The CompTIA 220-901 exam is one of two exams requires to obtain the CompTIA A+ (900 series). This exam will cover topics like networking, mobile devices and hardware and network troubleshooting.
1) You are a Desktop and Laptop Technician for a small computer repair shop. A customer on a limited budget has asked you to upgrade their laptop in order to increase performance. Which of the following components can be easily replaced or upgraded?
Laptop designs often make it difficult to upgrade or change components like video cards, processors and motherboards. RAM and Hard drives are typically easily accessible and cost effective to upgrade in a laptop.
This question is filed under objective 4, Hardware and Network Troubleshooting
Random-access memory (RAM ) is a form of computer memory that can be read and changed in any order, typically used to store working data and machine code A random-access memory device allows data items to be read or written in almost the same amount of time irrespective of the physical location of data inside the memory In contrast, with other direct-access data storage media such as hard disks, CD-RWs, DVD-RWs and the older magnetic tapes and drum memory, the time required to read and write data items varies significantly depending on their physical locations on the recording medium, due to mechanical limitations such as media rotation speeds and arm movement… Read More
2) Your supervisor has asked you to bring her a DE-15 connector. Which of the following is she referring to?
VGA uses a 15 pin DE connector
This question is filed under objective 1, Hardware
A Video Graphics Array (VGA) connector is a three-row 15-pin DE-15 connector The 15-pin VGA connector was provided on many video cards, computer monitors, laptop computers, projectors, and high definition television sets On laptop computers or other small devices, a mini-VGA port was sometimes used in place of the full-sized VGA connector Few new devices now include VGA connectors, and it generally coexists with DVI or the newer and more compact HDMI and DisplayPort interface connectors … Read More
3) Which protocol uses the well known TCP port 443?
Hyper Text Transfer Protocol Secure (HTTPS), sometimes referred to as HTTP-SSL uses port 443 to communicate.
This question is filed under objective 2, Networking
Hypertext Transfer Protocol Secure (HTTPS) is an extension of the Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP) It is used for secure communication over a computer network, and is widely used on the Internet In HTTPS, the communication protocol is encrypted using Transport Layer Security (TLS) or, formerly, its predecessor, Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) The protocol is therefore also referred to as HTTP over TLS, or HTTP over SSL The principal motivations for HTTPS are authentication of the accessed website, and protection of the privacy and integrity of the exchanged data while in transit It protects against man-in-the-middle attacks, and the bidirectional encryption of communications between a client and server protects the communications against… Read More
4) You are a network technician for a small consulting company. A client has asked you to evaluate options for several SOHO networks to allow employees to work from home. Often the employees modem is in a different area of the house than their home office. The company has a very strict policy that disallows wireless networks. Which of the following is the most cost effective option?
Power-line communication will allow a SOHO network to be built using ethernet power adapters which is much cheaper than running cable. Power-line communication allows the use of the ethernet protocol over electrical power wiring. If the company doesn't want employees working from home to use wireless networks or to pay the expense of running ethernet from the modem to the office then power-line is a cheap alternative.
This question is filed under objective 2, Networking
Power-line communication (PLC) carries data on a conductor that is also used simultaneously for AC electric power transmission or electric power distribution to consumers It is also known as power-line carrier, power-line digital subscriber line (PDSL), mains communication, power-line telecommunications (PLT), or power-line networking (PLN) A wide range of power-line communication technologies are needed for different applications, ranging from home automation to Internet access which is often called broadband over power lines (BPL) Most PLC technologies limit themselves to one type of wires (such as premises wiring within a single building), but some can cross between two levels (for example, both the distribution network and premises… Read More
5) Which TCP port number is used by Post Office Protocol 3?
POP3 (Post Office Protocol) uses TCP 110 to communicate.
This question is filed under objective 2, Networking
In computing, the Post Office Protocol (POP) is an application-layer Internet standard protocol used by e-mail clients to retrieve e-mail from a mail serverPOP version 3 (POP3) is the version in common use … Read More
6) You are planning the installation of several wireless access points in a large warehouse. The access points are typically located on the ceiling far away from power sources. Which technology could be used to power the device?
Power over Ethernet (PoE) allows a device to use an ethernet cable as a power source and it's data/network connection. Using PoE the wireless access points will not need separate power and data connections.
This question is filed under objective 2, Networking
Power over Ethernet, or PoE, describes any of several standard or ad hoc systems that pass electric power along with data on twisted pair Ethernet cabling This allows a single cable to provide both data connection and electric power to devices such as wireless access points, IP cameras, and VoIP phones There are several common techniques for transmitting power over Ethernet cabling Three of them have been standardized by IEEE 8023 since 2003 These standards are known as Alternative A, Alternative B, and 4PPoE For 10BASE-T and 100BASE-TX, only two of the four signal pairs in typical Cat 5 cable are used… Read More
7) You have recently started as a network technician for a small finance company. The company has been experiencing network outages and very slow transmission speeds. The network has 6 hubs and 1 router, what is most likely causing the poor network performance?
Hubs are not intelligent enough to route packets to their destination. Instead they broadcast any data they receive out of every port (except the port they receive it on). Hubs cause large amounts of unnecessary packets that will clog a network.
This question is filed under objective 4, Hardware and Network Troubleshooting
An Ethernet hub, active hub, network hub, repeater hub, multiport repeater, or simply hub is a network hardware device for connecting multiple Ethernet devices together and making them act as a single network segment It has multiple input/output (I/O) ports, in which a signal introduced at the input of any port appears at the output of every port except the original incoming A hub works at the physical layer (layer 1) of the OSI model A repeater hub also participates in collision detection, forwarding a jam signal to all ports if it detects a collision In addition to standard 8P8C ("RJ45") ports, some hubs may also come with a BNC or an Attachment Unit Interface (AUI) connector to allow connection to legacy 10BASE2 or 10BASE5 network… Read More
8) While troubleshooting a hardware issue on a laptop with a removable battery you have come to the conclusion that there is a physical issue with one of the laptop's components. The laptop is not plugged into an external power source, what is the next step before opening the laptop's case?
All power sources should be disconnected from the laptop before accessing any internal components. This includes the power supply or charging cable as well as the device's battery.
This question is filed under objective 4, Hardware and Network Troubleshooting
9) You are a server support technician for a data warehouse company. Recently a Windows based server has had several unexpected shut downs. Where should you look first for more information?
On Windows based systems the Event Viewer will display a detailed log of events such as application crashes, power losses and other debugging information for the operating system, third party applications and hardware.
This question is filed under objective 4, Hardware and Network Troubleshooting
Event Viewer is a component of Microsoft's Windows NT operating system that lets administrators and users view the event logs on a local or remote machine Applications and operating-system components can use this centralized log service to report events that have taken place, such as a failure to start a component or to complete an action In Windows Vista, Microsoft overhauled the event systemDue to the Event Viewer's routine reporting of minor start-up and processing errors (which do not, in fact, harm or damage the computer), the software is frequently used by technical support scammers to trick the victim into thinking that their computer contains critical errors requiring immediate technical support… Read More
10) Which type of motherboard expansion slot has various speeds such as x16 and x32?
PCIe, or PCI-Express, comes in x1, x4, x8, x16, x32 speeds. The size of the expansion slot also varies depending on type used. While PCIe x32 is defined in the official standard, x16 is generally the largest you will find on the market.
This question is filed under objective 1, Hardware
PCI Express (Peripheral Component Interconnect Express), officially abbreviated as PCIe or PCI-e, is a high-speed serial computer expansion bus standard, designed to replace the older PCI, PCI-X and AGP bus standards It is the common motherboard interface for personal computers' graphics cards, hard drives, SSDs, Wi-Fi and Ethernet hardware connections PCIe has numerous improvements over the older standards, including higher maximum system bus throughput, lower I/O pin count and smaller physical footprint, better performance scaling for bus devices, a more detailed error detection and reporting mechanism (Advanced Error Reporting, AER), and native hot-swap functionality More recent revisions of the PCIe standard provide hardware support… Read More
11) A large company has a nation-wide network, consisting of several smaller networks linked through a VPN and the internet. Which term would best apply to this network?
A Wide-Area-Network (WAN) is a series of smaller networks that are linked together to form a single, large network. Metropolitan Area Networks (MAN) are very similar to WANs, but are geographically smaller and typically used by city governments and universities.
This question is filed under objective 2, Networking
A wide area network (WAN) is a telecommunications network that extends over a large geographical area for the primary purpose of computer networking Wide area networks are often established with leased telecommunication circuitsBusiness, as well as education and government entities use wide area networks to relay data to staff, students, clients, buyers and suppliers from various locations across the world In essence, this mode of telecommunication allows a business to effectively carry out its daily function regardless of location The Internet may be considered a WANSimilar types of networks are personal area networks (PANs), local area networks (LANs), campus area networks (CANs), or metropolitan area networks (MANs) which are usually… Read More
12) How many pins are present in SATA data and power cables?
SATA (Serial Advanced Technology Attachment) has two main connector types. The power connector is larger with 15 pins, while the data connector is 7 pins. Both are an L shape to avoid inserting a connector incorrectly.
This question is filed under objective 1, Hardware
Serial ATA (SATA, abbreviated from Serial AT Attachment) is a computer bus interface that connects host bus adapters to mass storage devices such as hard disk drives, optical drives, and solid-state drives Serial ATA succeeded the earlier Parallel ATA (PATA) standard to become the predominant interface for storage devices Serial ATA industry compatibility specifications originate from the Serial ATA International Organization (SATA-IO) which are then promulgated by the INCITS Technical Committee T13, AT Attachment (INCITS T13) … Read More
13) You are an IT Support Specialist for a medium sized company. An executive is traveling overseas and does not want his company phone to cause any data or service related fees. Which of the following solutions will ensure this does not occur?
The best option is to instruct the user how to disable mobile data for the duration of the trip. While this is disabled they cannot access the internet using their cellular connection but could still use WiFi, Bluetooth, etc. This is supported by all major smart phone operating systems. Mobile data may also be referred to as cellular data.
This question is filed under objective 3, Mobile Devices
Airplane mode, aeroplane mode, flight mode, offline mode, or standalone mode is a setting available on smartphones and other portable devices When activated, this mode suspends the device's radio-frequency (RF) signal transmission technologies (ie, Bluetooth, telephony and Wi-Fi), effectively disabling all voice, text and phone services GPS may or may not be disabled, because it does not involve transmitting radio waves The mode is so named because most airlines prohibit the use of equipment that transmit RF signals while in flight Typically it is not possible to make phone calls or send messages in airplane mode, but some smartphones allow calls to emergency services… Read More
14) You are a network technician for a consulting company. A small company with several wireless access points has been experiencing intermittent outages for employees near the break room. What is most likely the cause?
Microwave ovens operate on the 2.4 Ghz frequency, same as most WiFi networks. The intermittent outages are likely being caused by people using the microwave oven in the break room.
This question is filed under objective 4, Hardware and Network Troubleshooting
Microwaves are a form of electromagnetic radiation with wavelengths ranging from about one meter to one millimeter with frequencies between 300 MHz (1 m) and 300 GHz (1 mm) Different sources define different frequency ranges as microwaves the above broad definition includes both UHF and EHF (millimeter wave) bands A more common definition in radio-frequency engineering is the range between 1 and 100 GHz (wavelengths between 03 m and 3 mm) In all cases, microwaves include the entire SHF band (3 to 30 GHz, or 10 to 1 cm) at minimum Frequencies in the microwave range are often referred to by their IEEE radar band designations: S, C, X, Ku, K, or Ka band, or by similar NATO or EU designations… Read More
15) You are a IT Analyst for a large chain of stores. Your department has been asked to evaluate accepting payments through wireless transmission from mobile devices. Which standard technology are they referring to?
Near Field Communication (NFC) is the standard wireless protocol behind wireless payment options such as Android Pay and Apple Pay.
This question is filed under objective 3, Mobile Devices
Near-field communication (NFC) is a set of communication protocols for communication between two electronic devices over a distance of 4 cm (11⁄2 in) or less NFC offers a low-speed connection with simple setup that can be used to bootstrap more-capable wireless connectionsNFC devices can act as electronic identity documents and keycards They are used in contactless payment systems and allow mobile payment replacing or supplementing systems such as credit cards and electronic ticket smart cards This is sometimes called NFC/CTLS or CTLS NFC, with contactless abbreviated CTLS NFC can be used for sharing small files such as contacts, and bootstrapping fast connections to share larger media such as photos, videos, and other files… Read More
16) Your supervisor has asked you to record the IP version 6 addresses of several SUSE Linux systems into a spreadsheet. Which command can you use to obtain this information?
ifconfig (Interface Configuration) is a command line tool on Unix-like systems to display network configuration details. The Windows equivalent is IPCONFIG. Unix-like systems typically refers to Unix, Linux, BSD and OSX operating systems.
This question is filed under objective 4, Hardware and Network Troubleshooting
ifconfig is a system administration utility in Unix-like operating systems for network interface configuration The utility is a command-line interface tool and is also used in the system startup scripts of many operating systems It has features for configuring, controlling, and querying TCP/IP network interface parameters Ifconfig originally appeared in 42BSD as part of the BSD TCP/IP suite … Read More
17) Which of the following options can be used as a storage device to boot an operating system?
A USB Drive is the only device or component that can be used as a boot device. DDR2 is a type of Random Access Memory (RAM). HDMI (High-Definition Multimedia Interface) is audio/video interface. FDISK is a command on some operating systems that provides disk partitioning functions - but it is not a storage device as requested by the question.
This question is filed under objective 1, Hardware
USB drive may refer to: A USB flash drive or "thumb drive", a USB-connected computer storage using semiconductor non-volatile random-access memory A USB external drive, a hard drive fitted with a USB interface Secure Digital, a non-volatile memory card format CompactFlash, a flash memory mass storage device Memory Stick, a removable flash memory card format… Read More
18) Which of the following devices or systems is critical in the event of a power outage?
An Uninterruptible Power Supply (UPS) is a backup power supply that can be used in the event of a power outage. Typically a UPS only has 10-15 minutes of power and is intended to allow systems to continue functioning briefly or be powered off safely as opposed to being a long term backup resource.
This question is filed under objective 1, Hardware
An uninterruptible power supply or uninterruptible power source (UPS) is an electrical apparatus that provides emergency power to a load when the input power source or mains power fails A UPS differs from an auxiliary or emergency power system or standby generator in that it will provide near-instantaneous protection from input power interruptions, by supplying energy stored in batteries, supercapacitors, or flywheels The on-battery run-time of most uninterruptible power sources is relatively short (only a few minutes) but sufficient to start a standby power source or properly shut down the protected equipment It is a type of continual power system… Read More
19) Your motherboard has 4 memory slots - 2 blue and 2 black. How should you arrange your memory?
The exact answer depends on the manufacturer, but regardless the best answer is to put equal size/speed of RAM in each. This is especially important for the speed of the RAM as the lowest speed will be used for all memory slots - even if one has a faster speed available. It is also very common for the motherboard to only support matching sizes (e.g. all 4 GB, all 2 GB, etc.).
This question is filed under objective 1, Hardware
20) What type of device most commonly uses a static IP address?
Servers should always be given a static IP Address to ensure it can be quickly resolved and any applications using the IP address do not need to be reconfigured.
This question is filed under objective 2, Networking
An Internet Protocol address (IP address) is a numerical label assigned to each device connected to a computer network that uses the Internet Protocol for communication An IP address serves two main functions: host or network interface identification and location addressing Internet Protocol version 4 (IPv4) defines an IP address as a 32-bit number However, because of the growth of the Internet and the depletion of available IPv4 addresses, a new version of IP (IPv6), using 128 bits for the IP address, was standardized in 1998 IPv6 deployment has been ongoing since the mid-2000s IP addresses are written and displayed in human-readable notations, such as 172… Read More
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