NCTI - Installer Book
Which of the following is the symbol for power?
W = watts
Which SLM accessory should be changed out every few days?
coax jumper
Which tool should you have the air vents clear and always store in in a dry area?
drill
Which type of screen display has been known to use a great deal of energy, can have a short lifespan, but has high-contrast, vibrantly accurate color images?
plasma
Which type of television display has a deeper cabinet, which affects the size of the screen?
rear projector
When drilling an entry hole through an outside wall, drill from the outside to the inside in all materials, except
wood
At what modulation error ratio (MER) should a 256-quadrature amplitude modulation (QAM) signal operate?
32db or greater
Which of the following compression rates will enable six digital programs to be transmitted rather than one analog channel in a 6 MHz bandwidth?
6:1
Which of the following describes attenuation?
A reduction in signal strength through a cable system.
Which of the following best describes post bit-error-rate (BER)?
A) A measurement of all bit error after forward error correction has been applied.
Which of the following is a correct adjustment of pole climbers?
A) Adjust leg irons so that the top of the pole climber is one inch below the inner part of the knee joint.
Motion detectors work best when
A) An intruder walks past it as opposed to walking toward it.
Which of the following safety practices must be followed when working with fiber-optic cable?
A) Avoid looking directly into the end of a piece of fiber that may be connected to a light source.
Which of the following twisted-pair cable types is the only one that is approved by certifying bodies for data rates in excess of 10 Mbps?
A) CAT-5e
All employees within a cable company have customers, even if some of these employees never come into contact with these customers. Who are the people who buy a company's products or services?
A) External customers.
Which of the following is a step for safely removing the safety strap from the pole when preparing to descend a pole?
A) Grasp the pole with the left hand and slightly pull yourself toward the pole to take weight off of the strap.
Which of the following will prevent a device from communicating back to the headend, and should be removed on any cable leading to a two-way device?
A) High-pass filter.
You should always check your work order before placing an outgoing call to a customer. Once you have connected with a customer, what is the first step you should take?
A) Identify yourself and your company.
How are optical splitters used in the forward path?
A) In the forward path, optical splitters are used as passive branching devices that divide an optical signal across multiple output fibers.
One of the first things you do to begin a video service installation at the customer's premises is
A) Inventory of the customer's equipment and what needs to be connected for the installation.
Which of the following is true about scoring the center conductor?
A) It breaks the connection for high frequency RF signals.
What is the function of the central processing unit (CPU) in a computer, laptop, or tablet?
A) It controls input, processing, storage, and output functions.
What is a function of a cable caddy?
A) It keeps the cable safe from kinking.
What is a function of the time domain reflectometer (TDR)?
A) Locate cable cuts, unknown splices, splitters, directional couplers, and cable impedance mismatches.
What is one thing you want to ensure as you use a punch-down tool to connectorize an RJ-45 jack?
A) Make sure that the punch-down tool blade matches the connector.
Smoke detectors should be used to sound the alarm before heat detectors activate because
A) Many fires begin with billowing smoke before intense heat builds up.
What is the purpose of a scratch awl?
A) Marking the location on wood or drywall for drilling holes and installing cover plate screws.
Which of the following is responsible for reducing crosstalk in twisted-pair cable?
A) Number of twists.
Which of the following will reduce signal strength on all the frequencies in the return path from the customer premises when attached at the tap?
A) Step attenuator.
Wireless networks use low-power RF signals; therefore, which of the following is true about signal strength?
A) The greater the distance between wireless devices, the lower the signal strength and data rate.
Prior to installation, review the home security installation work order with your customer to ensure that
A) The level of service ordered and all costs related to installation are clearly explained and acknowledged.
A split pair test result from a twisted-pair cable tester means
A) The positive or negative wire of one pair is connected to the negative or positive wire of an adjacent pair.
The type of blade used in a punch-down tool is determined by
A) The punch-down block.
Which fiber to the x topology has amplifiers in the coaxial cable portion of the network
Additional rf amplifiers may be in the coaxial cable portion of the fiber to the node (FTTN) topology to maintain proper amplitude levels to the rf signal throughout the serving area
Which of the following is the proper placement for an extension ladder?
B) 3 feet above roofline surface if moving from the ladder onto the roof.
What can be used to reliably assess the quality of a digital signal?
B) A digital signal analyzer.
Which of the following describes a carrier wave?
B) A wave with a much higher frequency than the input signal.
An active infrared motion detector works
B) By sending out bursts of ultrasonic sound waves, after which the sensor waits for the energy to be reflected back.
The cable modem termination system (CMTS) is one of the two main components of DOCSIS architecture. What is the other?
B) Cable modem.
What is a function of a digital multimeter (DMM)?
B) Check for hot chassis condition.
When you are setting up customer devices, use a cabling table so you can
B) Choose connections with the most amount of signal processing
You are at the customer's premises and you are using a signal leakage detector to check for leaks. You are detecting multiple leaks in the system. What should you do to isolate the leaks?
B) Decrease the sensitivity on the signal level meter (SLM).
Which tool is used to check for a hot chassis condition?
B) Digital multimeter. DMM
Which device enables customers to schedule recordings of television programs?
B) Digital video recorder (DVR). dvr
Which of the following is true about the base 10 system?
B) Digits 0 through 9 are used.
Which of the following will strengthen signals as they move farther away from the headend through the trunk express system?m
B) Distribution amplifiers.
Which of the following is the best drilling technique when routing cable through a brick wall?
B) Drill through the mortar in between or parallel with the brick.
When you can see a situation from another's point of view, you are
B) Empathetic.
Ladders used in the cable industry are durable and do not conduct electricity through the length of the ladder. What are they made of?
B) Fiberglass with aluminum rungs.
Which tool is also called "fish sticks"?
B) Glow rod.
When connecting coaxial cable to the embedded multimedia terminal adapter (EMTA) in a customer premises,
B) Identify the EMTA coaxial cable at the house box and tag the line at the house box.
You are using a signal level meter (SLM) to troubleshoot a problem, and you begin by measuring the signal at the wall plate. What should you do next if the signal is normal?
B) Inspect and test each customer premises equipment (CPE) device, cables, and connectors.
Which of the following is a feature of multimode fiber?
B) It is easier to handle and terminate than single-mode fiber.
It is important for the technician to exercise good judgment in the field. Which of the following is an example of practicing good judgment?
B) Leave the premises if a customer is incapacitated by alcohol or drugs.
A center conductor that is too short may cause
B) Low frequency signals being affected more than high frequency signals.
Before drilling in the customer premises interior, what is one thing to keep in mind?
B) Make the interior cable routing as inconspicuous as possible.
When mounting a wall plate to a wall, position the wall plate against the wall over the entry hole, and align it with an adjacent electrical outlet. What is the next step when mounting a wall plate?
B) Mark anchor positions and make two anchor pilot holes with an awl.
The Emergency Alert System (EAS) provides a way for cable companies to
B) Notify viewers regarding disaster warnings issued by local, state, or federal authorities.
Which of the following situations can cause a hot chassis condition?
B) Plugging an adapter incorrectly into a nonpolarized receptacle.
Which of the following is true when mounting splitters to an exterior wall?
B) Position and attach drop cables with a minimum five-inch diameter drip loop for each port.
Which of the following tools is used for twisted-pair work?
B) Punch-down tool.
Which of the following is an example of professional behavior?
B) Putting on shoes with oil-resistant and non-marking soles.
If a customer indicates indecision about installing a home security system
B) Review the system the customer selected to ensure that it is capable of meeting all their needs.
What is one essential difference between wiring for a regular voice installation and an installation with an alarm?
B) The alarm system has to be the first device connected to the embedded multimedia terminal adapter (EMTA) before all other devices in the home.
When placing a silver satin cable into the modular plug to connectorize a phone line, and connect the embedded multimedia terminal adapter (EMTA) to a wall jack, make sure the black wire is on
B) The left, as you look at the pins.
Before digging in an underground installation, the utility lines will need to be located. Which of the following colors represents the electric line?
B) The red line.
Which of the following describes modulation?
B) The reshaping of a carrier wave to include information contained by an input signal.
To maintain solid contact in a two-line to two-jack mount for voice services,
B) Tighten the screw terminal down, making sure the insulation of the wire going in goes just up to the edge of the conductive plate.
On the return path, signals from many sources must be sent on the same cable. What is the name of the technique that allows the signals to be sent without losing data integrity?
B) Time division multiple access (TDMA).
Which of the following is a correct step when lifting the ladder using the D-ring carry?
B) Turn the strand hooks so they face the strand.
What kinds of cables are typically used to interconnect system components such as printers, workstations, and computers?
B) Twisted-pair Ethernet cables.
What is the minimum safe length of a pole climbing gaff?
C) 1.25 inches measured on the flat underside next to the stirrup.
What is the recommended viewing field for HDTV in the customer premises?
C) 40 degrees or less.
What does does a Data Over Cable Service Interface Specification (DOCSIS) modem that is backward compatible to previous versions allow?
C) A DOCSIS 3.0 modem will work in the network as a DOCSIS 1.1 if that is the version that is currently running.
What test equipment is used to locate the source of signals egressing out of the feeder cable?
C) A signal leakage detector or meter.
Which type of remote can be programmed to operate more than one type of consumer electronics device?
C) A universal remote control.
A customer wanting to stream shows between networked DVRs will need
C) A wired connection using either Ethernet cable or coaxial cable.
What is the difference between the fiber-to-the-node (FTTN) and fiber-to-the-curb (FTTC) topologies?
C) An FTTC is allowed a smaller number of RF amplifiers between the optical fiber and the customer premises.
Which testing tool plugs into a modular phone jack to give you access to the individual wires at the outlet?
C) Banjo modular test adapter.
What are the acceptable levels of the high-speed data (HSD) carrier when you take a reading at the wall plate?
C) Between -15 dBmV and +15 dBmV.
In the case of major damage to the customer premises during a home security installation,
C) Call your supervisor immediately, and remain on the premises until a company representative arrives.
What is one reason why broadband cable operators install fiber-optic cable in stages instead of changing the infrastructure all at once?
C) Changing the infrastructure all at once would cause too many service disruptions.
Which of the following is a proper step when removing the ladder from the strand?
C) Clear the hooks from the strand.
When connecting a set-top box (STB) to an HDTV device, what are the four inputs that must be used for HD quality programming?
C) Component video, DVI, HDMI, or FireWire.
A cable gateway typically includes a cable modem, multiple quadrature amplitude modulation (QAM) tuners, a telephone interface, and a multiport and wireless router. What is the function of the multiple quadrature amplitude modulation (QAM) tuners?
C) Convert legacy DTV services being transported on QAM carriers to an IP format that can be received by IP devices.
What is the purpose of side cut or diagonal pliers?
C) Cutting coaxial or other types of cable.
What is the first step to complete when installing voice services at a customer premises?
C) Disconnect the premises phone line from the incumbent carrier.
Which type of star topology used in a passive optical network (PON) places the PON splitters into fiber access terminal (FAT) located deep in the network and closer to the customer premises than the centralized split?
C) Distributed star.
As a general rule, when testing for stray voltage using a foreign voltage detector (FVD), which of the following is true?
C) Do not continue if an alarm sounds and more than 50 volts AC is indicated.
One major difference between embedded multimedia terminal adapters (EMTA) and cable modems is
C) EMTAs can be provisioned for voice only, data only, or for voice and data.
What is the proper order of the major steps when provisioning a modem?
C) Initial upstream contact is made from the powered-up modem, data is synchronized between the CMTS and modem, IP connectivity is established.
What is one reason that it is important to work hard to retain customers?
C) It costs six times more to attract a new customer than to retain an existing customer.
Which of the following is true about CAT-1 cabling?
C) It is typically used in voice applications.
Which of the following is true about extending the boom?
C) Lift and turn the boom as much as possible before extending it.
When an outside wall entry hole will not gain direct access to the back of the TV set, or when routing cable around the outside of the house is not practical, what is the next best option?
C) Locate the entry hole next to existing utility boxes and route the cable through a crawl space or basement.
Which of the following is one of the proper steps when descending the pole?
C) Lower the leg into position with body weight behind it.
To maintain polarity in wires during a voice installation,
C) Match solid-colored wires to each other and striped wires to each other.
Which element of a passive optical network (PON) uses patch panels?
C) Optical distribution network (ODN).
Which element of a passive optical network (PON) uses a Bragg grating filter?
C) Optical line terminal (OLT).
Which of the following is the CableLabs-led project built to define the architecture for the delivery of real-time Internet protocol (IP) applications?
C) PacketCable.
In a coaxial cable, what is the purpose of the shielding?
C) Prevents ingress and egress.
What should be done first when fishing a cable?
C) Push the fish tape to the desired location.
What is the best thing to do if you are wearing a hard hat in windy conditions?
C) Put the chin strap on.
What is it about radio frequency over glass (RFoG) that made broadband cable operators envision using it to make a seamless transition from the legacy hybrid fiber/coax (HFC) architecture over to a gigabit-capable passive optical network (GPON) or Ethernet passive optical network (EPON)?
C) RFoG can operate in parallel with GPON or EPON, which eliminates the need for any downtime during the transition.
Which of the following guidelines should be followed when attaching exterior drop cable to the premises?
C) Randomly vary the distance between the attachment points to eliminate the effects of harmonic reflections.
After provisioning the modem for high-speed services, what should you do to make sure the modem is provisioned correctly?
C) Reboot the computer, open a browser, and go to a website to click through.
Which of the following is true when ascending in a bucket truck?
C) Set the parking brake.
One of the first steps when you reach the site is to inspect the drop cable at the tap. Damaged cable can cause
C) Signal leakage.
Which of the following is true when using the six-step troubleshooting process?
C) Some steps may be performed simultaneously.
A difference between installing in a single dwelling unit (SDU) and a multiple dwelling unit (MDU) is
C) The cable should be inaccessible to unauthorized individuals.
Most requests to discontinue service are made as a result of which of the following?
C) The customer is dissatisfied with the service.
Which part of the F-connector slides over the dielectric and under the braid?
C) The internal post.
The smoke detector that responds more rapidly in cases of high flames is
C) The ionization smoke detector.
What does the appearance of the red ply on a safety strap indicate?
C) The strap needs to be replaced right away.
Each time you install a component in a new or existing home security system, you should
C) Verify each element of the security system is reporting back to the control panel.
A metal underground water pipe can be used as a bonding point as long as it meets the requirements of the current National Electrical Code (NEC) rules. When is bonding to a metal underground water pipe acceptable?
C) when the bonding can be made within five feet of the pipe entrance to the building
As a cable installer, you are the vital link between the company and the customer. Upon first meeting you (the cable installer), how much time will it take the customer to build an image of your company?
D) 15 seconds.
Which of the following is a characteristic of high-definition television (HDTV)?
D) Audio surround sound using Dolby Digital technology.
Heat shrink tubing is installed over the fusion-splice to strengthen and protect it. When should the heat shrink be installed on the fiber?
D) Before stripping the plastic coating from the fiber.
Which of the following is one of the three correct ways of carrying a ladder?
D) D-ring carry.
To show respect and concern for your customer's property during a security installation
D) Do not place tools on furniture where they might scratch the wood or soil the upholstery.
Which of the following can cause interference with aircraft navigation and voice communications?
D) Egress.
Which of the following describes a fiber pigtail?
D) Fiber-optic cable with pre-connectorized ends.
If you know you are going to be late to a customer's home for a security installation,
D) Have your dispatcher notify the customer and reschedule if necessary.
Why should you avoid plugging an embedded multimedia terminal adapter (EMTA) into a surge suppression outlet strip?
D) If the EMTA loses power when the surge suppression is switched off, the customer loses their phone service.
Which of the following will effectively weatherproof the tap drop port connection?
D) Install a sealing sleeve.
Which of the following is true about minimum bending radius?
D) It is the tightest bend that can be safely applied to coaxial drop cable.
A set-top box (STB) changes every signal to one output frequency or channel, so equipment downstream from the set-top box (STB)
D) Needs to be tuned to the STB's output channel.
The computer hardware component inside the computer that connects the computer to a computer network is called the
D) Network interface controller.
Which of these components is used in a passive optical network (PON)?
D) Optical splitters.
How often must a cable operator monitor for signal leakage according to the FCC?
D) Quarterly.
What step must you complete in a voice services installation where there is a line amplifier in use?
D) Split the drop before the amplifier so one leg goes to the embedded multimedia terminal adapter (EMTA) and the other to the amplifier.
The Cumulative Leakage Index (CLI) report is a numerical representation for the total amount of signal leakage in a network. Each cable system must submit a CLI report to what organization?
D) The Federal Communications Commission (FCC).
Which of the following is true about Wi-Fi technology?
D) The connection between the router and modem is always wired.
Which of the following guidelines should be followed when attaching the lock box to the house?
D) The lock box should be located at least one foot from the utility meter and breaker box.
What does the set-top box (STB) diagnostic report?
D) The return carrier frequency and the signal level of the return carrier leaving the STB.
Which of the following is true when selecting the proper wire when bonding the drop?
D) The wire should be solid copper or other corrosive resistant material.
Before beginning high-speed data service installation, ask the customer
D) To log on to the computer to ensure it is functioning properly.
Before you start work after climbing an extension ladder, how should you check for electrical hazards?
D) Use a foreign voltage detector.
The following are five of the steps in the six-step troubleshooting process: 1) Identify the problem by gathering information; 2) Analyze the problem using logic and test equipment; 3) Isolate the problem area; 4) Diagnose the problem;.5) Resolve the problem. What else should you do during the troubleshooting process?
D) Verify that the problem was resolved.
Which of the following is one way to maintain a professional appearance?
D) Wear rain gear during inclement weather.
When is the best time to wear rubber insulated safety gloves?
D) When there is a possibility of coming in contact with electrical voltages.
Which TV digital format was originally designed for progressive scan DVDs?
EDTV
What does the hybrid fiber/coax (HFC) network architecture offer broadband cable operators?
Have been developed to enable broadband operators to make a gradual or staged transition to an all fiber optic cable infrastructure
What does The Internet & Television Association (ITA) recommend about the on-time guarantee?
Meeds to be waived
Which operating system is used exclusively on a Mac computer?
OS X
What is a function of a cable modem emulator?
) Test and quantify the drop's ability to provide high-speed data (HSD) or Internet protocol (IP) Voice service.
What percentage does a cables attenuation increase or decrease for every 10° change in temperature?
1%
Which of the following describes the process of measuring an analog signal at a specific interval?
Sampling
What is a function of a cable modem emulator?
Tests and qualifies the drops ability to provide high speed data(hsd) or internet protocol (IP) VOICE SERVICE.
