Consequently, there is not much space for separate networks, and the chances of overlap are high. Numerous other product types of work in the 2.4 GHz band, increasing the risk of interference. Using 5 GHz will present a better opportunity to use channel bonding to increase bandwidth. As an open plan office does not have solid walls or other building features to block signals, the slightly reduced range of 5 GHz signaling should not be a significant drawback."

"A firewall filters applications based on their port number. If you want to configure a firewall on a mail server to allow clients to download email messages, which port(s) might you have to open?"

"Either TCP port 993 (IMAPS) or 995 (POP3S), depending on the mail access protocol in use (IMAP or POP). These are the default ports for secure connections. Unsecure default ports are TCP port 143 and TCP port 110. Port 25 (SMTP) is used to send mail between servers and not to access messages stored on a server. Port 587 is often used by a client to submit messages for delivery by an SMTP server."

"True or false? A TPM provides secure removable storage so that encryption keys can be used with different computers."

"False. A trusted platform module (TPM) provides secure storage for a single computer as it is an embedded function of the CPU or motherboard chipset. The term hardware security module (HSM) is sometimes used to describe a secure USB thumb drive for storing encryption keys on portable media."

"True or false? Only a single network name can be configured on a single access point."

"False. Each band can be assigned a different service set identifier (SSID) or network name. Access points also allow the configuration of multiple SSIDs per radio, such as configuring a secure network for known clients and an open network for guests."

"True or false? AAA allows switches and access points to hold director information so that they can authenticate clients as they connect to the network."

"False. One of the purposes of authentication, authorization, and accounting (AAA) is to authenticate clients as they connect to the network, but the directory information and credentials are not stored on or verified by switches and access points. These devices are configured as clients of an AAA server and act only to transit authentication data between the end user device (the supplicant) and the AAA server."

"True or false? A top-level domain such as .com represents the top of the DNS hierarchy."

"False. The Domain Name System (DNS) uses root servers at the top of the hierarchy. The root is represented by a trailing dot at the end of a fully qualified domain name (FQDN), though this can very commonly be omitted in ordinary usage."

"True or false? Running the fans continually at maximum speed is the best way to prevent overheating."

"False. This is likely to damage the fans and draw more dust into the case. It will also cause a lot of excess noise. To prevent overheating, the PC should be installed to a suitable location (away from direct sunlight and radiators) and cleaned and maintained to a schedule."

"True or false? To enable printer sharing via Windows, the print device must be connected to the Windows PC via an Ethernet or Wi-Fi link."

"False—any print device can be shared via printer properties. The print device can be connected to the Windows print server over USB, Bluetooth, Ethernet, or Wi-Fi. Other clients connect to the printer via the share, however, so the Windows PC must be kept on to facilitate printing."

"What is the significance of a PSU's wattage rating when you are designing a custom-build PC?"

"It determines the CPU model and number and type of memory modules, expansion cards, and storage devices that can be installed. The PSU's wattage rating must be higher than the sum of the power requirements of all the PC's components."

Consulting the vendor documentation, you find that this system uses DDR4 error- correcting code (ECC) RDIMMs. The spares you have are DDR4 ECC UDIMMs. Can they be used for the upgrade?

"No. If the vendor documentation specifies registered memory (RDIMMs), you must use RDIMM modules. Unbuffered DIMMs (UDIMMs) will not be compatible even if they are ECC."

A user reports hearing noises from the hard disk—does this indicate it is failing and should be replaced?

"Not necessarily. Hard disks do make noises, but they are not all indicators of a problem. Question the user to find out what sort of noises are occurring or inspect the system yourself."

You received a user complaint about a laptop being extremely hot to the touch. What actions should you take in response to this issue?

"Overheating can be a sign that dust and dirt is restricting the necessary airflow within the device, so start by cleaning the ventilation duct with compressed air, and then make sure that the device is getting proper air circulation around the outside of the case, such as by supplying a chiller pad."

Another technician has scribbled some notes about a firewall configuration. The technician has listed only the port numbers 25 and 3389. What is the purpose of the protocols that use these ports by default?

"Port TCP/25 is used by the Simple Mail Transfer Protocol (SMTP) to send and receive email messages. Port TCP/3389 is used by Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP) to connect to a computer's graphical shell over the network."

A user reports that the printed output is not up to the usual standards for her printer. You will need to resolve this issue so she can print her report. What is the overall process for troubleshooting this issue?

"Print out a test page to see if you can reproduce the problem the user reported. If you see the same problem as reported by the user, identify the print defect, based on the type of printer, to resolve the problem. Document the steps you took to resolve the problem."

printer

"Printer" is often used to mean "print device" but also refers to a term used to describe the software components of a printing solution. The printer is the object that Windows sends output to. It consists of a spool directory, a printer driver, and configuration information.

A user has been supplied with a monitor from stores as a temporary replacement. However, the user reports that the device is unusable because of a thick green band across the middle of the screen. What technique could you use to diagnose the cause?

"Replace the cable with a known good one. If this does not solve the problem, suspect an issue with the monitor. As the PC was used with no issues with another monitor, there is not likely to be an issue with the video card."

What is the process for installing memory in a laptop?

"Verify that the DDR version of the upgrade module is supported by the motherboard. Take antistatic precautions. Locate the memory slot, which is usually accessed via a panel on the back cover. Move the connector up to 45o and insert the memory card, taking care to align it correctly. Push the card flat again."

"A company is ordering custom-built laptops to supply to its field sales staff for use predominantly as presentation devices. The company can specify the type of panel used and has ruled out IPS and OLED on cost grounds. Which of the remaining mainstream display technologies is best suited to the requirement?"

"Vertical alignment (VA) displays support good viewing angles and high-contrast ratios, which makes them well-suited to displaying slides to an audience. The twisted nematic (TN) type is cheap but does not support wide-angle viewing."

What type of memory technology supports paging?

"Virtual RAM or virtual memory. The operating system creates a virtual address space for each process. This address space can use physical system random-access memory (RAM) modules and swap space or paging files stored on fixed disks (hard drives and SSDs). Paging moves data between system RAM and the swap space as required."

A technician has removed an adapter card from a PC. Should the technician obtain and install a blanking plate to complete the service operation?

"Yes. The fan system is designed to draw cool air across the motherboard and blow out warm air. Large holes in the chassis disrupt this air flow. Also, dust will be able to settle on the system components more easily. A blanking plate covers the empty slot in the case."

What must you check when inserting a PGA form factor CPU?

"You must check that pin 1 is aligned properly and that the pins on the package are aligned with the holes in the socket. Otherwise, you risk damaging the pins when the locking lever is secured."

What is the nominal data rate of a USB port supporting Gen 3.2 2x1?

10 Gbps.

Print bed

3-D print device component on which output is deposited.

filament

3-D print device media type.

resin

3-D print device media type.

"You are configuring four 120 GB drives in a RAID 5 array. How much space will be available?"

360 GB.

What is the bandwidth of a PCIe v2.0 x16 graphics adapter?

8 GBps in each direction (full-duplex). PCIe v2 supports 500 MBps per lane.

Why can cache improve performance?

A CPU tends to repeat the same routines and access the same data over and over again. If these routines are stored in fast cache RAM, they can be accessed more quickly than instructions and data stored in system memory.

A technician is completing a storage upgrade on an older computer. Examining the power supply, the technician notices that only two of the five plugs of thetype shown in the exhibit are connected to devices. What is the purpose of these plugs, and can some be left unconnected?

A Molex cable is a power cable used for storage devices that require more power than can be supplied over most internal bus types. Unused connectors do not pose any problem (though they should be secured with cable ties to minimize disruption to air flow). Note that Molex is a legacy connector format. Most drives use SATA power connectors these days.

You need to connect permanent cable to the back of a patch panel. Which networking tool might help you?

A cable stripper to remove the jacket insulation and a punchdown tool to terminate the wire pairs into insulation displacement connector (IDC) blocks.

injector

A device that can supply Power over Ethernet (PoE) if the Ethernet switch ports do not support it.

touch screen

A display screen combined with a digitizer that is responsive to touch input.

host name

A human-readable name that identifies a network host.

A network owner has configured three web servers to host a website. What device can be deployed to allow them to work together to service client requests more quickly?

A load balancer.

port replicator

A simple device used to extend the range of ports (for example, USB, DVI, HDMI, Thunderbolt, network, and so on) available for a laptop computer when it is used on a desk.

"A network uses Fiber Channel adapters to implement connections. What type of network is this?"

A storage area network (SAN).

airplane mode

A toggle found on mobile devices enabling the user to disable and enable wireless functionality quickly.

Virtual desktop infrastructure (VDI)

A virtualization implementation that separates the personal computing environment from a user's physical computer.

What type of network has no specific geographical restrictions?

A wide area network (WAN) can span any geographical distance.

"A network uses an IEEE 802.11 standard to establish connections. What type of network is this?"

A wireless local area network (WLAN).

Remote Authentication Dial-in User Service (RADIUS)

AAA protocol used to manage remote and wireless authentication infrastructures.

Software-defined networking (SDN)

APIs and compatible hardware/virtual appliances allowing for programmable network appliances and systems.

capture card

Adapter card designed to record video from a source such as a TV tuner or games console.

sound card

Adapter card providing sound playback and recording functionality. A number of different audio ports exist on modern computer motherboards or on specialist sound cards.Commonly, audio ports may be marked as: audio out, audio in, speaker out, microphone input/mic, and headphones.

network interface card (NIC)

Adapter card that provides one or more Ethernet ports for connecting hosts to a network so that they can exchange data with one another.

video card

Adapter that handles graphics processing and output to a display device over one or more video interface ports.

lease

Address configuration assigned by a DHCP server to a client for a limited period.

docking station

Advanced type of port replicator designed to provide additional ports (such as network or USB) and functionality (such as expansion slots and drives) to a portable computer when used at a desk.

"What type of value would you expect a query for an AAAA resource record to return?"

An IPv6 address.

virtual RAM

An OS mediates access to random-access memory (RAM) devices by assigning a virtual address space to each process. As well as protecting memory access, the memory capacitycan be extended by configuring a swap space or pagefile on a mass-storage device (HDD or SSD).

You are assisting another customer with a full fiber connection terminated to an optical network terminal (ONT). The customer's router was disconnected while some building work was being completed, and the patch cable is now missing. The customer thinks that the cable should be a fiber optic one because the service is "full fiber." What type of cable do you need to locate?

An RJ45 unshielded twisted pair (UTP) patch cable. The ONT converts the optical signal over the external fiber optic cable to an electrical one to connect to the local router.

fuser

Assembly in a laser print device that fixes toner to media. This is typically a combination of a heat and pressure roller.

"You are setting up an ADSL router/modem for a client; unfortunately, the contents of the box have become scattered. What type of cable do you need to locate to connect the router's WAN interface?"

Asymmetrical Digital Subscriber Line (DSL) connects to the phone line via a filter. You need an RJ11-terminated patch cord to make the connection.

virtual machine escaping (VM escaping)

Attack against a virtualization platform where malware running in a VM is able to interact directly with the hypervisor or host kernel.

biometric authentication

Authentication mechanism that allows a user to perform a biometric scan to operate an entry or access system. Physical characteristics stored as a digital data template can be used to authenticate a user. Typical features used include facial pattern, iris, retina, fingerprint pattern, and signature recognition.

Straight tip (ST)

Bayonet-style twist-and-lock connector for fiber optic cabling.

multithreading

CPU architecture that exposes two or more logical processors to the OS, delivering performance benefits similar to multicore and multisocket to threaded applications.

multicore

CPU design that puts two chips onto the same package. Most CPUs are multicore (more than two cores).

support virtualization

CPU extensions to allow better performance when a host runs multiple guest operating systems or VMs.

Advanced Micro Devices (AMD)

CPU manufacturer providing healthy competition for Intel. AMD chips such as the K6 or Athlon 64 and latterly the Ryzen have been very popular with computer manufacturers and have often out-performed their Intel equivalents.

AMD socket type

CPU socket form factor where connector pins are located on the CPU package.

plenum

Cable for use in building voids designed to be fire-resistant and to produce a minimal amount of smoke if burned.

cable modem

Cable-Internet-access digital modem that uses a coaxial connection to the service provider's fiber-optic core network.

channel bonding

Capability to aggregate one or more adjacent wireless channels to increase bandwidth.

Digital subscriber line (DSL)

Carrier technology to implement broadband Internet access for subscribers by transferring data over voice-grade telephone lines. There are various "flavors" of DSL, notably S(ymmetric)DSL, A(symmetric)DSL, and V(ery HIgh Bit Rate)DSL.

You are performing a wiring job, but the company wants to purchase the media and components from another preferred supplier. The plan is to install a network using copper cabling that will support Gigabit Ethernet. The customer is about to purchase Cat 5e cable spools. What factors should they consider before committing to this decision?

Cat5e will meet the requirement and will cost the least. Cat 6 offers better performance without adding too much cost. Cat 6A would be the best choice for supporting future requirements, but it is likely to cost more than the customer is budgeting for.

small office home office (SOHO)

Category of network type and products that are used to implement small-scale LANs and off-the-shelf Internet connection types.

service set identifier (SSID)

Character string that identifies a particular wireless LAN (WLAN).

"You are configuring a different workstation with dual-channel memory. You have two modules and there are four slots. How would you determine which slots to use?"

Check the vendor's setup/service manual. Many systems will use the slots marked A1 and B1, but it's best not to proceed without consulting the vendor's documentation.

image

Clone copy of an operating system installation (including installed software, settings, and user data) stored as a file on disk. VMs use images to store persistent data, and thetechnology is also used to make system backups.

Hybrid

Cloud deployment that uses both private and public elements.

Platform as a service (PaaS)

Cloud service model that provisions application and database services as a platform for development of apps.

desktop as a service (DaaS)

Cloud service model that provisions desktop OS and applications software.

Software as a service (SaaS)

Cloud service model that provisions fully developed application services to users.

Infrastructure as a service (IaaS)

Cloud service model that provisions virtual machines and network infrastructure.

Community

Cloud that is deployed for shared use by cooperating tenants.

Public (or multitenant)

Cloud that is deployed for shared use by multiple independent tenants.

Private

Cloud that is deployed for use by a single entity.

operational technology (OT)

Communications network designed to implement an industrial control system rather than data networking.

print server

Computer configured to share a connected printer with other hosts. The client hosts connect to the printer share rather than directly to the print device.

cloud computing

Computing architecture where on-demand resources provisioned with the attributes of high availability, scalability, and elasticity are billed to customers on the basis of meteredutilization.

"You are writing a knowledge base article for remote sales staff who need to use their smartphones to facilitate Internet connectivity for their laptops from out-of- office locations. What distinguishes the hotspot and tethering means of accomplishing this?"

Configuring a hotspot allows the laptop to connect to the smartphone over Wi-Fi. Tethering means connecting the laptop via USB or Bluetooth.

mSATA

Connector form factor for internal solid state drives.

headers

Connector on the motherboard for internal cabling, such as fan power and front panel ports and buttons.

switched port analyzer (SPAN)

Copying ingress and/or egress communications from one or more switch ports to another port. This is used to monitor communications passing over the switch.

DomainKeys Identified Mail (DKIM)

Cryptographic authentication mechanism for mail utilizing a public key published as a DNS record.

"If print jobs do not appear at the printer and the queue is clear, what could you try first to solve the problem?"

Cycle the power on the printer.

reserve

DHCP configuration that assigns either a prereserved or persistent IP address to a given host, based on its hardware address or other ID.

Advanced RISC Machines (ARM)

Designer of CPU and chipset architectures widely used in mobile devices. RISC stands for reduced instruction set computing. RISC microarchitectures use a small number of simple instructions that can be performed as a single operation. This contrasts with complex (CISC) microarchitectures, which use a large set of more powerful instructions that can take more than one operation to complete.

output voltages (3.3 VDC, 5 VDC, and 12 VDC)

Direct current (DC) 3.3 VDC, 5 VDC, and 12 VDC power supplied over PSU cables to computer components.

DisplayPort

Digital audio/video interface developed by VESA. DisplayPort supports some cross-compatibility with DVI and HDMI devices.

High-Definition Multimedia Interface (HDMI)

Digital audio/video interface developed for use on both consumer electronics and computer equipment.

boot options

Disk or network adapter device from which an operating system can be loaded.

"What type of TXT record uses cryptography to help recipient servers reject spoofed messages and spam?"

DomainKeys Identified Mail (DKIM).

imagingdrum

Drum or belt in a laser printer that supports a high electric charge that can be selectively removed using a laser or LED light source.

What type of motherboard socket is used to install system memory?

Dual inline memory module (DIMM).

email

Electronic store and forward messaging system. Email supports text messages and binary file attachments. For Internet email, an SMTP (Simple Mail Transfer Protocol) server isused to forward mail to a host. A mail client then uses either POP3 (Post Office Protocol) or IMAP (Internet Mail Access Protocol) to access the mailbox on the server anddownload messages.

embedded system

Electronic system that is designed to perform a specific, dedicated function, such as a microcontroller in a medical drip or components in a control system managing a watertreatment plant.

Mobile application management (MAM)

Enterprise management function that enables control over apps and storage for mobile devices and other endpoints.

Name three keys commonly used to run a PC's BIOS/UEFI system setup program.

Esc, Del, F1, F2, F10, or F12.

managed switches

Ethernet switch that is configurable via a command-line interface or SDN controller.

datacenter

Facility dedicated to the provisioning of reliable power, environmental controls, and network fabric to server computers.

Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP)

Generic name for protocols that carry voice traffic over data networks.

Spooler

Generic term describing how a print output stream is passed from a client application and stored temporarily at a print server until the print monitor can route the job to the print device.

public switched telephone network (PSTN)

Global network connecting national telecommunications systems.

long-range fixed wireless

Ground-based microwave transmission that supports long distances over precisely aligned directional antennas. These products can either make privileged use of licensed frequency bands or use public unlicensed radio-frequency spectrum.

3-D printer

Hardware device capable of small-scale manufacturing. Most 3-D printers use either a variety of filament (typically plastic) or resin media with different properties.

network tap

Hardware device inserted into a cable run to copy frames for analysis.

legacy system

Hardware or software product that is no longer supported by its vendor and therefore no longer provided with security updates and patches.

duplex unit

Installable option that enables a print device or scanner to use both sides of a page automatically.

page description language (PDL)

Instructions that the print device can use to create an image on the page (for most printers, this means a raster describing the placement of dots on the paper).

Intel

Intel processors were used in the first IBM PCs, and the company's CPUs and chipsets continue to dominate the PC and laptop market.

certificate

Issued by a Certificate Authority (CA) as a guarantee that a public key it has issued to an organization to encrypt messages sent to it genuinely belongs to that organization.

"You have been servicing a computer, but when you have finished you find that it will not turn on. There was no power problem before, and you have verified that the computer is connected to a working electrical outlet. What is the most likely explanation?"

It is most likely that one or more power connectors have not been reconnected. Check the P1 motherboard connector, a 4-pin CPU connector, and all necessary SATA or Molex device connectors. Also, the cable connecting the power button to a motherboard header could have been disconnected.

What effect does a dirty primary charge roller have on laser printing?

It leaves black stripes on the paper. If the roller does not apply the correct charge evenly to the drum, toner is attracted to the place where the charging failed, creating a black stripe all the way down the page.

spam

Junk, fraudulent, and malicious messaging sent over email (or instant messaging, which is called spim). Spam can also be spread via social networking.

How do you configure an autodiscover-enabled email provider on a smartphone?

Just select the provider then enter the email address. If the account is detected, you will be prompted for the password.

hub

Layer 1 (Physical) network device used to implement a star network topology on legacy Ethernet networks, working as a multiport repeater.

Basic Input/Output System (BIOS)

Legacy 32-bit firmware type that initializes hardware and provides a system setup interface for configuring boot devices and other hardware settings.

DB-9

Legacy connector form factor used for serial (9-pin) and VGA (15-pin) interfaces.

Small computer system interface (SCSI)

Legacy expansion bus standard allowing for the connection of internal and external devices. Each device on a SCSI bus must be allocated a unique ID. The bus must also beterminated at both ends.

Peripheral Component Interconnect (PCI)

Legacy internal expansion bus supporting 32-bit parallel transfers working at 33 MHz.

integrated drive electronics (IDE)

Legacy mass storage bus, most commonly implemented as extended IDE (EIDE) and also referred to as parallel advanced technology attachment (PATA). Each IDE controller porsupports two devices connected over ribbon cable with three connectors (controller, primary device, and secondary device).

Video Graphics Array (VGA)

Legacy video interface supporting analog-only signaling over a 15-pin D-shell connector.

Digital Visual Interface (DVI)

Legacy video interface that supports digital only or digital and analog signaling.

application programming interface (API)

Library of programming utilities used, for example, to enable software developers to access functions of the TCP/IP network stack under a particular operating system.

virtual LAN (VLAN)

Logical network segment comprising a broadcast domain established using a feature of managed switches to assign each port a VLAN ID. Even though hosts on two VLANs may be physically connected to the same switch, local traffic is isolated to each VLAN, so they must use a router to communicate.

Basic Service Set Identifier (BSSID)

MAC address of an access point supporting a basic service area.

optical drive

Mass storage device that supports CD, DVD, and/or Blu-ray media. Burner-type drives also support recording and rewriting.

hard disk drive (HDD)

Mass storage device that uses mechanical platters with a magnetic coating that are spun under disk heads that can read and write to locations on each platter (sectors).

Global Positioning System (GPS)

Means of determining a receiver's position on Earth based on information received from orbital satellites.

Radio Frequency ID (RFID)

Means of encoding information into passive tags, which can be energized and read by radio waves from a reader device.

wattage rating

Measure of how much power can be supplied by a PSU.

signal-to-noise ratio (SNR)

Measurement of a wireless signal level in relation to any background noise.

automatic private IP addressing (APIPA)

Mechanism for Windows hosts configured to obtain an address automatically that cannot contact a DHCP server to revert to using an address from the range 169.254.x.y. This is also called a link-local address.

Google Workspace

Mobile/cloud computing office productivity and data storage suite operated by Google.

Microsoft 365

Mobile/cloud computing office productivity and data storage suite operated by Microsoft.

iCloud

Mobile/cloud computing office-productivity and data-storage suite operated by Apple.

You are configuring a network attached storage (NAS) appliance. What file sharing protocol(s) could you use to allow access to Windows, Linux, and Apple macOS clients?

Most clients should support Server Message Block (SMB). Another option is to configure File Transfer Protocol (FTP).

A probe reports that the Internet connection has RTT latency of 200 ms. What is the likely impact on VoIP call quality?

Most vendors recommend that one-way latency should not exceed 150 ms. Round trip time (RTT) measures two-way latency, so 200 ms is within the recommended 300 ms tolerance. Call quality should not be severely impacted, but if latency is persistently that high, it might be worth investigating the cause.

multi-socket

Motherboard configuration with multiple CPU sockets. The CPUs installed must be identical.

"What types of paper/stationery can dot matrix printers use that laser and inkjet printers cannot?"

Multi-part or continuous tractor-fed stationery and carbon copy paper.

You are identifying suitable smartphone models to issue to field sales staff. The models must be able to use digital payments. What type of sensor must the devices have?

Near-field communications (NFC) allow the user to touch the phone to a point-of-sale terminal to authorize payment in conjunction with a wallet app.

Internet Protocol (IP)

Network (Internet) layer protocol in the TCP/IP suite providing packet addressing and routing for all higher-level protocols in the suite.

twisted pair cable

Network cable construction with insulated copper wires twisted about each other. A pair of color-coded wires transmits a balanced electrical signal. The twisting of the wire pairs at different rates acts to reduce interference and crosstalk.

fiber optic cable

Network cable type that uses light signals as the basis for data transmission. Infrared light pulses are transmitted down the glass core of the fiber. The cladding that surrounds this core reflects light back to ensure transmission efficiency. Two main categories of fiber are available; multi-mode, which uses cheaper, shorter wavelength LEDs or VCSEL diodes, or single-mode, which uses more expensive, longer wavelength laser diodes. At the receiving end of the cable, light-sensitive diodes re-convert the light pulse into an electrical signal. Fiber optic cable is immune to eavesdropping and EMI, has low attenuation, supports rates of 10 Gb/s+, and is light and compact.

storage area network (SAN)

Network dedicated to provisioning storage resources, typically consisting of storage devices and servers connected to switches via host bus adapters.

port flapping

Network error where a port transitions rapidly between up and down states.

Can 802.11ac achieve higher throughput to a single client by multiplexing the signals from both 2.4 and 5 GHz frequency bands? Why or why not?

No. First, a client can only use one radio at a time and so cannot connect simultaneously to the 2.4 GHZ and 5 GHz bands. Secondly, 802.11ac works only at 5 GHz; 802.11ac access points use the 2.4 GHz band to support 802.11b/g/n clients. The 802.11ac standard can increase bandwidth by using multiple input output (MIMO) antenna configurations to allocate more streams, such as 2x2 or 3x3.

A user reports that a "Limited connectivity" desktop notification is displayed on their computer, and they cannot connect to the Internet. Will you need to replace the NIC in the computer?

No. Limited connectivity reported by the OS means that the link has been established, but the host has not been able to contact a DHCP server to obtain a lease for a valid configuration.

You are writing an advisory to identify training requirements for support staff and have included OT networks as one area not currently covered. Another technician thinks you should have written IT. Are they correct?

No. Operational technology (OT) refers to networks that connect embedded systems in industrial and process automation systems.

A workstation has a multi-socket motherboard but only a single LGA 1150 socket is populated. The installed CPU is a Xeon E3-1220. You have a Xeon E3-1231 CPU in store that also uses the LGA 1150. Should this be used to enable symmetric multiprocessing and upgrade system performance?

No. The CPU models must be identical. If the CPUs are not identical, the system is unlikely to boot. Even if the system boots, it is not likely to operate reliably.

You need to upgrade the system RAM on a PC. The motherboard has two 8 GB modules of DDR3 RAM installed and two free slots. You have two spare 16 GB DDR4 modules in your stores. Can these be used for this upgrade?

No. The DDR generation of the motherboard slot and modules must match. You can only use DDR3 modules.

You need to provision a virtualization workstation to run four guest Oss simultaneously. Each VM requires 2 GB system RAM. Is an 8 GB workstation sufficient to meet this requirement?

No. The host OS and/or hypervisor also requires system memory. If the host also a 2 GB requirement, you would only be able to launch three of the VMs simultaneously.

You are auditing your network for the presence of legacy systems. Should you focus exclusively on identifying devices and software whose vendor has gone out of business?

No. While this can be one reason for products becoming unsupported, vendors can also deprecate use of products that they will no longer support by classifying them as end of life (EOL).

You are setting up a Wi-Fi network. Do you need to configure the BSSID?

No. You need to configure the service set identifier (SSID), unless you want to rely on the default value. The SSID is a name for users to recognize the network by. The basic SSID (BSSID) is the MAC address of the access point's radio. As this is coded into the device firmware, it does not need to be configured. Stations use the BSSID to send frames to the access point.

subnet mask

Number of bits applied to an IP address to mask the network ID portion from the host/interface ID portion.

maintenance kit

On a laser printer, the fuser unit (the part that fuses toner onto the paper) needs replacing according to the maintenance kit schedule. A maintenance kit also includes new pickup, feed, and separation rollers. It may also include transfer components (roller or belt), or these may be replaced on a different schedule, depending on the printer model.

"You are assisting a user with pairing a smartphone to a Bluetooth headset. What step must the user take to start the process?"

On the smartphone, open the Bluetooth page under Settings. This will make the phone discoverable and enable the user to find nearby devices. If the headset is not found automatically, check if there is a button on the headset to make it discoverable.

How many storage devices can be attached to a single SATA port?

One.

You use three Windows 10 applications that need to print to a Canon inkjet printer. How many printer drivers must you install?

One. Applications rely on the operating system to mediate access to devices. They do not need their own drivers.

A thermal printer used to create labels for parts bins, kits, and boxes is jammed due to a label coming loose during printing. How should you resolve this problem?

Open the printer and locate the label that came off the backing. Remove the label, and if there is any sticky residue, clean it with isopropyl alcohol (IPA) applied to a swab. Ensure the roll of labels is properly loaded and that there are no loose labels that might come loose again.

unbox

Operational procedure for ensuring that a new device is installed safely to an optimum environment.

Compact Discs (CDs)

Optical storage technology supporting up to 700 MB per disc with recordable and re-writable media also available.

cloud service providers (CSPs)

Organization providing infrastructure, application, and/or storage services via an "as a service" subscription-based, cloud-centric offering.

modular PSU

PSU design where power cables can be attached to ports on the unit as needed.

Long Term Evolution (LTE)

Packet data communications specification providing an upgrade path for both GSM and CDMA cellular networks. LTE Advanced is designed to provide 4G standard network access.

Printer Control Language (PCL)

Page description and printer control language developed by HP to implement printer driver functionality.

PostScript

Page description language developed by Adobe that is capable of creating accurate, device-independent output (this means that two different printer models will produce exactly the same output from the same print file).

plain old telephone system (POTS)

Parts of a telephone network "local loop" that use voice-grade cabling. Analog data transfer over POTS using dial-up modems is slow (33.3 Kb/s).

input/output operations per second (IOPS)

Performance indicator that measures the time taken to complete read/write operations.

adapter cable

Peripheral cable converting between connector form factors or between signaling types, such as DisplayPort to HDMI.

headset

Peripheral device supporting audio input (microphone) and output (speaker headphones).

solid-state drive (SSD)

Persistent mass-storage device implemented using flash memory.

A laser printer is producing white stripes on the paper. What could be causing this?

Poorly distributed toner or a damaged/worn transfer corona wire. If the secondary corona does not apply a charge evenly across the paper, less toner is attracted from the drum to the part of the sheet where charging failed. Note that if there are repetitive white or black marks (rather than stripes) that do not smudge, the issue is more likely to be dirt or grease on the drum.

The technician has made a note to check that port 445 is blocked by the firewall. What is the purpose of the protocol that uses this port by default, and why should it be blocked?

Port TCP/445 is used by the Server Message Block (SMB) protocol that implements Windows File/Printer Sharing. SMB is designed for use on local networks only. Allowing access from the Internet would be a security risk.

frequency band

Portion of the microwave radio-frequency spectrum in which wireless products operate, such as 2.4 GHz band or 5 GHz band.

frequency bands

Portion of the microwave radio-frequency spectrum in which wireless products operate, such as 2.4 GHz band or 5 GHz band.

separation pad

Print device component that ensures only a single sheet at a time is fed into the paper path.

finisher unit

Print device component used to automate document production, such as hole punching or stapling print jobs.

pickup roller

Print device components that feed paper between the input tray, print engine, and output tray.

Mobile device management (MDM)

Process and supporting technologies for tracking, controlling, and securing the organization's mobile infrastructure.

x86

Processing modes referring to the size of each instruction processed by the CPU. 32-bit CPUs replaced earlier 16-bit CPUs and were used through the 1990s to the present day, though most PC and laptop CPUs now work in 64-bit mode. The main 64-bit platform is called AMD64 or EM64T (by Intel). Software can be compiled as 32-bit or 64-bit. 64-bit CPUs can run most 32-bit software, but a 32-bit CPU cannot execute 64-bit software.

Subscriber connector (SC)

Push/pull connector used with fiber optic cabling.

What must you do before installing a new toner cartridge into a printer?

Remove the packing strips. Many printer brands place plastic tabs or cling-wrap over sensitive components during shipping. The old cartridge should be removed and placed into a sealed bag for recycling.

transfer belt

Roller, corona wire, or belt assembly on a laser print device that applies a charge to the media (paper) so that it attracts toner from the photoconductor. A detac strip then removes the charge to prevent paper curl. On a color laser printer, the transfer unit is usually a belt.

transfer roller

Roller, corona wire, or belt assembly on a laser print device that applies a charge to the media (paper) so that it attracts toner from the photoconductor. A detac strip then removes the charge to prevent paper curl. On a color laser printer, the transfer unit is usually a belt.

network address translation (NAT)

Routing mechanism that conceals internal addressing schemes from the public Internet by translating between a single public address on the external side of a router and private, non-routable addresses internally.

F-type connector

Screw down connector used with coaxial cable.

Bluetooth

Short-range, wireless radio-network-transmission medium normally used to connect two personal devices, such as a mobile phone and a wireless headset.

received signal strength indicator (RSSI)

Signal strength as measured at the receiver, using either decibel units or an index value.

Effective isotropic radiated power (EIRP)

Signal strength from a transmitter, measured as the sum of transmit power, antenna cable/connector loss, and antenna gain.

Lucent connector (LC)

Small form factor push-pull fiber optic connector; available in simplex and duplex versions.

light-emitting diodes (LED)

Small, low-power lamps used both as diagnostic indicators, the backlight for a TFT display, and (as an organic LED array) in high-quality flat panels.

Application virtualization

Software delivery model where the code runs on a server and is streamed to a client.

firewall

Software or hardware device that protects a network segment or individual host by filtering packets to an access control list.

Optical Character Recognition (OCR)

Software that can identify the shapes of characters and digits to convert them from printed images to electronic data files that can be modified in a word-processing program.

terminal emulator

Software that reproduces text input and output for a given command shell or OS.

memory card

Solid state flash memory provisioned as a peripheral device in a proprietary adapter card form factors, such as Secure Digital and microSD.

flash drive

Solid state flash memory provisioned as a peripheral device with a USB interface.

public IP address

Some IP address ranges are designated for use on private networks only. Packets with source IP addresses in public ranges are permitted to be forwarded over the Internet. Packets with source IP addresses from private ranges should be blocked at Internet gateways or forwarded using some type of translation mechanism.

Trackpad

Sometimes synonymous with touch pad, but also a touch interface provisioned as a peripheral device, often dedicated to use with digital art applications.

toner

Specially formulated compound to impart dye to paper through an electrographic process (used by laser printers and photocopiers). The key properties of toner are the colorant (dye), ability to fuse (wax or plastic), and ability to hold a charge. There are three main types of toner, distinguished by the mechanism of applying the toner to the developer roller: dual component (where the toner is mixed with a separate magnetic developer), mono-component (where the toner itself is magnetic), and non-magnetic mono-component (where the toner is transferred using static properties).

thin film transistor (TFT)

Specific display technology used to implement modern flat-panel LCD displays.

Power over Ethernet (PoE)

Specification allowing power to be supplied via switch ports and ordinary data cabling to devices such as VoIP handsets and wireless access points. Devices can draw up to about 13 W (or 25 W for PoE+).

Trusted platform module (TPM)

Specification for secure hardware-based storage of encryption keys, hashed passwords, and other user- and platform-identification information.

802.11 standards

Specifications developed by IEEE for wireless networking over microwave radio transmission in the 2.4 GHz, 5 GHz, and 6 GHz frequency bands. The Wi-Fi standards brand has six main iterations: a, b, g, Wi-Fi 4 (n), Wi-Fi 5 (ac), and Wi-Fi 6 (ax). These specify different modulation techniques, supported distances, and data rates, plus special features, such as channel bonding, MIMO, and MU-MIMO.

redundant array of independent disks (RAID)

Specifications that support redundancy and fault tolerance for different configurations of multiple-device storage systems.

Advanced Technology Extended (ATX)

Standard PC case, motherboard, and power supply specification. Mini-, Micro-, and Flex-ATX specify smaller board designs.

Global System for Mobile Communication (GSM)

Standard for cellular radio communications and data transfer. GSM phones use a SIM card to identify the subscriber and network provider. 4G and later data standards are developed for GSM.

Which fiber optic connector uses a small form factor design?

The Lucent Connector (LC).

Users in the marketing department complain that a recently installed printer is not producing accurate color output. What step might resolve the problem?

Switch to a PostScript (PS) driver. This is likely to have better support for accurate color models. You might also suggest running a calibration utility.

redundant power supply

System case configuration supporting two power units for fault tolerance.

Error correcting code (ECC) RAM

System memory (RAM) with built-in error correction security. It is more expensive than normal memory and requires motherboard support. It is typically only used in servers.

satellite

System of microwave transmissions where orbital satellites relay signals between terrestrial receivers or other orbital satellites. Satellite internet connectivity is enabled through a reception antenna connected to the PC or network through a DVB-S modem.

quadruple-channel

System-memory controller configuration that provides four data pathways between the memory modules and a compatible CPU.

Single-channel

System-memory controller configuration that provides one data pathway between the memory modules and the CPU.

triple-

System-memory controller configuration that provides three data pathways between the memory modules and a compatible CPU.

dual-channel

System-memory controller configuration that provides two data pathways between the memory modules and a compatible CPU.

Small Outline DIMM (SODIMM)

System-memory form factor designed for use in laptops.

quality of service (QoS)

Systems that differentiate data passing over the network that can reserve bandwidth for particular applications. A system that cannot guarantee a level of available bandwidth isoften described as Class of Service (CoS).

power-on self-test (POST)

Test routine built into PC firmware to confirm that system components are available at boot or to signal an error condition via a beep code or on-screen status message.

You are dealing with a support request and think that you have identified the probable cause of the reported problem. What should be your next troubleshooting step?

Test the theory to determine the cause.

What considerations for locating a 3-D printer do you have to make?

The 3-D print process is sensitive to movement and vibration, so the printer must be located on a firm and stable surface. The process can also be affected by dust and the ambient temperature and humidity (especially variations and drafts). Finally, some printer types are fully exposed, so there is some risk of burns from the high-heat elements. Ideally, the printer should not be accessible to untrained staff.

What feature of DHCP means that it must use UDP at the transport layer?

The Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) uses broadcast addressing, which is not supported by the connection-oriented Transmission Control Protocol (TCP). Consequently, DHCP uses the connectionless User Datagram Protocol (UDP).

You are setting up a printer to use static IPv4 addressing. What type of value is expected in the default gateway field?

The IPv4 address of the local router interface, entered in dotted decimal format.

You are advising a company on configuring systems to provide better information about network device status. Why would you recommend the use of both SNMP and syslog?

The Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP) provides a means for devices to report operational statistics to a management server and to send a trap if a threshold for some critical value is exceeded. Syslog provides a means for devices to send log entries to a remote server. Both of these types of information are required for effective monitoring.

Describe the Trivial File Transfer Protocol (TFTP)

The Trivial File Transfer Protocol (TFTP) is a simplified form of the File Transfer Protocol (FTP) and supports only file copying. TFTP works over UDP port 69, whereas FTP work on port 21.

Another technician has scribbled some notes about IPv4 addresses used in various networks associated with support tickets. One of them is assigned to the WAN interface of a SOHO router that requires troubleshooting. Which of these addresses must it be?

The WAN interface of the router must use an IPv4 address from a valid public range, so 52.165.16.254 is the only one it could be: 172.30.100.32 and 192.168.100.52 are in the class B and class C private ranges, 169.254.1.121 is in the range reserved for APIPA, and 224.100.100.1 is outside the range of valid public addresses (it is part of class D, which is used for a type of addressing called "multicasting").

A user complains that their Bluetooth keyboard, which has worked for the last year, has stopped functioning. What would you suggest is the problem?

The batteries in the keyboard have run down—replace them.

You are reviewing network inventory and come across an undocumented cable reel with "CMP/MMP" marked on the jacket. What installation type is this cable most suitable for?

The cable is plenum cable, rated for use in plenum spaces (building voids used with HVAC systems).

If the laptop can display an image on an external monitor but not on the built-in one, which component do you know is working, and can you definitively say which is faulty?

The graphics adapter is working. The problem must exist either in the cabling to the built-in screen or with a screen component, such as an inverter, backlight, or the display panel itself. Further tests will be required to identify which.

Which components are provided as part of a laser printer maintenance kit?

The main component is a new fuser assembly. The kit will also usually contain a transfer/secondary charge roller plus paper transport rollers for each tray (pickup rollers and a new separation pad).

You are trying to add a computer to a wireless network but cannot detect the network name. What possible causes should you consider?

The network name is configured as nonbroadcast and must be entered manually, the wireless standard supported by the adapter is not supported by the access point, the station is not in range, or there is some sort of interference.

Paper is repeatedly jamming in an inkjet printer. What could be causing this?

The paper might not be loaded squarely, there might be too much paper loaded into the tray, or the paper is creased or dirty.

What configuration information does a user need to use a print device connected to the same local network?

The print device's IP address or host name. You might note that vendor utilities can search for a connected device on the local network, so "None" could also be a correct answer.

You are advising a customer about replacing the basic network address translation (NAT) function performed by a SOHO router with a device that can work as a proxy. The customer understands the security advantages of this configuration. What other benefit can it have?

The proxy can be configured to cache data that is commonly requested by multiple clients, reducing bandwidth consumption and speeding up requests.

"You need to ensure that a print device receives the same IP address when connecting to the network. What value do you need to configure on the DHCP server to enable a reservation?"

The reservation should be configured with the media access control (MAC) address of the print device (plus the IP address to assign).

"You are advising another technician about typical DNS configuration. The technician thinks that the name server hosting the 515 support domain resource records on the Internet should be configured as the primary DNS server entry in the IP configuration of local clients. Why is this unlikely to be the case?"

The role of a name server is to respond to queries for the resource records of the specific domain(s) that it is responsible for. The role of the DNS server types listed in a client's IP configuration is to resolve requests for records in any valid domain. To do this, the resolver must take on the task of querying multiple name servers on behalf of the client. Mixing these roles on the same server machine is possible in theory, but for performance and security reasons, they are more commonly performed by separate servers.

What readings would you expect to gather with a Wi-Fi analyzer?

The signal strength of different Wi-Fi networks and their channels that are operating within range of the analyzer.

A laptop user is complaining about typing on their new laptop. They claim that the cursor jumps randomly from place to place. What might be the cause of this?

The user could be touching the touchpad while typing, or vibrations could be affecting the touchpad. Update the driver or reduce the sensitivity/disable touch and tap events.

When you are configuring firmware-enforced security, what is the difference between a supervisor password and a user password?

The user password allows the boot sequence to continue, while a supervisor password controls access to the firmware setup program.

A technician provisions a network of virtual machines running web server, scripting environment, and database software for use by programmers working for the sales and marketing department. What type of cloud model has been deployed?

This is a platform as a service (PaaS) model. Infrastructure as a service (IaaS) would only provision the VMs and network without the software. It is not software as a service (SaaS) because the web server and database are unconfigured.

A technician is performing a keyboard replacement and asks for your help. The data cable for the old keyboard will not pull out. How should it be removed?

This type of flat data connector is secured by a latch. Pop the latch up before trying to remove the cable.

Thunderbolt

Thunderbolt can be used as a display interface (like DisplayPort) and as a general peripheral interface (like USB 3). The latest version uses USB-C connectors.

Latency

Time taken for a signal to reach the recipient, measured in milliseconds. Latency is a particular problem for two-way applications, such as VoIP (telephone) and onlineconferencing.

cable stripper

Tool for stripping cable jacket or wire insulation.

crimper

Tool to join a Registered Jack (RJ) form factor connector to the ends of twisted-pair patch cable.

punchdown tool

Tool used to terminate solid twisted-pair copper cable to an insulation displacement connector block.

loopback plug

Tool used to verify the integrity of a network interface port by checking that it can receive a signal generated by itself.

You have been asked to perform basic maintenance on an inkjet printer. One of the users noticed that the colors are not printing correctly and that the bottom of some letters are not printing. What would you do?

Try using the printer's built-in cleaning cycle and then replacing the ink cartridge. If these do not work, try using an aftermarket cleaning product. Try using the printer properties sheet to check for print head alignment, color settings, and other settings.

T568A/T568B

Twisted-pair termination pinouts defined in the ANSI/TIA/EIA 568 Commercial Building Telecommunications Standards.

tone generator

Two-part tool used to identify one cable within a bundle by applying an audible signal.

cable tester

Two-part tool used to test successful termination of copper cable by attaching to each end of a cable and energizing each wire conductor in turn with an LED to indicate an end-to- end connection.

MX record

Type of DNS resource record used to identify the email servers used by a domain.

Vertical alignment (VA)

Type of TFT display with good viewing angles and excellent contrast ratio.

In-plane switching (IPS)

Type of TFT display with the best overall quality, including wide viewing angles, good contrast ratio, and good response times (on premium units).

scanner

Type of copier that can convert the image of a physical object into an electronic data file. The two main components of a scanner are the lamp, which illuminates the object, and the recording device, an array of charge coupled devices (CCDs).

webcam

Type of digital camera used to stream and record video. There are many types, from devices built into laptops to standalone units. While early devices were only capable of lowresolutions, most webcams are now HD-capable.

patch panel

Type of distribution frame used with twisted pair cabling with IDCs to terminate fixed cabling on one side and modular jacks to make cross-connections to other equipment on the other.

organic LED (OLED)

Type of flat panel display where each pixel is implemented as an LED, removing the need for a separate backlight.

patch cord

Type of flexible network cable typically terminated with RJ45 connectors. Ethernet patch cords cannot be longer than five meters.

supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA)

Type of industrial control system that manages large-scale, multiple-site devices and equipment spread over geographically large areas from a host computer.

Twisted nematic (TN)

Type of low-cost TFT display with relatively poor viewing angles and contrast ratio, but good response times.

fully qualified domain name (FQDN)

Unique label specified in a DNS hierarchy to identify a particular host within a subdomain within a top-level domain.

decibels isotropic (dBi)

Unit for representing the increase in power gained by the directional design of a wireless antenna.

decibel (dB)

Unit for representing the power of network signaling.

IPv6

Version of the Internet Protocol that uses 64-bit address values typically expressed in canonical hex notation with slash notation network prefixes.

multiple input multiple output" (MIMO)

Use of multiple reception and transmission antennas to boost wireless bandwidth via spatial multiplexing and to boost range and signal reliability via spatial diversity.

multiuser MIMO (MU-MIMO)

Use of spatial multiplexing to allow a wireless access point to support multiple client stations simultaneously.

You are updating a support knowledge base article to help technicians identify port flapping. How can port flapping be identified?

Use the switch configuration interface to observe how long the port remains in an up state. Port flapping means that the port transitions rapidly between up and down states.

Additional memory was installed in a user's system, and now it will not boot. What steps would you take to resolve this job ticket?

Use the vendor's system setup guide to verify that the correct memory type was installed on the system and in the correct configuration (consider whether dual-channel memory was installed in the correct slots). Check that the new memory module is seated properly in its slot. Try swapping memory around in the memory slots.

external SATA (eSATA)

Variant of SATA cabling designed for external connectivity.

hotspot

Using the cellular data plan of a mobile device to provide Internet access to a laptop or PC. The PC can be tethered to the mobile by USB, Bluetooth, or Wi-Fi (a mobile hotspot).

You have been asked to perform basic maintenance on a printer in the Research and Development area. The dot matrix printer used to create shipping documents seems to be printing lighter than normal, and one of the pins seems to not be connecting near the center of the print head as there are blank areas in some letters and images. What maintenance should you perform?

Using the steps in the printer documentation, replace the ribbon in the printer and clean the print head. If this does not fix the problem, replace the print head.

A user reports that the Internet is slow. What first step should you take to identify the problem?

Verify the link speed independently of user apps, such as web browsing, to determine if there is a cable or port problem.

digital camera

Version of a 35 mm film camera where the film is replaced by light-sensitive diodes and electronic storage media (typically a flash memory card). The sensitivity of the arraydetermines the maximum resolution of the image, measured in megapixels. Most mobile devices are fitted with embedded cameras that can function as both still and video cameras.

IPv4

Version of the Internet Protocol that uses 32-bit address values and subnet masks typically expressed in dotted decimal notation.

You are assessing standards compatibility for a Wi-Fi network. Most employees have mobile devices with single-band 2.4 GHz radios. Which Wi-Fi standards work in this band?

Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax), Wi-Fi 4 (802.11n), and the legacy standards 802.11g and 802.11b.

A workstation must be provisioned with a 4 Gbps network link. Is it possible to specify a single NIC to meet this requirement?

Yes. On an NIC with 4 gigabit Ethernet ports, the ports can be bonded to establish a 4 Gbps link.

A network consultant is recommending the use of S/FTP to extend a cable segment through a factory. Is this likely to be an appropriate cable choice?

Yes. Shielded/foiled twisted pair (S/FTP) will provide the best protection from the external interference sources likely to be generated by factory machinery.

You are completing a network installation as part of a team. Another group has cabled wall ports to a patch panel. Is any additional infrastructure required? What should you do if you cannot determine the cause of a problem?

Yes. The patch panel terminates cabling, but it does not establish any connections between the cable segments. You must install a networking appliance to act as a concentrator and connect the cable segments. On modern networks, this means installing a switch and cabling it to the patch panel ports using RJ45 patch cords. You could consult a colleague, refer to product documentation, or search the web. It might also be appropriate to escalate the problem to more senior support staff.

You have a x8 PCIe storage adapter card—can you fit this in a x16 slot?

Yes—this is referred to as up-plugging. On some motherboards it may only function as a x1 device though.

"Your company has recently closed a foreign branch office, and you are repurposing some PCs that were shipped from the old location. What feature of the PSUs must you check before powering the systems on?"

You must check that the voltage selector is set to the correct voltage or, if there is no selector, that the PSU is suitable for the voltage used by the building power circuit.

You think you have discovered the solution to a problem in a product KnowledgeBase, and the solution involves installing a software patch. What should be yournext troubleshooting step?

You should identify any negative consequences in applying the software patch, then devise an implementation plan to install the file. You need to schedule the work so as tominimize disruption. You should also make a plan to roll back the installation, should that prove necessary.

After applying a troubleshooting repair, replacement, or upgrade, what shouldyou do next?

You should test that the fix works and that the system as a whole is functional. You might also implement preventative measures to reduce the risk of the problem occurring again.

One of the PCs has a faulty CPU, and one has a faulty power supply. You can usethe CPU from one machine in the other. You have opened the case and takenantistatic precautions. What steps must you perform to access the CPU?

You will have to remove the fan and heat-sink assembly,disconnect the fan's power connector,release the pins or screws that attach the assembly to the motherboard, and removethe assembly (a gentle twisting motion may be required if the thermal paste has stuck the heat sink firmly to the CPU).

The repurposed PC is put into service, but later that day the PC's user contactsyou to say that the system has been displaying numerous alerts about hightemperature. What do you think might be the cause?

You would need to open the case to investigate the problem. Perhaps when the upgrade was performed, one of the fan power connectors was not attached properly, or there couldbe a fault in the fan on the PSU.