CompTIA A+ Practice Test (220-1201)

Transmission Control Protocol (TCP) is known for its connection-establishing process, commonly referred to as the "three-way handshake". This process creates a reliable, connection-oriented session between two devices before any data is sent. TCP ensures that data is transmitted in sequence and without errors. The other protocols listed are application-layer protocols. SNMP and DHCP typically use the connectionless User Datagram Protocol (UDP) for transmission, which does not provide the same reliability guarantees. While SSH uses TCP to create a secure connection, SSH itself is an application layer protocol; TCP is the underlying transport layer protocol that performs the three-way handshake to establish the connection.

To change the boot order, a technician must navigate to the Boot Options or Boot Priority section in the UEFI firmware settings. This section allows modification of the boot sequence, which determines from which devices the system attempts to boot. Prioritizing the USB drive ensures the system boots from it before trying other devices, such as the internal hard drive.

The fuser assembly is the correct answer because it's responsible for heating the toner powder, allowing it to melt and bind to the paper to create a permanent image. The imaging drum is what receives the image from the laser in preparation for applying toner, but it does not fuse the toner to the paper. The transfer belt also is involved in the imaging process as it transfers the toner from the drum onto the paper, but again, it doesn’t provide the heat to fuse it. The transfer roller helps to apply an electrical charge to the paper, enabling the toner to be pulled onto the paper from the drum. Pickup rollers are responsible for feeding paper into the printer, and separation pads help separate individual sheets of paper. A duplexing assembly allows for printing on both sides of the paper but has no role in fusing toner.

Verifying that the monitor is turned on and connected properly is a foundational step in troubleshooting display issues. This addresses the simplest cause where the monitor itself might be powered off or disconnected, which would result in a blank screen. If the monitor receives proper power and connection but the screen remains blank, the technician can then proceed to assess more complex hardware components. Checking for POST beeps or proprietary crash screens would not be the initial steps as they would not be present if the monitor is simply turned off. Similarly, inspecting motherboard components would come later in the troubleshooting process once basic external checks are completed.

An adapter that bridges the connectivity between the current interface standard of the storage devices and the legacy interface available on the motherboard must be used. Since the new storage devices follow a different, more recent standard and the computer is equipped with a different, earlier specification, an adapter is needed to make the two compatible. The incorrect options suggest either using a direct substitute of cables, which does not address interface incompatibility, altering device configuration that is unrelated to interconnection, or a BIOS update which could not add absence physical connectivity.

Jitter refers to the variability in time between data packets arriving, caused by network congestion, timing drift, or route changes. High levels of jitter can lead to packets being out of sequence, resulting in poor audio and video quality in streaming and VoIP applications. Understanding jitter is essential for network troubleshooting because it can severely affect the user experience and consistent data flow, which are critical in real-time communications.

High-Definition Multimedia Interface (HDMI) is the correct answer as it supports both high-definition video and audio through a single cable, which is what the user requires for a 4K monitor and sound system setup. Video Graphics Array (VGA) is an older, analog standard that does not support audio and also lacks support for high-resolution displays like 4K monitors. Digital Visual Interface (DVI) is a digital standard that typically does not carry an audio signal and would not be suitable for this user's single-cable requirement. Serial Advanced Technology Attachment (SATA) is a bus interface used for connecting storage devices like hard drives and is not used for video or audio.

Shared resources refer to when the infrastructure and computing resources are used by multiple clients, or 'tenants,' in a cloud environment. This allows for cost savings and increased efficiency as it leverages economies of scale. 'Rapid elasticity' is incorrect because it refers to the quick scaling of resources to meet demand, not sharing of components. 'Metered utilization' accurately describes how cloud service usage is measured and paid for, but doesn't capture the concept of resource sharing among multiple clients. 'File synchronization' involves ensuring files are updated across systems and devices and does not inherently involve sharing fundamental infrastructure components.

The IP address range from 169.254.0.1 to 169.254.255.254 is designated for Automatic Private IP Addressing (APIPA). APIPA is used by client computers when they are unable to reach a DHCP server to obtain an IP address. This scenario suggests that the DHCP server is down or inaccessible, and the clients are self-assigning APIPA addresses, which do not allow normal network communication with devices not on the APIPA range.

Capacitive trackpads detect very small changes in an electrostatic field. A thin film of moisture, sweat, or dirt can register as additional touches, so the pointer appears to jump or drift. Cleaning and drying the pad usually restores normal tracking.

Out-of-date or corrupted drivers can also cause touchpad-only problems, but those issues usually appear after an operating-system or driver update and are less common than surface contamination. Re-calibrating sensitivity or disabling multi-touch features affects how intentional input is interpreted, not the phantom touches produced by contaminants.

Community cloud: The cloud infrastructure is provisioned for exclusive use by a specific community of organizations that share common missions, security requirements, policies, or compliance needs. Resources-and the costs required to build, operate, and secure them-are shared among the community members.

CompTIA A+ lists four deployment models:

• Public cloud: infrastructure open for use by the general public and owned/managed by a provider.
• Private cloud: infrastructure provisioned for exclusive use by a single organization.
• Community cloud: infrastructure provisioned for exclusive use by a defined community of organizations; governance and expenses are shared.
• Hybrid cloud: a composition of two or more distinct clouds (public, private, or community) bound together to allow data and application portability.

Because the scenario involves a defined set of organizations pooling infrastructure and costs, the correct answer is Community cloud; the other options either serve the general public (public), a single organization (private), or combine multiple models (hybrid).

The correct answer explains that the PCI slot is designed to accommodate expansion cards that provide additional functionality to a computer system. Incorrect answers like 'RAM installation' or 'Cooling the system' are not related to PCI slot use, although they might seem plausible because they involve motherboard components. Similarly, programming the BIOS/UEFI is not done via PCI slots but through the firmware interface itself.

RAID 10 (also called RAID 1+0 and RAID "ten") combines the data mirroring of RAID 1 and the striping of RAID 0. This allows both protection and redundancy of data (RAID 1) and high data read speeds (RAID 0).

A heat sink is a component designed to dissipate heat from a CPU or GPU to prevent overheating; it does this by conducting heat away from the processor and towards fins where it is dissipated into the surrounding air. Thermal paste, in contrast, is used to optimize heat transfer between the CPU and the heat sink but does not itself dissipate heat. A fan helps blow hot air away but is most effective when used in conjunction with a heat sink. Liquid is a medium used in liquid cooling systems but is not itself a component that directly conducts heat away.

Bluetooth is the correct answer because it is specifically designed for short-range communication often needed for connecting wearable devices to smartphones, making it a typical technology used for Personal Area Networks (PAN). Infrared requires a direct line of sight and is not commonly used for health wearables due to the necessity of constant connectivity. RFID is primarily used for identification and tracking, offering different functionality compared to the synchronizations of a wearable device. WiMAX, on the other hand, is suited for much larger ranges and wouldn't be the most power-efficient or practical solution for communication between a wearable device and a smartphone.