CompTIA A+ Practice Test (220-1201)

A Storage Area Network (SAN) is best suited for environments requiring high-performance storage systems that can be accessed and managed centrally. SANs provide dedicated network connectivity to storage pools, ensuring efficient data transfer rates and high availability, which lends itself well to scenarios involving multiple servers requiring access to shared storage resources. It is distinct from NAS devices, which provide file-level storage over networking protocols, and direct-attached storage, which connects storage to a specific server rather than allowing multiple servers to access the storage.

Non-Volatile Memory Express (NVMe) is the correct choice because it is a communication protocol specifically designed for high-speed flash-based storage that leverages the PCIe bus for the fastest possible data transfer rates, which is ideal for reducing load times in graphics-intensive games. Serial Advanced Technology Attachment (SATA) is a common interface but offers significantly lower speeds than NVMe. Mini-SATA (mSATA) is an older and smaller form factor that also uses the slower SATA interface. Serial Attached SCSI (SAS) is a high-performance interface, but it is typically used in enterprise servers and requires a dedicated controller card, making it unsuitable for a consumer gaming PC.

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.

A frequent cause of "paper not feeding" or "load paper" errors is a mismatch between the printer's configured paper size or media type and what is actually loaded. Most modern printers stop the job until the settings match. Verifying and, if necessary, correcting the paper size and type settings is therefore the next logical step before moving on to firmware updates or hardware replacement.

In a RAID 6 configuration, you can lose up to two drives and still maintain fault tolerance. RAID 6 uses two parity blocks distributed across the drives, which allows the system to recover from the simultaneous failure of two drives without data loss. If a third drive fails, the array would lose data integrity.

The private cloud model dedicates all computing, storage, and networking resources to one organization, providing greater control and security. Hybrid clouds blend private and public (or community) infrastructures, and public clouds are shared among many tenants. Community clouds are shared by several organizations with similar concerns. Therefore, only the private cloud is exclusively single-tenant.

Because replacing the monitor did not eliminate the green tint, the next logical step is to inspect the connection between the PC and display. A loose, damaged, or bent-pin video cable can drop one or more color channels, producing a noticeable tint. Re-seating or replacing the cable is a quick, low-cost step before pursuing driver updates or hardware replacement.

RAID 0 uses striping and does not use a mirror or parity disk. This means corrupted data cannot be recovered and that an issue on one disk could cause information on other disks to be unreadable.

An unmanaged switch immediately begins forwarding traffic after devices are connected. It has no web, CLI, or SNMP interface, so administrators cannot configure features such as VLANs, QoS, or port security. Managed switches, smart (or lightly managed) switches, and Layer 3 switches all provide some level of configuration and monitoring capabilities.

Capacitor swelling is characterized by a visible bulge or deformation on the top or sides of the capacitors. This deformation is a result of the capacitor failing or being under undue stress, often from heat or age. It's important to identify this physical change as it can lead to the malfunctioning of the motherboard and potential damage to the system. The presence of a burning smell would usually be related to other types of component damage or electrical short circuits, and the system not powering up could be due to a variety of other factors, not specifically related to capacitor swelling.

High-quality stereo audio streaming over Bluetooth relies on the Advanced Audio Distribution Profile (A2DP). The symptoms show that voice calling (handled by the Hands-Free Profile, HFP) works, proving the radio link is functioning, but the stereo audio profile is missing or disabled. Serial Port Profile (SPP) provides a virtual COM port for data, and Human Interface Device (HID) is used for peripherals such as keyboards and mice-neither carries stereo audio. Enabling or adding A2DP support on the phone or the car stereo will allow music playback.

In a server environment that deals with frequent transactions and requires quick access to data, such as in a financial firm, a speed of 10,000rpm for a spindle-based hard drive is typically a good compromise between cost and performance. Such drives are faster than standard 7,200rpm drives and more affordable than the top-tier 15,000rpm drives, thus catering well to the needs of bulk data analysis and consistent transactions while considering budget constraints. The choice of 10,000rpm drives holds true even when keeping in mind the performance capabilities of SSDs, which are not included in the options but would otherwise provide superior response times.

Non-secure IMAP services typically use port 143. This is the default unencrypted port for IMAP, the protocol that deals with managing and retrieving email. On the other hand, port 993 is used if secure IMAP (IMAP over SSL) is configured. Port 110 is for POP3 (Post Office Protocol), another email retrieval protocol but typically used for downloading emails to the local client. Finally, port 25 is used for SMTP (Simple Mail Transfer Protocol) for sending emails, not receiving.

Cellular networks are specially designed to enable mobile devices such as smartphones to connect to the Internet and place voice calls when they are within the range of a cell site. Features like handoff and roaming allow uninterrupted connectivity and services as users move between cell sites.

If a laser printer is leaving streaks on the output, the most likely culprit is the imaging drum. Over time, the photosensitive drum may become worn or damaged, which could cause issues with image quality, such as streaks or spots. Users should check this part first for any signs of wear or debris. Checking the fuser assembly would be relevant if the toner on the prints is not fusing correctly, meaning it could smear when touched. Replacing the toner or refilling it would be required when prints are consistently faint across the whole page or when the toner is low or empty, not for streaks specifically. The pickup rollers are involved in paper handling, pulling the paper from the tray into the printer—if these fail, one might experience paper jams or multiple sheets being pulled at once, not streaks on the output.

Uneven or side-specific fading on a laser-printed page often indicates that toner is not being distributed evenly inside the cartridge or that the cartridge is not seated correctly. Manufacturer guidance recommends removing the cartridge, gently rocking it to redistribute toner, and verifying that it locks firmly into place; improper seating or a damaged cartridge can cause one-sided fading. Low-toner or fuser problems usually affect the whole page or cause smearing rather than a consistent fade on only one edge, and driver reinstallation rarely corrects a mechanical print-quality defect.

An initial, non-intrusive step is to verify the keyboard layout selected in the operating system. Accidentally switching from a US-QWERTY to a European QWERTZ layout will swap the Y and Z keys as described. Num Lock typically causes letters to become numbers on laptops with an embedded numeric keypad, not a Y/Z swap, while BIOS updates and hardware disassembly should be reserved until simple software checks are exhausted.

A sandbox is used for safe testing of software or code in an isolated environment that mimics the end operating environment without affecting the host system. This isolation serves as a security measure that prevents potentially harmful software from impacting the host system or other networks.

The M.2 form factor is a small, internally mounted expansion-card format that plugs directly into a dedicated M.2 slot on the motherboard. It was designed to replace older mSATA and Mini-PCIe solutions and can carry several different interfaces, most commonly SATA and PCIe (including NVMe).

One incorrect statement is that M.2 is an expanded Mini-PCIe interface intended primarily for legacy upgrades, which is not true.

Another incorrect statement is that DIMM refers to memory modules with specific dimensions that have no relation to M.2.

Finally, it is also inaccurate to describe M.2 as a host-controller interface designed exclusively for hard-disk or optical drives.

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.