CompTIA A+ 1101 Essentials: Study Cards for Quick Mastery: *Q&A* (100% Correct) 2025/2026 |VERIFIED|

CompTIA A+ 1101 Essentials: Study Cards for Quick Mastery: *Q&A* (100% Correct) 2025/2026 |VERIFIED| What is the full form of SATA and what does it refer to? standard for connecting hard drives to computers. What does PCI stand for and what does it represent? Serial Advanced Technology Attachment, a Peripheral Component Interconnect, a legacy standard for connecting expansion cards in a computer. What communication method does PCI use? What are the voltage requirements for PCI? 32-bit and 64-bit parallel communication. 3.3V and 5V. What is the range of NFC technology? 4cm. What does LCD stand for and how does it function? through liquid filters to create an image. Liquid Crystal Display, where light passes What are the three types of LCDs and what do their acronyms stand for? IPS = In-Plane Switching, VA = Vertical Alignment. How do the different types of LCDs compare? TN = Twisted Nematic, TN offers better response time but poor wide viewing angles and low power consumption; IPS has superior color accuracy, wider viewing angles, but is more expensive; VA delivers the best contrast but suffers from poor angles. What are the two primary types of LCD backlighting? LED. What makes CCFL backlighting unique? CCFL (Cold Cathode Fluorescent Lamp) and It uses AC power, so an inverter is needed to convert it to the required DC power for the computer. 1 How many pins does USB-C have, and what makes it distinctive? transmit various signals such as HDMI and DisplayPort. USB-C has 24 pins and can What connection was used before USB, and what type of signal did it carry? How many pins did it have? DB-9 cable carrying RS232 signal, with 9 pins. What types of styluses exist and how do they differ? Capacitive stylus is used like a touch pen, while active stylus, like the Apple Pencil, can communicate independently with the device. What is the older connection type for headsets, and what signal does it carry? (Tip-Ring-Ring-Sleeve) connection, which carries an analog signal. What were the 2G networks and what did they stand for? The 3.5mm TRRS GSM (Global System for Mobile Communication) and CDMA (Code Division Multiple Access). Which companies used GSM and how did it operate? AT&T and T-Mobile used GSM, which employed multiplexing for simultaneous signal transmission. What does multiplexing refer to in communication systems? signals to use the same channel without interference. Which companies used CDMA, and how did it work? Multiplexing allows multiple data Verizon and Sprint used CDMA, where each user had a unique code for communication. What was the primary goal of 4G technology, and what does LTE stand for? CDMA technologies, with LTE standing for Long Term Evolution. What does EDGE stand for in mobile networks? To integrate GSM and Enhanced Data Rates for GSM Evolution. What is the function of PRL, and how is it updated? PRL stands for Preferred Roaming List, which allows a device to connect to the correct tower, updated over the air (OTA). 2 How does GPS work and how many satellites are necessary for accurate location? satellites, and at least 4 need to be visible for accurate location tracking. What is MDM and what is its purpose? GPS relies on 30 Mobile Device Management allows organizations to control and secure user devices from a centralized console. What is meant by a partition in computer storage? personal data on a device. A partition separates company data from What are the two types of IP payloads and their meanings? and UDP (User Datagram Protocol). What does "in the clear" mean in terms of data communication? encrypted. TCP (Transmission Control Protocol) It means the data is not Why is it important to use both TCP and UDP for IP communication? TCP and UDP enable multiplexing, allowing different applications to use the same network channels. How does TCP function? TCP requires a formal setup and teardown to establish communication, ensuring reliable data transmission with flow control. What are examples of protocols that use TCP? SSH (Secure Shell). How does UDP differ from TCP? HTTPS (Hypertext Transfer Protocol Secure) and UDP does not require a formal setup or confirmation of data sent, making it ideal for real-time communication. What are examples of protocols that use UDP? TFTP (Trivial File Transfer Protocol). DHCP (Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol) and 3 What is the difference between non-ephemeral and ephemeral ports? Non-ephemeral ports are permanent, used for specific services, while ephemeral ports change for client-side communication. What is a key feature of ports in relation to TCP and UDP? Ports are used for communication, not security, and TCP and UDP can share the same port numbers simultaneously. What is FTP and what ports does it use? transferring files between systems. File Transfer Protocol, using TCP ports 20 and 21 for What is Telnet and what port does it use? port 23, transmitting data in the clear. What is SSH and what port does it use? Telnet is a remote command console protocol using TCP Secure Shell is a protocol for encrypted remote command console access, using TCP port 22. What is SMTP and what port does it use? operating on TCP port 25. What is DNS and what port does it use? addresses, using UDP port 53. Simple Mail Transfer Protocol is used for sending emails, Domain Name System resolves domain names to IP What does DHCP do and what ports does it use? Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol assigns IP addresses to local devices, using UDP ports 67 and 68. What are HTTP and HTTPS, and what ports do they use? HTTP (Hypertext Transfer Protocol) and HTTPS (secure version) operate on TCP ports 80 and 443, respectively. What is POP3 and what port does it use? from a single device, using TCP port 110. What is IMAP and what port does it use? Post Office Protocol version 3 is used for retrieving email Internet Message Access Protocol version 4 manages email from multiple devices, using TCP port 143. 4 What is SMB and what port does it use? in Windows, operating on TCP port 445. What is another name for SMB? Server Message Block is used for file and printer sharing CIFS = common internet file system NetBIOS? SNMP? Network basic input output system udp/137 tcp/139 is not used anymore Simple network management protocol Queries udp/161 Traps udp/162 What are queries and traps? Queries = seeing how the network is functioning over time Traps = Alerts with problems or changes What are the different SNMP versions? v2 = bulk transfers in the clear v1 = 1 query at a time in the clear v3 = message integrity added, auth, encryption LDAP? RDP? Lightweight directory access protocol tcp/389 Store and retrieve info in network directory Remote desktop protocol tcp/3389 Share desktop for remote location What are common devices on a SOHO? What does a router do? Wireless router, switch, firewall Routes traffic between different IP subnets What type of connections can connect to a router? LAN, WLAN, copper, fiber 5 What does a switch do? ASIC? Sends info based on MAC address, is the core of an enterprise network Application specific integrated circuit, piece of hardware designed for a specific function Ex: digital voice recorder What is an unmanaged switch? plug in and play What is a managed switch? Switch with no config options, no management protocols, just VLAN support, traffic priority options, redundancy support, port mirroring and protocol analyzing, external management (SNMP) What is VLAN? STP? (protocol) Virtual Local Area Network, can divide different LANs Spanning Tree Protocol, prevents loops in a LAN How does port mirroring work? mirror to see what is going on Network monitoring, mirror a port and send packets through the How does a patch panel work logistically? Connect everyone on the floor to a patch panel (permanent connection), have this panel connect with RJ45 connectors than you can change easily RJ45 connector? Ethernet connector How does proxying internet traffic work? Have an intermediary server that scans for malicious data from the internet before coming back to the client What are some traits of a proxy server? PoE? Access control, caching, URL filtering Power over ethernet, data and power in one cable 6 Types of power sources for PoE? Endspan = power comes from the switch Midspan = in-line power that is injected between the device and the switch PoEaf 2003? PoE+at 2009? PoEbt 2018? 15.4W DC, 350mA max current 225W DC, 600mA Type 3 = 51W 600mA Type 4 = 71.3W 960mA What is a hub? Communication? ports, half-duplex What does duplex mean? What is a cable modem? Before switches, data goes into one port and is sent to all other Data can be sent in both directions at the same time Copper cable connection for TV and internet, broadband connection, allows for the transmission of different data types across multiple frequencies DOCSIS? Data over cable service interface specification DSL? How does it work and distance? Digital subscriber line, telephone wire for internet, speed gets worse the farther away you get from the central office ADSL? speed ONT? copper Asymmetric digital subscriber line, because the download speed is greater than the upload Optical network terminal, fiber cable connects to box outside location to convert it to 7 Also called demarc, when the public network What is a demarcation point? Another name for it? becomes your network NIC? SDN? Network interface card Software defined networking, taking switches, routers, etc. and making them software What are three layers of devices? encrypting) Infrastructure layer = data plane of that device (forwarding, Control layer = the brain (routing table, session table) Application layer/management = manage device using an API What does NAT mean? What does API mean? Network address translation Application programming interface What does the difference in frequency mean for a wireless network in terms of range? frequency = more objects in the way will absorb therefore less range Lower frequency = objects will bounce the signal therefore more range What is the problem with 2.4GHz frequency? monitor, phones, bluetooth) 802.11a? 802.11b? 802.11g? 1999, 5Ghz freq, 54Mbits/s 2.4GHz, 11Mbits/s 2003, 2.4GHz, 54Mbits/s, backwards compatible with A and B Higher Lots of other devices use this frequency (baby 8 2009, WiFi4, 5GHz or 2.4GHz, 40MHz channel widths with 4 antennas, 600Mbits/s, 802.11n? MIMO What is MIMO? 802.11ac? 802.11ax? Multiple input multiple output WiFi5, 2014, 5GHz, 160MHz channels, eight MU-MIMO, 7GB/s WiFi6, 2021, 5GHz or 2.4GHz, many different channel widths, 1201Mbits/channel, 8 bidirectional MU-MIMO, OFDMA What is OFDMA? high density situations Orthogonal frequency division multiple access, works like cellular to improve What is long range fixed wireless, and what is it called with a directional antenna? connected with 802.11 with an antenna, called a point to point connection RFID? How does it work? 2 buildings Radio frequency identification, using radar technology, radio energy powers a chip and therefore antenna NFC? What are the traits of NFC? Near field communication, mobile device can have a 2 way conversation with another device, short range with encryption support How do channels work with 802.11? being ideal Traits about bluetooth? Groups of frequencies are used with non-overlapping usage Uses 2.4GHz band, the unlicensed ISM band What does ISM stand for? Industrial scientific medical What does the DNS do? Who runs it? usually managed by ISP or IT enterprise Converts web address names to IP addresses and vice versa, 9 What is the DHCP and where is it located? What is a file server? Automatic IP config and is on most home routers Centralized storage device for any type of files What are the Windows and Apple file servers? AFP = apple filing protocol What is a print server? SMB = server message block Hardware or software so everyone can print What are the standard printing protocols? IPP = internet printing protocol LPD = line printing daemon What is a Syslog? SMB = server message block Standard for message logging so you can see what is happening with all the servers SIEM? Security information and event manager, the central logging server What is a web server and how does it work? Server to respond to browser requests, the web page is stored on the server and downloaded to the browser What is the standard web browsing protocol and code? HTML/HTML5 is the language of how the page is built Authentication server? HTTP/HTTPS is the standard protocol, The same login being used for multiple servers is managed here Spam server? Unsolicited messages sent here 10 Email is sent to the firewall to be screened in the spam subnet before it reaches Spam gateway? the user Different names for all in one security appliance? UTM = unified threat management device What can a next gen firewall do? Next gen firewall URL filter/content inspection Malware inspection Spam filter Router Switch Firewall Intrusion detection/prevention system Bandwidth shaper with app priority What is a load balancer? prioritization for QoS What does QoS mean? What is a TCP offload? SSL offload? It can distribute the load across servers, can change protocols, also have Quality of service The load balancer can offload in TCP protocol, for a constant connection Encryption and decryption happening on a load balancer What is SSL? What is a cache? server level Transport layer security The load balancer can cache data so web requests don't have to go down to the 11 Load balancer application based switching, load balancer decides What is content switching? which server can respond best SCADA/ICS? Fact? Supervisory control and data acquisition system, industrial control system, so you can control machines with a computer, usually segmented from the rest of the network What is an embedded device? Fact? console IoT? Purpose build device, usually with no access to command Internet of things, fridge, thermostat How long is a IPv4 address? How long is a IPv6 address? 8bits.8bits.8bits.8bits, so 4 bytes long 16bitsx8 = 128bits What are the different parts of a IPv6 address? 64 is the host address What is needed for IP networking? The first 64bits is the network address, the second Each device needs a unique IPv4 address and subnet mask What is a subnet IP? across the network IP used by the local device to determine what subnet it is on, not transmitted What is the purpose of the default gateway? BOOTP? To route outside your subnet Bootstrap protocol, allowed some IP config, no idea when the device leaves the network What is DORA? DHCP IP assignment steps that happen every time a device connects What are the steps of DORA? D = discover = device broadcasts to find DHCP server 12 O = offer = DHCP offers IP as a broadcast to the device R = request = device requests that IP offered A = accept = DHCP accepts offer and device is assigned IP Why would you want a DHCP reservation? do each device APIPA? Can config IP on the DHCP server rather than have to Automatic private IP addressing, when the DHCP isn't available What IPs are reserved for local IPs? ARP? .0 - .255 Address resolution protocol that associates IP address with MAC address How does a DNS hierarchy work? What are the DNS lookup tools? *website name* In the command console, dig *website name*, nslookup What is an important feature of DNS servers? RR A? AAAA? RR, resource records Address records for IPv4 and IPv6, defines the IP address for the host and translates to domain name How does IP assigning look in DNS code? What does TIL mean? *website name* IN A *IP address* Time to live, how long the device caches the DNS info RR MX? Mail exchanger record, determines the host name for a mail server 13 What is needed for MX? IN MX ** IN A *IP address of mail server* RR TXT? Text records for email security and authentication How do you see a TXT record of a domain? nslookup type=txt *domainname* SPF? dig *domainname* txt Sender policy framework, list of email servers allowed to send messages with your domain name How does a TXT record work to authenticate that an email came from an authorized mail server? The TXT RR in the DNS is matched with TXT email sent, to verify domain ownership DKIM? DMARC? Domain keys identified mail, to digitally sign outgoing mail Domain based message authentication reporting and conformance, an extension of SPF and DKIM, where you decide what to do with mail that doesn't verify What is the scope of DHCP? own scope What is the D of DHCP mean? The pool of IP addresses to choose from, with each subnet having its Dynamic = IP is chosen from the pool with a lease, and the DHCP will give a past assignment if applicable What is a lease? IP lease, meaning the device only has the assigned IP address for a certain amount of time before it has to check back in with the DHCP How does a reservation work? Device will always get the same IP and the IP isn't ever dynamically assigned, based on device MAC address 14 What are the DHCP renewal stages? DHCP for full time RENEWAL T1 timer = after 50% of lease time, device will check with T2 timer = DHCP was down for T1, 87.5% of the lease time will check in for REBINDING with DHCPq What is a VPN? Virtual private network for encrypting data while traversing a public network What is a concentrator? What is satellite networking? Encrypts and decrypts data for a VPN, often found in the firewall Non-terrestrial communication, often expensive What are statistics for satellite networking? 2GHz What is rain fade? 50Mbits download, 3Mbits upload, 250ms latency, When the satellite loses its line of sight when raining What are characteristics of optical fiber? Uses frequencies of light, high speed long distance, expensive compared to copper, secure/interference resistant because cannot be tapped with RF Speed of DOCSIS? What is tethering? What is WISP? 50Mbits - 1000Mbits Connecting to a phone via a cable to use the cellular network for access Wireless internet service provider, for rural locations, with an outdoor antenna How is a WAN connecred? communication What does MPLS mean? Point to point serial connections, MPLS, terrestrial and non-terrestrial Multiprotocol label switching, connecting a WAN by using other connections along the way, providing a path 15 MAN? SAN? Metropolitan area network, larger than a LAN smaller than a WAN Storage area network What are cable crimpers? What is a WiFi analyzer? Pinches connector on cables, like for RJ45 Used to understand frequencies on the network, which frequencies are used and open, used to find best antenna locations and if there is interference What is a tone generator/probe? end then probe to find the sound Used to find which cable you want, generator attached to one What is a punch down tool? Important fact? sure you have the key for the block Used to punch wire into a punch down block, make What is important about using ethernet with a punch down block? ethernet cables as long as you can What is a cable tester used for? To maintain the twist in the To tell if you are missing pins or have mixed up wires What is a time domain reflectometer? What is a loopback plug? Tool for testing for signal loss, cross talk To connect a device to itself, to see if it is an interface problem What is a tap? of a connection Physical port tap to see the data going over the wire, you place this in the middle What is a port mirror? Tap function that is built into a switch, copy an interface and then usually send this data to an analyzer, a software based tap 16 SPAN? Switch port analyzer What type of cable is ethernet? Twisted pair copper cabling How many pairs in an ethernet cable? What colors? orange/orangewhite, brown/brownwhite Why is the twist/pairs important? 4 pairs, blue/bluewhite, green/greenwhite, To counteract interference 1000BASE-T? 10GBASE-T? Ethernet standard, Cat5 100m and Cat5e 100m Ethernet standard Cat6 = unshielded 55m shielded 100m Cat6a = 100m What is a coaxial cable? Type of cable? Two or more forms of communication sharing a common standard (TV cable), RG-6 cable common with F connector What is the anatomy of a coaxial cable? conductor What is meant by plenum vs non-plenum? (often cabling done here) Plastic jacket > metal shielding >dielectric insulator > wire Plenum = the air space above drop down ceilings Need to have special cables if you don't have forced air return otherwise toxic gas from fire What is the traditional cable jacket? What are fire rated cable jackets? Fact? PVC = polyvinyl chloride FEP = fluorinated ethylene polymer 17 PVC = low smoke polyvinyl chloride Not as flexible What are the types of twisted pair? UTP = unshielded twisted pair (most common) STP = shielded twisted pair (for interference prevention) What is special about shielded twister pairs? Ethernet cable type abbreviations? Need a grounding wire U = unshielded S = braided shield F = foil shield How does the labeling system work for types of ethernet cables? the cable and foil around the pairs? S/FTP What is a conduit? Ex: Braided shield around all of Something that the cable runs through, like for outside How would you run ethernet cables outside? waterproof gel Anatomy of direct burial STP? Direct burial STP, which has waterproofing and With optional waterproof gel Anatomy of optical fiber? Buffer coating > cladding > core LED on one end receiver on another What do the components of optical fiber cables do? Cladding = low refractive index (light won't bounce) Buffer coating = protection Core = has a high refractive index 18 What is at the end of a fiber cable? Ferrule = a large ceramic protector What are the different types of optical fiber? Multimode = short range, inexpensive, multiple reflections (modes) because the fiber is wide enough Single mode = long range, expensive light source (laser), single mode with no bouncing Different coloring standards? Established by who? Association USB Stats? 1.1 = low speed1.5Mbits/s, 3m Full speed 12Mbits/s 5m 2.0 = 480Mbits/s 5m 3.0 = 5GB/s 3m no max cable length 3.1 = 10GB/s USB 1.1/2.0 Connectors? B = tall Mini B = small Micro B = normal USB 3.0 Connectors? Standard B Micro B (weird) Thunderbolt versions? A = normal Standard A 568A/B, by the Telecommunication Industry v1 = 2 channel 10GB/channel v2 = 20GB/s aggregate channel v3 = USB-C connector 40GB/s copper and fiber 19 What do you connect to serial consoles? D-sub, DB-9 RS232 VGA? Facts? Video graphics array with DB-1 connector, blue color, video no audio, analog signal, image degrades after 5-10m HDMI? Type of connector? A connector DisplayPort? High definition multimedia interface, video and audio, 20m, 19pin type Packetized form compatible with HDMI and DVI DVI? Digital visual interface, supports analog and digital signal but no audio Types of DVI? Single link = 3.7Gbps HDTV 60fps Dual link = 7.4Gbps HDTV 80fps DVI-A/D = Analog/digital DVI-I = integrated, both analog and digital SATA versions? 2.0 = 3.0Gbits/1m 3.0 = 6.0Gbits/1m 3.2 = 16Gbits/1m What is eSATA? 1.0 = 1.5GBits/1m External SATA What are the different pin types for SATA? 15pin = power SCSI? 7pin = data Small computer systems interface, can daisy chain together, supports parallel and serial 20 What is a SCSI ID? Each device in SCSI has a LUN, separates devices and also is used for a VM LUN? Logical unit What must you do when using SCSI? SAS? End with a terminator Serial attached SCSI, no terminators or config settings needed for this Why has SCSI moved from PATA to SATA? Higher throughput with point to point connection, control and management of SCSI with speed of serial connection What types of video/data connections need converters? USB to ethernet USB-C to USB-A What is an RJ11 connector? Telephone or DSL connector What are traits of a RJ45 connector? What is a molex connector? 8 pins 8 conductors VGA to DVI-D 4 pin power connector, 12V and 5V What is DRAM? Dynamic random access memory, has to be constantly refreshed so data doesn't disappear, the small black boxes on RAM SDRAM? RAM SDR vs DDR? Synchronous DRAM, will sync with common system clock and queue processes for the SDR = single data rate memory 1 clock cycle = one bit of data DDR = double data rate = twice in a single clock cycle 21 DDR3? Twice the data rate as DDR2 = 16GB/DIMM Also DDR4 and 5 What is multichannel memory? Dual, triple, quad core CPU spreads load through memory channels, ideal to have the same type of memory in each slot What is parity? What is ECC? corrects The memory checks itself for errors by making an even number of 1s Error correcting code, motherboard supported, detects errors in memory and What is non-volatile storage? Info will stay on the drive when turned off What are the common sizes of drives? AHCI? 3.5in, 2.5in, M.2 Advanced host controlled interface, type of protocol, to move from drive to RAM NVMe? Non-volatile memory express, for SSD What are the types of keys for PCIe? What type of memory is a flash drive? memory What are types of flash drives? XD picture card Compact flash B key, M key, and M and B key based on the motherboard EEPROM = electrically erasable programmed read only SD = secure digital 22 What is an optical drive? Drive that reads small bumps/colors on a disc, DVD Blue Ray CD rom What is a RAID array? What happens with RAID 0? performance no redundancy RAID 1? Keeps uptime incase a drive fails, redundant array of independent discs Striping, 2 drives with all the data split between them, high Mirroring, files duplicated on both drives, high redundancy RAID 5? Striping with parity, parts of data scattered across drives with parity on the off ones, need at least 3 drives highly redundant RAID 10? ATX vs ITX? ITX = mini What is a bus? PCIe? Facts? Speed of striping with redundancy of mirroring, mirror all drives used ATX = advanced technology extended A communication path Peripheral component express, x1 x2 x4 x8 full duplex lanes, more bandwidth because more lanes Types of power provided by the motherboard? How many pins? +/-5V +/-12V 24pin, 20 was the OG Power needed for CPU? 4pins +12V +3.3V 23 What are headers? Peripheral connections between PC case power buttons, etc. Intel vs AMD? Popular CPU manufacturers, AMD tends to be less expensive What are motherboard traits for a laptop? BIOS? Thermal throttling, motherboard built to fit Basic input output system, the software to start your computer What type of memory is used for the BIOS? Flash memory now POST? ROM = read only memory, legacy Power on self test, the BIOS is checking to make sure you have CPU, memory, video, input device What happens after the POST? Legacy BIOS vs UEFI BIOS? update BIOS looks for the boot drive and boot loader Legacy = OS talked to hardware through BIOS, text based, no way to UEFI = unified extensible firmware interface, standardized BIOS What is fast startup? Windows doesn't shut down all the way and therefore cannot access BIOS What is important when editing the BIOS? What are boot options? Make a backup of settings first Can modify hardware that is accessible to the OS, can also modify the boot order What is secure boot? Part of UEFI, digital signatures on software to make sure not malware, prevents unauthorized writing to flash 24 How do you clear a boot password? Stored in CMOS (complementary metal-oxide semiconductor), reset with jumper shorting the motherboard (2pins) What is the battery on the motherboard used for today? not connected to power TPM? To store date and time when system is Trusted platform module, helps with encryption and decryption, cryptographic processor with persistent memory, key burned into it during production HSM? Hardware security module, high end cryptographic function, key backup for servers, also can offload cryptographic functions from servers here 32bit vs 64bit? 64 = 2 to the 64 32 = CPU has processing power of 2 to the 32 OS has the max supported power ARM? Advanced RISC machine, CPU architecture by ARM then 3rd party builds ARM vs 64bit? Arm good for mobile devices, line blurring between the two What can be on a CPU core? What is built into CPUs as well? What is multithreading? throughput HTT? A cache or a shared cache between the cores GPU and memory controller Different processes happening on the same CPU, 15-30% increase in Hyper threading technology, both the CPU and OS have to support 25 VM support? Run another OS within the single hardware platform, can be added to the CPU Types of virtualization? AMD-V = AMD virtualization Another name for GPU? SDI? VT = intel virtualization Discrete graphics card Serial digital interface, for capture card, coaxial cable Sizes of on board fans? What is a heat sink? 80mm, 120mm, 200mm Metal alloy with specific shape, uses passive air to cool Difference between thermal paste and a thermal pad? messy Thermal paste better and reusable but How much AC power comes from outlets? What values of DC voltage does that translate to? 120(US) 60Hz/240(Europe) 50Hz 3.3V, 5V, 12V DC What is an Amp? What is a Volt? Ampere (A) = rate of e- past a point in one second (diameter of a hose) Voltage (V) = how much force is pushing e- through (pressure) What is power and how do you calculate it? V(electirc) x A(device) = W What is the frequency of AC measured in? Watts (W) = real power usage Hertz (Hz) 26 How do you check the AC? Multimeter What is the electrical ground? What uses +12V? Determines if the voltage is positive or negative PCIe, hard drive motors What uses +5V? What uses +3.3V? What is +5VSB? What uses -12V? What uses -5V? Legacy motherboards Modern motherboards, M.2 slots, RAM slots Standby voltage for hibernating mode Older serial ports, some PCI cards Legacy systems What is a redundant power supply for? Internal to the server to keep uptime, both can handle the load in case one fails, distribute the load equally usually What does hot-swappable mean? server Different types of power supplies? Can switch the power supply without powering down the Fixed = have X amount of connectors Modular = add cables as needed, more expensive Rule of thumb for sizing a power supply? 50% capacity PCL? Calculate the amount of power (W) needed and double, Printer command language (Hewitt Packard) 27 PostScript? High end printing, Adobe Wired device sharing? printer Wired connection to printer, USB type A on computer and USB type B on How does 802.11 ad hoc work for printers? connect to this to print What is a built in print server? One device controls the printer, then all other devices Software on the printer itself, where jobs are queued and managed on the printer What are audit logs for a printer? how many pages What is an event viewer? See who printed to the printer, what type of paper was used, Can also see more information about printer processes What is a secured print? What is a ADF? PIN is needed on the printer console to print Automatic document feeder What are the colors of toner? Cyan magenta yellow and black What is the imaging drum in a laser printer? painted with a laser then picks up toner What is a fuser? A color photosensitive drum where the image is Fuses the toner to paper with heat and pressure What is the pickup roller and separation pad? process Picks up one page from the tray, both help in this 28 What are the first 4 of seven steps of printing with a laser printer? printer and render into memory 1)Processing = send data to 2)Charging = Negative charge to the photosensitive drum clears the drum 3)Exposing = positive charge (the image) applied with a laser 4)Developing = toner with negative charge sticks to drum What are steps 5-7 in the laser printing process? 5)Transferring = toner applied to paper 6)Fusing = heat and pressure with the fuser melts the toner to paper 7)Cleaning = excess toner on photosensitive drum removed What is another name for the photosensitive drum? Traits of an inkjet printer? OPC Cheaper, ink is expensive and proprietary, ink fades rapidly over time, clogs easily What is meant by CMYK? Cyan magenta yellow and key color (black) What are the moving parts in an inkjet printer? What is a thermal printer and how does it work? heating element What type of paper is used in a thermal printer? How does an impact printer work? Carriage and belt Receipts, special white paper reacts to full length Thermochromic paper Dot-matrix printer, printhead presses pins into ink ribbon to mark the paper, using tractor-feed paper to feed paper through the printer Where is an impact printer used? Mainframes 29 What is FDM? What is SLA? Fused deposition modeling, 3D printer filament used to create models Stereolithography, how a filament 3D printer creates in layers How does a resin 3D printer work? Resin is heated/fused with a lightsource, print bed will go up and down dipping into resin to create model, print will hang from the printbed What are the four cloud deployment models? Public = anyone has access Hybrid = private and public application instances Private = your own virtualized data center Community = several organizations chip in for resources What is IaaS/HaaS? Infrastructure as a service/Hardware as a service, where you outsource the equipment needed for your application (buy time on someone else's hardware)q Traits about IaaS/HaaS? your product What is SaaS? You are still responsible for the management, software, and security of Software as a service, don't have to build or deploy application, just use it, Office 365 GMail What is PaaS? Platform as a service, someone provides the application platform but you need your own development team, develop what you want from what the platform gives you Internal cloud vs external cloud? don't have to pay as you go Internal = you have all the resources, cost is up front but you External = someone else has all the resources but payment usually necessary What is meant by metered vs non-metered? you are using Metered = Pay as you use the service, for how much 30 Non-metered = cost up front, and you can use as much or as little of what you pay for What are the key cloud computing characteristics? at will Highly available = redundancy provides availability File synchronization = access anywhere in world What is DaaS? Rapid elasticity = increase/decrease computing Desktop as a service, OS running in the cloud What is VDI? Virtual desktop infrastructure Why would you want to run a VM? software What is the hypervisor? Virtual machine can be used for legacy OS needed for legacy The VM manager, usually requiring a CPU to support it, will manage CPU, networking, security for the VM What is meant by sandboxing? Snapshots with it? An isolated testing environment created by the VM, so you can test and not affect anything else, can also take snapshots (save) the VM in that state so you can go back to your save What is VM escaping? Malware gets into VM and can get to your other OS' Why is it important to build your own VM? VM software How does network addressing work with VMs? Hackers always are trying to get you to download their Shared network address = VM uses the address as the host, using network address translation to have the same IP Bridged network address = every VM has its own network address Private address = No address on the network, no network address translation 31 What is change control for? The formal process for managing changes, to avoid downtime, confusion, mistakes, and to have a rollback plan, following corporate policy and procedures What are the steps of the troubleshooting process before fixing the problem? Broken > Identify the problem > Establish a theory > Test the theory > Not working? Go back to Establish What are the steps of the troubleshooting process once you have a theory that fixes the problem? Establish a plan of action > implement the plan > verify full system functionality > document the f indings What are things to do when identifying the problem? Get as much information as possible, duplicate the issue if possible, figure out all the symptoms of the problem, see what changes have happened since it was working, approach each symptom as its own problem, make a backup, see log f iles of application/OS What are things to do when establishing a theory? Check the simple stuff first, what is the root cause, list possible causes and start with the easiest theories to test What are the steps for creating a plan of action? Confirm theory solved the problem, make sure you have rollback if it doesn't work, refer to documentation when making that kind of fix and identify other potential effects of that change What are things for verifying full system functionality? Use a set of tests, usually defined prior to the testing environment, and implement preventive measures so the problem won't occur again Why is it important to document your findings? happens again you will know what to do How to troubleshoot problems with the POST? To establish a database so that if the problems Beeps/code on screen, refer to documentation of motherboard code, BIOS config or hardware could be bad How to solve date and time being incorrect? Motherboard battery replace, motherboard reset 32 Boot problem solutions? Not booting from normal startup drive, check BIOS config and boot order How to solve Windows stop error? Blue screen of death, restart system or see event log where it happened in the past, look at stop code and find info about it How to solve blue screens or spontaneous shutdowns? Use a backup, system restore, previous driver versions, safe mode, remove or reseat components you have installed, hardware diagnostics How to solve Mac OS X spinning wait cursor? How to solve a black screen? Check console logs Verify monitor settings and cables, replace with a working monitor and see if it still happens How to solve a black screen after Windows loads? Enter VGA mode (works with almost every monitor), see if issue is with the monitor or the device itself How to solve a power issue? Make sure outlet is providing power with multimeter, see if anything is getting power in the system (fans may be getting enough power but motherboard may not) How to solve issues with sluggish performance? Check task manager and see CPU/memory, need enough space for OS to work properly, see if it is an application causing issues, for laptops see if if its a power saver mode or thermal throttling How to solve problems with intermittent shutdown? Check Windows event viewer, also could be a heat related issue, failing hardware problems (use system diagnostics), can eliminate what IS working to f ind out what isn't What is a reliability monitor? Take the info of the event viewer and put it into a graph What do different types of sounds mean for a problem? Rattling = something not properly fastened Computers should hum not grind 33 Clicking = fan problems Popping = blown capacitor (will be bulging on top) How to solve a problem with continuous reboots? See where reboot is happening and document, boot from the last known working config, can try safe mode and see if the drivers recently installed are causing it How to troubleshoot for disc failures? Get a backup, check for damaged cables to motherboard, check for overheating, check power supply, do hardware diagnostics How to troubleshoot a new storage drive? on a different computer Troubleshooting RAID problems? Try different SATA interfaces and see if they work, try See the status of RAID drives before you start pulling drives with RAID console What is SMART? with application What is IOPS? preformance Self monitoring analysis and reporting technology, see statistics of storage device Input/output operations per second, to measure drive reading and writing What is a solution to missing drives in the OS? recognized in BIOS What to check if you have image quality problems? Distorted image? Make sure drive is seated properly, make sure its Check cable and cable pins Check resolution settings, check which resolution and refresh rate monitor supports, check cables, disable hardware acceleration Native resolution? Ratio? you don't want to use native LCD looks best with monitor's native resolution, use the same ratio if 34 What is burn in? Pixel shift? Image burned into screen after being there for a while, pixel shift will occasionally shift the pixels of the screen to prevent burn in Dead pixel? Flashing screen? Pixel no longer works, have to replace the monitor Replace the cable/loose cable, make sure monitor settings match video driver Incorrect color display? Audio probles? Monitor settings, driver or config of OS, night light Audio controls on front of monitor, see what is feeding audio to the monitor Dim image? Monitor settings, backlight failure, power saver or time of day Poor batter health for mobile devices? Swollen battery? Bad reception, bad battery, other apps, other connections Battery failed and builds up gas Broken display of mobile device? Improper charging of mobile device? proper outlet voltage Liquid damage to mobile device? LCI? Have to replace entire screen, make a backup Check cable, check interface, verify power adapter and Power off, let dry out completely Liquid contact indicator, so manufacturer can know if you got the phone wet Testing the printer for problems? Run a test page 35 Bad lines down printed page? Inkjet = clean printhead Laser = scratch on photosensitive drum Faded prints? Low ink or toner Doubled images in a laser printer? Garbled print? Cleaning process problem Driver problem, PCL vs PostScript Network troubleshooting? Follow the path? Ping local IP address Ping default gateway Ping devices on router's other side Jitter? Ping loopback = internal IP of device VOIP or streaming, real time communication sensitive to delay, want frames at regular intervals Latency? Port flapping? Time between request and response Port connection issues 36