A+ 220-1101 Release Date

A loopback plug is a diagnostic tool used to test the functionality of network interfaces by creating a signal loop. In this case, since the user's device is hardwired to the network but cannot access the internet, using a loopback plug can help determine whether the issue is with the network interface card (NIC) or the Ethernet cable.

A. Loopback plug: This tool helps test whether the computer's network interface is functioning properly.

Why the other options are incorrect:

B. Network tap: A network tap is used to monitor network traffic, but it wouldn’t help diagnose the local connectivity issue here.

C. Wi-Fi analyzer: This tool is used to troubleshoot Wi-Fi networks, but since the issue is with a hardwired connection, it’s not applicable.

D. Punchdown tool: A punchdown tool is used to connect network cables to a patch panel or keystone jack. It is not used for diagnosing network issues.

This falls under the Hardware and Network Troubleshooting domain in the CompTIA A+ Core 1 exam​.

When a new drive is not recognized by Windows 10, and it's known that the drive was formatted before going offline, checking the file system format is crucial. Windows does not natively recognize the ext4 file system, commonly used in Linux environments. If the drive was inadvertently formatted to ext4, Windows would not display or allow access to it. The solution involves reformatting the drive to a file system that Windows recognizes, such as NTFS or FAT32, ensuring the drive becomes visible and accessible within Windows 10.

The technician failed to properly diagnose the issue by not establishing a theory of probable cause. Instead of investigating why the network drives were accessible wirelessly but not when docked, the technician assumed a faulty network card and ordered a new laptop. Proper troubleshooting involves developing a theory of what might be causing the problem, based on the symptoms and available information, and then testing that theory. In this case, the issue could have been related to docking station settings, network configurations, or hardware issues specific to the docking connection.

References: This answer is grounded in standard troubleshooting methodologies, which emphasize the importance of logically deducing the most likely cause of a problem before proceeding with more drastic measures such as replacing hardware.

The IPv4 address (192.168.10.5) and the gateway address (192.168.1.1) are on different subnets. With a netmask of 255.255.255.0, the network part of the IPv4 address is 192.168.10.x, while the network part of the gateway address is 192.168.1.x. For the workstation to correctly route traffic to the gateway, both must be on the same subnet. The correct gateway address should be within the same subnet as the IPv4 address, such as 192.168.10.1.