CompTIA A+ Practice Test (220-1201)

A network tap is a hardware device that allows for the non-intrusive monitoring of network traffic. It is used to capture and analyze the data flowing through a network segment without disrupting the network's normal operation. Network taps are commonly employed for various purposes, including network troubleshooting, security monitoring, and performance analysis. A loopback plug tests a device's network port, a cable tester verifies the physical integrity of a cable, and a toner probe is used to trace a specific cable within a bundle.

A hybrid cloud model would be the most suitable option as it combines the features of both private and public clouds. It allows sensitive data to remain on-premises in a private cloud, addressing the regulatory requirements, while leveraging the scalability of public cloud services for collaboration tools and email. A private cloud alone would not offer the same level of scalability and resource availability as a hybrid model, and a public cloud does not provide the same level of control over sensitive data. A community cloud involves sharing infrastructure between organizations with common interests, which is not specified as a requirement in this scenario.

A blinking green LED next to a hard drive typically indicates normal operational activity such as reading from or writing to the drive. This does not signal an error or failure. On the opposite side, a solid green usually means the drive has power but is not currently in active use. A blinking amber can indicate a drive failure or a fault, while a solid amber might signify a serious issue like hardware failure. It is important for technicians to distinguish these statuses for efficient troubleshooting.

The Lightning plug is designed so that the eight pins are duplicated on both sides, allowing it to be inserted into the port with either side facing up. Older micro-USB plugs are keyed and work only in one orientation. Lightning does not use fiber-optic conductors, does not rely on a keyed notch for alignment, and it has 8 pins-not 24-for Thunderbolt video output.

An NVMe M.2 SSD would be the best choice for the high-performance storage device in this scenario. NVMe (Non-Volatile Memory Express) drives utilize the PCIe bus for significantly faster data transfer speeds compared to SATA interfaces. The small form factor of the M.2 drive makes it ideal for the SFF workstation while providing ample speed for intensive tasks like graphic design and video editing.

A biometric scan (fingerprint or facial recognition) is an inherence factor-"something the user is"-and therefore different from the SMS one-time code, which is a possession factor-"something the user has". Using two different categories of factors provides true MFA and, in most environments, biometrics are considered stronger and more phishing-resistant than a knowledge factor such as a passcode.

While a complex device passcode is also a valid knowledge factor, it does not offer the same level of resistance to phishing or shoulder-surfing attacks as biometrics. Placing email in a secure folder does not add an authentication factor, and adding recovery email addresses is an account-recovery step, not authentication.

PaaS provides a complete development environment in the cloud, meaning developers can build and deploy applications without worrying about underlying infrastructure like servers or networking. This allows for rapid development and deployment cycles, making it ideal for dynamic, scalable applications. While other aspects such as cost-effectiveness, integrated development tools, and security are also important, the key benefit of PaaS is the ability to develop, deploy, and manage applications efficiently.

Warehouses accumulate dust that can clog or seize cooling fans. A failing fan often produces a high-pitched squeal when its bearings wear out. With the fan unable to move air, the CPU and internal components overheat, triggering system instability such as random freezes or reboots. Battery issues or sticking keys would not create the described noise, and bad driver software would not account for the mechanical squeal.

Sharing a device's cellularly connected internet to nearby devices is called tethering.

Secure Shell (SSH) operates over port 22 and provides a secure method of accessing network services over an unsecured network. When it comes to file transfers, SSH is the protocol that is commonly used to secure them. SSH uses encryption to secure the connection between the client and server, making it the best choice for encrypted file transfers. While FTP (port 20/21) is used for file transfers, it is not inherently secure. Telnet (port 23) is used for remote command-line login and does not support file transfers. Port 110 is used by POP3 for email retrieval and does not involve direct file transfer capabilities.

The standard port for unencrypted Lightweight Directory Access Protocol (LDAP) is TCP port 389. LDAP over SSL/TLS (LDAPS), which is encrypted, uses TCP port 636. Port 53 is used by the Domain Name System (DNS), and port 443 is the standard for Hypertext Transfer Protocol Secure (HTTPS) traffic.

In IPv4 each octet is 8 bits, so its decimal value must be between 0 and 255. Because the second octet in 172.256.1.15 is 256, the address is syntactically invalid and the operating system rejects it. APIPA addresses (169.254.x.x) are unrelated because you are manually configuring a static IP. Likewise, DHCP plays no role in this manual assignment, and there is no requirement that a Class B network (172.x.x.x) use its historical default subnet mask (255.255.0.0); using a Class A mask with a Class B address is legal but uncommon. Therefore, the only real problem is the invalid octet value.

A Power over Ethernet injector is used in scenarios where a device requires both power and data but the network switch in use doesn't support PoE. The injector adds power capabilities to the network line allowing the device to be powered over the same cable as the data, thus eliminating the need for a separate power source. A PoE splitter is incorrect because it performs the opposite function, separating the power and data signals at the receiving end. An Uninterruptable Power Supply (UPS) is used for power backup and cannot inject PoE into the cable. And a network switch with built-in PoE is not applicable because the scenario specified that the switch lacks PoE.

Satellite internet is the correct answer because it does not rely on ground infrastructure like telephone lines or cable networks and can provide coverage in remote and rural areas where traditional internet services are unavailable. Fiber, Cable, and DSL all require physical, terrestrial infrastructure that is typically not present in remote or mountainous regions, making them unsuitable for this scenario.

Port 995 is the designated port for secure POP3 communications, also known as POP3S or POP3 over SSL/TLS. When configuring an email client to retrieve emails securely via POP3, it should be set to use this port, which facilitates encrypted communication to prevent eavesdropping. Port 110 is used for non-secure POP3 connections. Port 587 is for submitting emails via SMTP securely using STARTTLS. Port 993 is typically used for the secure version of the IMAP protocol (IMAPS).

Storage I/O performance (measured in available IOPS and latency) is usually the primary bottleneck in an on-premises VDI environment. During boot, logon, antivirus scans and other "I/O storms," hundreds of desktops can generate intense, bursty disk traffic. If the shared storage array cannot deliver enough IOPS with low latency, desktops will feel sluggish no matter how much CPU, RAM or network capacity is available. Adequate LAN bandwidth and strong security are important, but they rarely limit user experience in a local deployment before storage throughput does.

Non-Volatile Memory Express (NVMe) is a high-performance protocol that defines how a system reads from and writes to non-volatile solid-state storage over PCIe. Because it is a protocol (logical interface), it can be implemented on drives that use various physical form factors and connectors such as M.2, U.2, or add-in PCIe cards. M.2, by contrast, is merely a physical form-factor specification, not a storage protocol, so the two are not directly comparable.

Frequent, unexplained shutdowns are most often linked to an unstable or failing power-supply unit (PSU). If the PSU cannot deliver consistent voltage-because of internal component failure, aging capacitors, or external line sags-the system will abruptly lose power. In contrast, CPU thermal problems are usually preceded by fan noise or temperature warnings; bad RAM tends to generate POST beeps or blue-screen errors; and motherboard faults typically appear as POST failures or complete power loss, not intermittent shutdowns. Therefore, start by verifying PSU output and connections.

The fuser assembly uses heat and pressure to melt the toner particles into the paper fibers. If the fuser does not reach or maintain the correct temperature (or its pressure roller is damaged), the toner will not bond to the paper and will appear as loose black dust or smears. Replacing the fuser or adjusting the media type settings in the printer is the typical fix. A bad toner cartridge or transfer roller can cause other defects, but they will not leave large areas of unfused toner that rubs off.

The correct answer is SCSI, which stands for Small Computer System Interface. This interface standard was used extensively for connecting various types of devices such as hard drives, scanners, and CD/DVD drives, especially in server and professional workstation setups. Over time, it has largely been superseded by newer technologies like SATA and USB for personal computer use, but the knowledge of SCSI remains important for the A+ certification as it represents a foundational technology in computer architecture. Other listed connector types such as SATA, HDMI, and USB are incorrect because they serve different purposes: SATA is dominantly used for connecting internal drives in consumer PCs, HDMI is mainly for audio and video connections, and USB is a universal port for many types of peripherals.