CompTIA A+ 220-1101 Core 1 Certification Study *Q&A* (100% Correct) 2025/2026 |VERIFIED|

CompTIA A+ 220-1101 Core 1 Certification Study *Q&A* (100% Correct) 2025/2026 |VERIFIED| Firewalls Filters network traffic at various layers, such as by TCP/UDP port numbers (OSI Layer 4). Some firewalls can provide application-level filtering capabilities. PoE (Power over Ethernet) Transfers electrical power and data over standard twisted-pair Ethernet cables. Commonly used for devices like security cameras and VoIP phones. Modem Cable modems utilize DOCSIS (Data over Cable Service Interface Specification) technology to provide broadband connectivity. DSL modems use ADSL (Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Line) technology, offering higher download than upload speeds. ONT (Optical Network Terminal) A component for fiber-to-home installations that transitions from ISP fiber to in-home wiring. Marks the demarcation point where in-home copper wiring connects to the ISP's fiber line. NIC (Network Interface Card) Enables a computer to connect and communicate within a network. May require driver installation before use. 802.11 Types Wireless standard offering different frequencies and data speeds. 1 802.11n supports both 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz frequencies with speeds up to 600 Mbps. DNS Server Resolves domain names to their respective IP addresses. Managed by ISPs or internal IT departments. DHCP Server Provides IP addresses to network clients via leasing mechanisms. Example range: 192.168.1.2 through 192.168.1.254. File Server Centralized location for storing and managing files for network access. Supports protocols such as SMB (Server Message Block) and AFP (Apple Filing Protocol). Print Server Connects printers to a network and offers print services to network devices. May use IPP (Internet Printing Protocol) for communication. Mail Server Facilitates email communication by storing and transferring messages. Ensures email delivery between devices. Syslog Server Central repository for collecting and storing logs from network devices. Can provide centralized monitoring of events. Web Server Stores and delivers webpages upon request using standard web protocols. 2 Handles web traffic through protocols like HTTPS. Authentication Server Manages access permissions for network users and services. Designed for redundancy to ensure continuous operation. Spam Gateway Screens incoming email for potential spam and unwanted messages. Inspects and filters messages to block spam. UTM Gateway (Unified Threat Management Gateway) Combines multiple security functions into a single device. Includes URL filtering, firewall capabilities, and VPN endpoints. Load Balancer Distributes incoming network traffic across multiple servers. Ensures high availability even if some servers are down. Proxy Server Intermediary server between users and the internet for security and caching. Filters and scans URLs for security purposes. SCADA / ICS (Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition / Industrial Control System) Manages industrial processes on a large scale with stringent security measures. Requires elevated access due to complexity and cost. IoT (Internet of Things) Connects smart devices like thermostats and smart locks for convenience and control. 3 Examples include smart fridges and doorbells. IPv4 Widely used protocol consisting of four numerical segments. 32-bit addressing scheme. IPv6 Newer addressing protocol with eight groups of hexadecimal values. Allows for vastly expanded IP address space with 128-bit addressing. Local Area Network (LAN) of buildings (1.1 & 2.7) A network that covers a relatively small area such as a building or group Personal Area Network (PAN) work over a short distance - Bluetooth, IR, NFC, etc. (1.1 & 2.7) LCD (Liquid Crystal Display) - Provides communication for devices owned by a single user that Lightweight & Inexpensive - Poor black levels due to Separate Backlight (1.2) TN (twisted nematic) (1.2) Fast response Times - Low cost - Low Power Use - Limited Viewing Angles IPS (In Plane Switching) (1.2) Better Colors - Better Viewing Angles - More Expensive 4 OLED (organic light-emitting diode) Thinner & Brighter - No Need for Backlight (1.2) MDM (mobile device management) - Centralized management system - Ensures device security (1.4) MAM (mobile application management) - Manage company & user devices - Set policies & restrictions on apps - Control Company software (Update, Remove, Etc.) (1.4) PRL (Preferred Roaming List) (1.4) Port 20/21 - Allows phone to connect to the right tower FTP (File Transfer Protocol) - 20(TCP) for Data Transfers - 21(TCP) to Control Data Transfers (2.1) Port 22 SSH (Secure Shell) - TCP - Encrypted Communication - Looks/Acts the same as Telnet (2.1) Port 23 Telnet (Telecommunications Network) - TCP - Non-encrypted Communication - Log into devices remotely 5 (2.1) Port 25 SMTP (Simple Mail Transfer Protocol) - TCP - Used to send mail from device to mail server (2.1) Port 53 DNS (Domain Name System) - UDP - Converts names to IP addresses - CRITICAL Resource (2.1) Port 67/68 DHCP (Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol) - UDP - Automated configuration of IP addresses - IPs can be reserved for certain devices - IP Range: 10.1.10.10 through 10.1.10.199 (2.1) Port 80 HTTP (Hypertext Transfer Protocol) - TCP - Non-encrypted communication in the browser (2.1) Port 110 POP3 (Post Office Protocol 3) - TCP - Receive emails from an email server - Basic mail transfer functionality (2.1) Port 143 IMAP (Internet Mail Access Protocol) - TCP - Includes management of email inboxes from multiple clients. (Sync email across multiple devices) 6 (2.1) Port 161/162 SNMP (Simple Network Management Protocol) - UDP - Port 161 queries devices for performance statistics. - Port 162 monitors when metrics exceed a certain threshold. (2.1) Port 389 LDAP (Lightweight Directory Access Protocol) - TCP - Store & retrieve info in a network directory. - Commonly used in Microsoft Active Directory. (2.1) Port 443 HTTPS (Hyper Text Transfer Protocol Secure) - TCP - Encrypted Communication in the Browser (2.1) Port 445 Server Message Block (SMB) & Common Internet File System (CIFS) - TCP - Provides direct connection & communication over TCP without the NetBIOS Transport (2.1) Port 3389 RDP (Remote Desktop Protocol) - TCP - Share a desktop from a remote location (2.1) Access Point (2.2) Router Extends wired network & converts it into a wireless network. Routes traffic between IP subnets 7 (2.2) Patch Panel - Goes between work desks & switches - Work desk connections to patch panel are permanent. (2.2) APIPA (Automatic Private IP Addressing) - Link Local addresses (no router forwarding) - IETF has reserved 169.254.0.0 - 169.254.255.255 - Only communicates on your network (2.5) Static IP - An IP address that is manually assigned to a device and remains constant until it is manually changed. (2.5) Dynamic IP - IP address assigned by DHCP server. - This method insures there are no overlapping IP addresses within a network. - Changes when lease expires (2.5) Gateway (2.5) - A node that handles communication between its LAN and other networks. DNS Configuration - 13 root server clusters (Over 1,000 actual servers) - 100's of Generic Top Level Domains (gTLD) - Over 275 Country-Code Top-Level Domains (ccTLD) (2.6) Address Records - A records are for IPv4 addresses 8 - AAAA records are for IPv6 addresses (2.6) MX (Mail Exchanger) (2.6) TXT (Text Records) - Determines host name for mail server - Can be used for verification purposes - Commonly used for email security - External email servers validate info from your DNS. (2.6) Spam Management - Domain Keys Identified Mail (DKIM) - Digitally sign a domains outgoing mail - Public key is available in DKIM TXT record - Sender Policy Framework (SPF) - List of all servers authorized to send emails on behalf of this domain; prevents email spoofing - Mail server validates mail is coming from authorized host - Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting, & Conformance (DMARC) - Extension of DKIM / SPF - Decides what servers do with mail that isn't accepted by SPF/DKIM (2.6) Lease - Created by the DHCP server to allow a system requesting an IP to use that IP for a certain amount of time. (2.6) 9 Reservation - An IP address that is set aside by a DHCP server for a specific network client, which is identified by its MAC address. (2.6) Scope - The predefined range of addresses that can be leased to any network device on a particular network. (2.6) VLAN (Virtual Local Area Network) - Separated logically instead of physically - Multiple domains under one physical switch (2.6) VPN (Virtual Private Network) - Concentrator - Encryption/Decryption access device - Actively encrypts & decrypts your data packets (2.6) Satellite Networking - Non-terrestrial communication - 50 Mbit/s down, 3 Mbit/s up - High latency (250 ms up/down) - High frequencies (2 GHz) (2.7) Fiber Newtwork - High Speed Communication - Higher install costs vs copper wire - Large installation in the WAN core - Supports high data rates - SONET, Wavelength Division Multiplexing (2.7) 10 Cable - Broadband (Transmission across many multiple frequencies) - Data on "cable" network - DOCSIS - High Speed (50-1000 Mbit/s) (2.7) DSL - ADSL (Assymetrical Digital Subscriber Line) - 200 Mb down and 20 Mb up is common (2.7) Cellular Network - Separates land into "cells" and each cell covers a different frequency - Tethering (Turn your phone into a router) - Mobile Hotspot (2.7) WISP - Wireless Internet Service Provider - Connects rural/remote locations - Need an outdoor antenna to connect typically (2.7) WAN (Wide Area Network) - Many different technologies - Point-to-point Serial, MPLS, etc. (2.7) - Generally connects LANs across a distance MAN (Metropolitan Area Network) - A network covering a city - Bigger than LAN, usually smaller than WAN 11 - Common to see government ownership (2.7) SAN (Storage Area Network) - Requires high bandwidth - Looks & feels like a local storage device - Some people may use an isolated network solely for the SAN (2.7) WLAN (Wireless Local Area Network) connected using a wireless connection. - Usually within a building (2.7) Cable Crimpers - A self-contained network of two or more computers - "Pinch" the connector onto a wire - Coaxial, twisted pair, fiber - Connect the modular connector to the Ethernet cable - Metal prongs are pushed through the insulation (2.8) WiFi Analyzer - Everyone "hears" everything - Specializes in 802.11 analysis - Identify errors and interference - Validate antenna location and installation (2.8) Tone Generator / Probe - Tone generator - Sends an analog sound through the cable it is attached to - Probe - Makes noise and/or lights up when touching the cable with the generator attached 12 - Easy wire tracing (2.8) Punch Down Tool block - Organization is key - A pointed tool used to insert twisted-pair wire into receptors in a punch-down - Maintain twists in cables (2.8) Cable Testers - Continuity test - Can identify missing pins or crossed wires - Not usually used for frequency testing (2.8) Loopback Plug - Useful for testing physical ports - Serial, Ethernet, T1, fiber - Data leaves the interface, loops back, and reenters (2.8) Taps & Port Mirrors - Physical Taps - Used to intercept network traffic - Disconnect link & put tap in the middle - Active or Passive Tap - Port Mirror - Software based tap - SPAN (Switched Port ANalyzer) - Limited Functionality (2.8) 13 Cat 5 & Cat 5e (enhanced) - Cable used to connect a network infrastructure - 1000Base-T Ethernet Standard - Work up to 100 meters (3.1) Cat 6 & Cat 6a (Augmented) - Use 10GBase-T Ethernet Standard - Unshielded Cat 6 works up to 55 meters - Shielded Cat 6 and Cat 6a work up to 100 meters (3.1) Coaxial - Single copper wire cable surrounded in layers - Uses RG-6 connector - Commonly used in TV's and High-Speed internet over cable (3.1) STP (Shielded Twisted Pair) - A type of cable containing twisted-wire pairs that are not only individually insulated, but also surrounded by a shielding. - Requires the cable to be grounded via an additional wire in the cable (3.1) UTP (Unshielded Twisted Pair) intervals. - Composed of pairs of wires twisted around each other at specific - No additional shielding around pairs of wires (3.1) Direct Burial STP - Protected from elements - Cable is buried in the ground - Often filled with gel to repel water - Shielding in the STP protects against interference 14 (3.1) Plenum - The area above the ceiling tile for the HVAC system and usually network wires to run - Traditional cable is Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC) and not safe against fires - Fire Rated Cable Jackets to use in a Plenum: - Fluorinated Ethylene Polymer (FEP) - Low-Smoke PVC (3.1) Fiber - Transmission by light - No RF signals - Difficult to monitor & tap - Multimode: Short Range Communication (2km) - Uses Cheaper LED's - Single Mode: Long Range Comm. (100km) - Uses Expensive Lasers (3.1) T568A & T568B - The two color codes used for wiring eight-position RJ45 modular plugs. - Neither is better than the other - Many organizations typically use T568B (3.1) USB 2.0 - HighSpeed: 480 megabits per second - 5 meters max length (3.1) USB 3.0 - SuperSpeed: 5 gigabits per second - 3 meters (No specified Length) (3.1) 15 Serial (Console Cable) - Used to configure telephone and networking equipment - Commonly used for RS-232 (3.1) Thunderbolt Cable - Thunderbolt v2 - High-speed serial connector -20 Gbit/s aggregated channels -Mini DisplayPort connector - Thunderbolt v3 -40 Gbit/s aggregated throughput -USB-C connector - 3 meters w/ copper, 60 meters w/ optical (3.1) HDMI (High-Definition Multimedia Interface) - 19-pin type a connector - Around a 20 meter range (3.1) DisplayPort - Digital audio and video interface - Digital video connector in packetized form - Carries audio and video - Compatible with HDMI & DVI (With an adapter) (3.1) DVI (Digital Visual Interface) - Single & Dual link video - Single = 3.7 GB/s &. Dual = 7.4 GB/s - DVI-A (Analog) - DVI-D (Digital) 16 - DVI-I (Integrated) - Analog and Digital (3.1) VGA (Video Graphics Array) -Blue color -Analog signal (No digital option) -DB-15 connector (Also known as DE-15) -Image degrades after 5 to 10 meters (3.1) SATA (Serial Advanced Technology Attachment) - SATA 3.0 (6 GB/s) - SATA 3.2 (16 GB/s) SCSI (Small Computer System Interface) - LUN (Logical Unit) are defined within each SCSI ID - Uses serial signals to transfer data - Designed to string up to 16 devices on one cable - SAS (Serial Attached SCSI) devices have no jumpers, terminators, or settings - SCSI pronounced "scuzzy" (3.1) eSATA (External SATA) (3.1) - A modern type of connector for attaching external hard disks IDE (Integrated Drive Electronics) - A hard drive whose disk controller is integrated into the drive, eliminating the need for a controller cable and thus increasing speed - Originally called PATA (Parallel AT Attachment) (3.1) RJ-11 Connector phone outlets. - A phone line connection or port found on modems, telephones, and house 17 - 6 Position, 2 Conductor (6P2C) (3.1) RJ-45 Connector - A connector on an Ethernet cable, containing four twisted pairs of wires. - Like a telephone cable connector (RJ-11), but slightly wider. - 8 Position, 8 Conductor (8P8C) (3.1) F-Type Connector mechanism. - Uses DOCSIS (3.1) - Most common coaxial cable connector which features a screw on attaching ST (Straight Tip) Connector - A type of connector used by fiber-optic cables and can be used with either single-mode or multimode fiber-optic cables. - Connector does not support full-dupex transmissions and is not used on the fastest fiber-optic systems (3.1) SC (Subscriber Connector) (3.1) LC (Lucent Connector) - A fiber-optic cable connector that snaps and locks into place. - A small form-factor fiber optic connect - Uses a 1.25 mm furrule, half the size of the ST. (3.1) Punch down Block - A panel of data receptors into which twisted pair wire is inserted, or punched down, to complete a circuit. (3.1) 18 microUSB - Smaller than a standard USB and used usually for mobile devices to charge and pass information. (3.1) miniUSB - This connector is used by portable electronic devices, such as digital cameras and some portable storage devices. (3.1) USB-C - 24 pin double sided USB connector - Smaller than regular USB connector - Used for USB, Thunderbolt, etc. (3.1) Molex Connector - 4 pin power connector used by optical drives, hard drives, and case fans - Keyed to prevent it from being inserted into a port improperly. - Provides +12V and +5V (3.1) Lightning Port - The proprietary Apple connector used on Apple iPhones, iPods, and iPads for power and communication (3.1) DB-9 Connector - A type of connector with nine pins that's used in serial communication and conforms to the RS-232 standard. - Built for modem communication - Now used as a configuration port (3.1) Virtual RAM - Swap File - Swap unused app data to storage to free up RAM 19 (3.2) SODIMM (Small Outline Dual Inline Memory) - Smaller form factor (3.2) DDR3 Memory - Max 16GB per DIMM - Twice the data rate as previous gen (3.2) DDR4 Memory - Max 64GB per DIMM - Speed increases over previous generation (3.2) DDR5 Memory - Used in laptops - Faster Data Travel between memory and motherboard - Still max 64GB per DIMM (3.2) ECC (error-correcting code) RAM - Looks identical to non-ECC memory (3.2) Multi-Channel Memory - Data detects and corrects errors on the fly -Dual-channel, triple-channel, quad-channel -Should always match (exact matches are best) -Memory modules slots are often colored differently -Maximizes throughput (3.2) 20 HDD (Hard Disk Drive) - The most common type of hard drive in computers. It includes spinning platters and read/write heads. - Speed to Latency (RPM/MS) - 15,000 (2ms) - 10,000 (3ms) - 7,200rpm (4.16ms) - 5,400rpm (5.55ms) - Typically 3.5" (3.3) SSD (Solid State Drive) - Faster than HDD - Non volatile memory (No moving parts) - Communicate over SATA, NVMe, and PCIe - Typically 2.5" drive (3.3) NVMe (Non-Volatile Memory Express) - Runs off M.2 interface (3.3) M.2 - Can use a PCIe bus connector - Lower Latency & Higher Throughputs - Different connectors on drive (B, M, or B&M) - Won't always support NVMe (May be using AHCI) - Replaced mSATA quickly (3.3) Flash Drives - Use Flash Memory = EEPROM - Electronically Erasable Programmable Read-Only Memory - Limited number of writes allowed 21 - You can always read the information - Memory Cards: SD, microSD, miniSD, CompactFlash, xD, etc. (3.3) Optical Drives - Small bumps are read with a laser beam - CD-ROM, DVD-ROM, Blu-Ray - Can be an internal or external drive (3.3) RAID (Redundant Array of Independent Disks) - Some levels are redundant, some levels are not - Can be inexpensive disks (3.3) Raid 0 - Has different levels - Striping = Splits data evenly between two disks - High-Performance - No Redundancy (3.3) Raid 1 - Mirroring = Files are duplicated between 2 or more drives - High disk utilization - files are doubled - High redundancy - Drive failure does not affect data accessibility (3.3) Raid 5 drive - Striping with Parity = Data is evenly split between drives along with a parity block in each - Requires at least 3 drives - Efficient disk use and high redundancy (3.3) 22 Raid 10 - Also known as 1+0 - A Stripe of Mirrors - Speed of Striping, Redundancy of Mirroring - Requires at least 4 Drives (3.3) ATX (Advanced Technology Extended) use, originally introduced by Intel in 1995. (3.4) ITX (Information Technology Extended) - Developed by VIA Technologies in 2001 - Fits in ATX cases PCI (Peripheral Component Interconnect) - The most common form factor for PC systems presently in - Low power motherboards - A bus common to personal computers that uses a 32 bit wide or a 64-bit data path. Several variations of PCI exist. - Common on older generation computers (3.4) PCIe (Peripheral Component Interconnect Express) - An expansion bus architecture that uses serial communications rather than parallel communications. - x1, x2, x4, x8, x16, x32 (Number of lanes for communication vary) (3.4) Power Connectors - 24 or 20+4 Pin Motherboard Connectors - 4, 4+4, or 8 Pin CPU Connector (3.4) 23 - A group of small wires running from the front of the computer case to Front Panel Connectors the motherboard. - Control buttons & LED's on the case (3.4) Intel and AMD (Advanced Micro Devices) - AMD typically less expensive - Two producers of CPU's for computers - Differences have become more subtle over the years (4.4) Server Motherboard - Has space for multiple CPUs to split the load - Typically has 4+ memory slots (4.4) Laptop Motherboard - Small & Light - CPU is usually limited in speed, has thermal throttling to control temps - Limited ability to interchange parts (RAM, Storage, etc.) (3.4) BIOS Boot Options - Enable & Disable Hardware - Modify Boot Order for Connected Drives - Control what happens when your computer turns on (3.4) BIOS (basic input / output system) on. (3.4) - The program a CPU uses to start a computer when it is turned 24 - Based on Intel's EFI (Extensible Firmware UEFI BIOS (Unified Extensible Firmware Interface BIOS) Interface) - Designed to replace Legacy BIOS - Extremely Outdated (3.4) USB Permissions - Enable / Disable USB Ports through the BIOS - DoD disabled all USB ports for 15 months after malware attack (3.4) TPM (Trusted Platform Module) - A chip on a motherboard that holds an encryption key required at startup to access encrypted data on the hard drive. - Windows BitLocker Encryption can use the TPM chip. - Password protected (3.4) Secure Boot - UEFI feature that prevents a system from booting up with drivers or an OS that are not digitally signed and trusted by the motherboard / manufacturer - Boot-loader must contain signature from Secureboot (3.4) Boot Password - System will not boot up without password - Use supervisor password to restrict BIOS settings changes (3.4) HSM (Hardware Security Module) - Secured storage for servers - Cryptographic module that can generate cryptographic keys. - Lightweight HSM's: Smart Card, USB, etc.) - Cryptographic Accelerators 25 - Offload CPU cryptographic functions onto HSM from server (3.4) OS Versions - 64 Bit (x64) - 32 Bit (x86) - 32 Bit OS can't run 64 Bit apps, but 64 Bit can run 32 Bit apps (3.4) ARM (Advanced RISC Machine) devices. - Also used in IoT (3.4) Single & Multi-Core - Energy-efficient processor design frequently used in mobile - Refers to number of cores a processor has - Each core may have its own cache or one shared cache (3.4) Multithreading - Allows multiple threads from a program to run simultaneously - One CPU acts like two - 15-30% performance increase (3.4) Virtualization Support - Run other OS's within a single hardware platform - Multiple OS's share physical hardware components - Virtualization added to the processor - Hardware is faster and easier to manage - Intel Virtualization Technology (VT) - AMD Virtualization (AMD-V) (3.4) 26 Sound Card - Device that can be slotted into a PCI slot to allow the use of audio components - Multiple input types (3.4) Video Card (GPU) - Processes video and graphics data - Higher performance vs integrated graphics (3.4) Capture Card the storage drive - Video as an input - Sends video signal to a computer so that the signal can be recorded and saved to - High performance (PCIe) (3.4) Case Fans - Layout, Location, and Size all matter - 80, 120, 140, & 200mm are common sizes - Variable speed and sound (3.4) Heatsinks - Passive cooling systems with metal fins to dissipate heat through thermal conduction (Copper or Aluminum Alloy) - Thermal paste creates contact between chip and heatsink (3.4) Thermal Pad - Not reusable - Not as effective as thermal paste - Mess free (3.4) 27 Liquid Cooling - Coolant is circulated through a computer - Used in cars and mainframe computers - High-End systems - Gaming/Graphics processing - Contains radiator and fan (3.4) 28