Mike Meyers’ CompTIA A+A+ Core 1 CompTIA ™ ® CERTIFICATION PASSPORT (Exams220-1101) (Exam 220-1001 & 220-1002) SEVENTH EDITION About the Series Editor Michael Meyers is the industry’s leading authority on CompIA A+ and CompIA Network+ certiications. He is the president and co-ounder o otal Seminars, LLC, a major provider o computer and network repair curriculum and seminars or thousands o organizations throughout the world, and a member o CompIA. Mike has written numerous popular textbooks, including the best-selling Mike Meyers’ CompTIA A+ Guide to Managing and Troubleshooting PCs, Mike Meyers’ CompTIA Network+ Guide to Managing and Troubleshooting Networks, and Mike Meyers’ CompTIA Security+ Certification Guide. About the Author Ron Gilster is a well-known best-selling author with over 40 published books on I career certiication, technology, business, and inance. Ron’s career has spanned over multiple decades, ranging rom punched-card equipment to senior executive and author. His books have covered CompIA’s A+, Network+, Server+, Security+, and Cloud+ as well as Cisco CCNA, CCDA, and several others. He has also been an educator, teaching I, IS, networking, and cybersecurity at the high-school, baccalaureate, and graduate levels. Ron has always admired Mike and his books and videos and is honored to be working directly with Mike on this project. About the Technical Editor Chris Crayton is a technical consultant, trainer, author, and industry-leading technical editor. He has worked as a computer technology and networking instructor, inormation security director, network administrator, network engineer, and PC specialist. Chris has authored several print and online books on PC repair, CompIA A+, CompIA Security+, and Microsot Windows. He has also served as technical editor and content contributor on numerous technical titles or several o the leading publishing companies. He holds numerous industry certiications, has been recognized with many proessional and teaching awards, and has served as a state-level SkillsUSA inal competition judge. Mike Meyers’ CompTIA A+A+ Core 1 CompTIA ™ ® CERTIFICATION PASSPORT (Exams220-1101) (Exam 220-1001 & 220-1002) SEVENTH EDITION Mike Meyers, Series Editor Ron Gilster New York Chicago San Francisco Athens London Madrid Mexico City Milan New Delhi Singapore Sydney Toronto McGraw Hill is an independent entity rom CompIA® and is not aliated with CompIA in any manner. Tis publication and accompanying media may be used in assisting students to prepare or the CompIA A+™ exams. Neither CompIA nor McGraw Hill warrants that use o this publication and accompanying media will ensure passing any exam. CompIA and CompIA A+ are trademarks or registered trademarks o CompIA in the United States and/or other countries. All other trademarks are trademarks o their respective owners. 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This limitation of liability shall apply to any claim or cause whatsoever whether such claim or cause arises in contract, tort or otherwise. v DOMAIN Contents at a Glance 1.0 2.0 3.0 4.0 5.0 A Mobile Devices . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 Networking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43 Hardware. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 115 Virtualization and Cloud Computing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 249 Hardware and Network roubleshooting. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 271 About the Online Content . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 321 Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 325 v This page intentionally left blank DOMAIN vii Contents Acknowledgments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xxi Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xxiii 1.0 Mobile Devices . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 Objective 1.1 Given a scenario, install and configure laptop hardware and components Hardware/Device Replacement Keyboard Hard Drive Memory Wireless Card Physical Privacy and Security Components Physical Security Biometrics Near-Field Scanners REVIEW 11 QUESTIONS 11 ANSWERS Objective 1.2 Compare and contrast the display components of mobile devices Types of Displays LCD LED Display Panel Components Wi-Fi Antenna Connector/Placement Camera/Webcam Microphone Inverter Touchscreen/Digitizer 2 2 3 4 6 9 9 10 10 10 11 11 12 12 13 13 13 14 15 15 16 16 16 vii viii Mike Meyers’ CompIA A+ Core 1 Certifcation Passport REVIEW 12 QUESTIONS 12 ANSWERS Objective 1.3 Given a scenario, set up and configure accessories and ports of mobile devices Connection Methods Universal Serial Bus Lightning Connector Serial Interfaces Near-Field Communication Bluetooth Hotspot Accessories Touch Pens Headsets Speakers Webcams Docking Station Port Replicator Trackpads and Drawing Pads REVIEW 13 QUESTIONS 13 ANSWERS Objective 1.4 Given a scenario, configure basic mobile-device network connectivity and application support Wireless/Cellular Data Network (Enable/Disable) Mobile Device Communication Wireless Generations Hotspot GSM vs CDMA Preferred Roaming List Updates Bluetooth Cellular Location Services GPS Securing Mobile Devices Mobile Device Synchronization REVIEW 14 QUESTIONS 14 ANSWERS 16 17 17 18 18 18 21 21 21 21 22 22 22 22 22 22 23 23 24 24 24 25 26 26 26 28 30 31 31 31 32 34 34 36 39 40 41 Contents 2.0 Networking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43 Objective 2.1 Compare and contrast Transmission Control Protocol (TCP) and User Datagram Protocol (UDP) ports, protocols, and their purposes Ports and Protocols Connection-Oriented vs Connectionless Connection-Oriented Connectionless TCP vs UDP Other Connection-Oriented Protocols Other Connectionless Protocols REVIEW 21 QUESTIONS 21 ANSWERS Objective 2.2 Compare and contrast common networking hardware Routers Switches Managed Unmanaged Access Points Patch Panel Firewall Power over Ethernet PoE Standards Injectors Switch Hub Optical Network Terminal Cable/DSL Modem Cable Modem DSL Modem Network Interface Card Software-Defined Networking REVIEW 22 QUESTIONS 22 ANSWERS 44 44 45 46 46 47 47 48 48 49 50 50 50 51 51 51 52 52 53 54 54 55 55 55 56 56 56 57 57 60 60 61 62 ix x Mike Meyers’ CompIA A+ Core 1 Certifcation Passport Objective 2.3 Compare and contrast protocols for wireless networking Frequencies Industrial, Scientific, and Medical Bands Unlicensed National Information Infrastructure Bands Channels Wireless Networking Standards Bluetooth Enabling and Pairing Bluetooth Long-Range Fixed Wireless IEEE 80211ah Local Multichannel Distribution Service Licensed Frequencies WLAN Devices: Power and Signal Strength Near-Field Communication Radio-Frequency Identification REVIEW 23 QUESTIONS 23 ANSWERS Objective 2.4 Summarize services provided by networked hosts Server Roles DHCP Server DNS Server File Server Print Server Mail Server Syslog Web Server Authentication, Authorization, and Accounting Server Internet Appliance Spam Gateways Unified Threat Management Load Balancers Proxy Server Legacy/Embedded Systems Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition Internet of Things Devices REVIEW 24 QUESTIONS 24 ANSWERS 62 62 63 64 64 65 66 66 68 69 69 69 70 70 70 71 71 72 72 73 73 73 73 73 74 74 74 74 75 75 75 75 75 76 76 76 77 77 78 Contents Objective 2.5 Given a scenario, install and configure basic wired/wireless small office/home office (SOHO) networks Internet Protocol Addressing IPv4 Addresses IPv6 Addresses IPv4 vs IPv6 Dynamic Address Assignment Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol Static Addresses Gateway REVIEW 25 QUESTIONS 25 ANSWERS Objective 2.6 Compare and contrast common network configuration concepts DNS DNS Operation DNS Record Types E-mail Protection in DNS DHCP DHCP Operations DHCP Leases DHCP Scope VPN VLAN REVIEW 26 QUESTIONS 26 ANSWERS Objective 2.7 Compare and contrast Internet connection types, network types, and their features Internet Connection Types Connection Hardware Satellite Fiber Cable DSL Cellular Wireless Internet Service Provider Network Types LAN WAN 79 79 80 81 82 83 83 86 86 88 88 89 89 90 90 90 92 92 92 93 93 94 96 97 97 98 98 99 99 99 100 100 101 101 101 102 102 102 xi xii Mike Meyers’ CompIA A+ Core 1 Certifcation Passport PAN 102 MAN 102 WLAN 103 SAN 103 REVIEW 103 27 QUESTIONS 104 27 ANSWERS 105 Objective 2.8 Given a scenario, use networking tools 105 Crimper and Cable Stripper 106 Wi-Fi Analyzer 107 Toner Probe 107 Punchdown Tool 108 Cable Tester 110 Loopback Plug 111 Network TAP 111 REVIEW 112 28 QUESTIONS 112 28 ANSWERS 113 3.0 Hardware. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 115 Objective 3.1 Explain basic cable types and their connectors, features, and purposes Network Cables and Connectors Copper Cables Coaxial Fiber Peripheral Cables Video Cables and Connectors Hard Drive Cables SATA and eSATA IDE SCSI Connectors Registered Jack Connectors Coaxial Cable Connector: F-Type Fiber Optic Cable Connectors Punchdown Block Molex and Berg Lightning Port Adapters DVI to HDMI, DVI to VGA USB to Ethernet 116 116 116 121 121 122 127 128 128 130 130 130 131 133 133 134 135 136 137 137 138 Contents REVIEW 138 31 QUESTIONS 139 31 ANSWERS 140 Objective 3.2 Given a scenario, install the appropriate RAM 140 RAM Packages 140 Dual Inline Memory Modules 141 Memory Architectures 141 Double Data Rate Memory 142 Handling and Installing DIMM 144 Laptop RAM 145 Handling and Installing SO-DIMM Sticks 146 Confirming RAM Installation 148 Performance Configurations for Desktop and Laptop 148 Error-Correcting Memory 149 Virtual Memory 149 REVIEW 150 32 QUESTIONS 150 32 ANSWERS 151 Objective 3.3 Given a scenario, select and install storage devices 151 Hard Drives 152 Solid-State Drives 153 NVMe 154 SATA 154 mSATA 154 M2 SSD 155 Flash Memory 155 Flash Drives 155 Memory Cards 155 SD Card 156 Installing Storage Devices 156 Installing SATA Drives 156 Installing IDE Drives 157 Installing M2 Drives 158 RAID 159 Optical Drives 160 REVIEW 161 33 QUESTIONS 161 33 ANSWERS 162 xiii xiv Mike Meyers’ CompIA A+ Core 1 Certifcation Passport Objective 3.4 Given a scenario, install and configure motherboards, central processing units (CPUs), and add-on cards 163 Motherboard Form Factor 163 ATX 163 ITX 165 Motherboard Connector Types 165 Expansion Bus Architectures 166 PCI 166 PCIe 166 SATA 168 eSATA 168 Motherboard Headers 168 M2 Interface 169 Motherboard Compatibility 170 CPU Compatibility 170 System Compatibility Issues 172 Multisocket Motherboards 172 BIOS/UEFI Settings 173 BIOS/UEFI 173 Boot Options 177 USB Permissions 178 Trusted Platform Module 179 Fan Controls 180 Secure Boot 181 Boot Password 182 Encryption 182 Using TPM 182 Hardware Security Module 183 CPU Features 183 x64 and x86 Architectures 184 Advanced RISC Machine 185 Single Core and Multicore 185 Multithreading 186 Hardware Virtualization 186 Expansion Cards 188 Video Cards 188 Sound Cards 189 Capture Card 190 Network Interface Card 191 Cooling Mechanism 192 Heat Sink and Cooling Fans 193 Liquid Cooling System 197 Contents REVIEW 198 34 QUESTIONS 199 34 ANSWERS 200 Objective 3.5 Given a scenario, install or replace the appropriate power supply 200 Input: 110–120 VAC vs 220–240 VAC 200 PSU Terminology 201 Output: +33 V, +5 V, and +12 V 202 Output: +5 V and +12 V Connectors 203 24-Pin Motherboard Adapter 205 Redundant Power Supplies 205 Modular Power Supply 206 Wattage Rating 206 Number of Devices/Types of Devices to Be Powered 207 Power Supply Installation Notes 207 REVIEW 208 35 QUESTIONS 209 35 ANSWERS 210 Objective 3.6 Given a scenario, deploy and configure multifunction devices/printers and settings 210 Unboxing, Placing, and Configuring an MFD 211 Initial Configuration 211 Device Drivers 212 Windows 212 macOS 212 Linux 213 PostScript and PCL 213 Device Connectivity 215 USB Connections 216 Ethernet Connections 216 Wireless Printers 217 Device Sharing 218 Wired 218 Wireless 218 Public and Shared Printers 218 Print Server 219 Cloud Printing 220 Remote Printing 220 Configuration Settings 220 Device Sharing 221 Wired 222 Wireless 222 xv xvi Mike Meyers’ CompIA A+ Core 1 Certifcation Passport Security 222 User Authentication 222 Badging 223 Audit Logs 223 Secure Print 224 Network Scan Services 224 Automatic Document Feeder 225 REVIEW 225 36 QUESTIONS 226 36 ANSWERS 227 Objective 3.7 Given a scenario, install and replace printer consumables 227 Calibration 227 Laser Printers 228 Laser Printer Imaging Process 228 Laser Printer Components 229 Laser Printer Maintenance 231 Cleaning a Laser Printer 232 Inkjet Printers 234 Inkjet Printing and Components 234 Inkjet Printer Maintenance and Cleaning 237 Thermal Printers 239 Thermal Print Head/Heating Element 239 Thermal Printer Feed Assembly 239 Thermal Paper 240 Thermal Printer Cleaning 240 Impact Printers 240 Impact Print Heads 241 Impact Components 243 Impact Maintenance 244 3-D Printers 244 3-D Printing Filaments 245 3-D Printer Bed 245 REVIEW 246 37 QUESTIONS 246 37 ANSWERS 247 Contents 4.0 Virtualization and Cloud Computing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 249 Objective 4.1 Summarize cloud-computing concepts Common Cloud Models Cloud Deployment Models Cloud Service Models Cloud Characteristics Shared Resources Metered Utilization Elasticity/Scalability High Availability File Synchronization Desktop Virtualization REVIEW 41 QUESTIONS 41 ANSWERS Objective 4.2 Summarize aspects of client-side virtualization Purpose of Virtual Machines Sandboxing Test-Driven Development Application Virtualization Resource Requirements Emulator Requirements Security Requirements Network Requirements Hypervisor Installing a Hypervisor and Creating a Virtual Machine Installing the Guest Operating System REVIEW 42 QUESTIONS 42 ANSWERS 5.0 250 250 250 251 252 252 253 254 254 255 256 257 257 258 259 259 259 260 260 261 262 262 263 263 264 264 267 268 269 Hardware and Network roubleshooting. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 271 Objective 5.1 Given a scenario, apply the best practice methodology to resolve problems 272 The CompTIA Troubleshooting Methodology 272 REVIEW 273 51 QUESTIONS 274 51 ANSWERS 275 xvii xviii Mike Meyers’ CompIA A+ Core 1 Certifcation Passport Objective 5.2 Given a scenario, troubleshoot problems related to motherboards, RAM, CPU, and power 275 Troubleshooting Common Symptoms 275 Power-On Self-Test Beep Codes 275 Proprietary Crash Screens 276 No Power 277 Sluggish Performance 278 Overheating 278 Burning Smell and Smoke 279 Intermittent Shutdowns 279 Application Crashes 280 Grinding Noise 280 Capacitor Swelling 280 Inaccurate System Date/Time 281 Other Symptoms 281 REVIEW 283 52 QUESTIONS 283 52 ANSWERS 284 Objective 5.3 Given a scenario, troubleshoot and diagnose problems with storage drives and RAID arrays 285 Troubleshooting Common Symptoms 285 Light-Emitting Diode (LED) Status Indicators 285 Grinding Noises 285 Clicking Sounds 285 Bootable Device Not Found/Failure to Boot 285 Data Loss or Corruption 286 RAID Failure 286 SMART Failure 286 Extended Read/Write Times and Read/Write Failure 286 Missing Drives in OS 287 Other Symptoms 287 REVIEW 288 53 QUESTIONS 288 53 ANSWERS 289 Objective 5.4 Given a scenario, troubleshoot video, projector, and display issues 290 Troubleshooting Video, Projector, and Display Issues 290 Incorrect Data Source 290 Physical Cabling Issues 290 Burned-Out Bulb 290 Fuzzy or Distorted Image 290 Contents Display Burn-In 291 Dead Pixels 291 Flashing Screen/Flickering Image 291 Incorrect Color Display 291 Audio Issues 291 Dim Image 291 Intermittent Projector Shutdowns 292 Other Symptoms 292 REVIEW 293 54 QUESTIONS 293 54 ANSWERS 294 Objective 5.5 Given a scenario, troubleshoot common issues with mobile devices 295 Troubleshooting Mobile Devices 295 Poor Battery Health/Short Battery Life 295 Swollen Battery 295 Broken Screen 296 Improper Charging 296 Poor/No Connectivity 297 Liquid Damage 298 Overheating 298 Digitizer Issues 298 Physically Damaged Ports 298 Malware 299 Cursor Drift/Touch Calibration 299 Other Symptoms 299 REVIEW 302 55 QUESTIONS 303 55 ANSWERS 304 Objective 5.6 Given a scenario, troubleshoot and resolve printer issues 304 Troubleshooting Printing Issues 305 Lines Down the Printed Pages 305 Garbled Print 305 Toner Not Fusing to Paper 305 Paper Jams 306 Faded Prints 306 Incorrect Paper Size 307 Paper Not Feeding 307 Multipage Misfeed 307 Multiple Prints Pending in Queue 307 xix xx Mike Meyers’ CompIA A+ Core 1 Certifcation Passport Speckling on Printed Pages 308 Double/Echo Images on the Print 309 Incorrect Color Settings 309 Grinding Noise 309 Finishing Issues 310 Incorrect Page Orientation 310 Other Symptoms 310 REVIEW 312 56 QUESTIONS 312 56 ANSWERS 313 Objective 5.7 Given a scenario, troubleshoot problems with wired and wireless networks 314 Troubleshooting Network Issues 314 Intermittent Wireless Connectivity 314 Slow Network Speeds 315 Limited Connectivity/No Connectivity 315 Jitter 316 Poor VoIP Quality 316 Port Flapping 316 High Latency 316 External Interference 317 Other Symptoms 317 REVIEW 318 57 QUESTIONS 319 57 ANSWERS 320 A About the Online Content . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 321 System Requirements Your Total Seminars Training Hub Account Privacy Notice Single User License Terms and Conditions TotalTester Online Pre-Assessment Mike’s CompTIA A+ Video Training Sample TotalSims Sample for CompTIA A+ Mike’s Cool Tools Technical Support 321 321 321 322 323 323 324 324 324 324 Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 325 DOMAIN xxi Acknowledgments As with every book, a lot o work rom a lot o people went into making it happen. Our acquisitions editor, im Green, kept us on track with kind words and pointy sticks. Always a pleasure working with you, im! Our acquisitions coordinator, Caitlin Cromley-Linn, did an outstanding job acquiring and coordinating, with gentle yet insistent reminders or us to get stu to her on a timely basis. Likewise, our project manager, asneem Kauser at KnowledgeWorks Global Ltd. his was a un project, and we look orward to the next one! Bart Reed did great work as our copy editor. He transormed every awkward stumble o language into a grammatical gem. Our technical editor, Chris Crayton, took what some would describe as gleeul delight in pointing out every technical error he ound. But since he helped us ix every error too, we won’t hold it against him. hanks, once again, or your technical expertise. he layout team at KnowledgeWorks Global Ltd. did a remarkable job, putting the prose and pictures into printable orm, which you now get to enjoy! Finally, thanks to our prooreader, Rick Camp, or catching every last error. here’s no error too big or small—he’ll ind them all. hank you. xxi This page intentionally left blank DOMAIN xxiii Introduction Your Passport to Certifcation Hello! I’m Mike Meyers, series editor, co-ounder o otal Seminars, and author o many best-selling certiication books. On any given day, you’ll ind me replacing a hard drive, setting up a website, or writing code. he book you hold in your hands is part o a powerul book series called the Mike Meyers’ Certification Passports. Every book in this series combines easy readability with a condensed ormat—in other words, it’s the kind o book I always wanted when I went or my certiications. Putting a huge amount o inormation in an accessible ormat is an enormous challenge, but I think we have achieved our goal and I am conident you’ll agree. I designed this series to do one thing and only one thing—to get you the inormation you need to achieve your certiication. You won’t ind any lu in here. We packed every page with nothing but the real nitty-gritty o the CompIA A+ Core 1 certiication exam. Your Destination: CompTIA A+ Certifcation his book is your passport to CompIA A+ Core 1 certiication, the vendor-neutral industry standard certiication or PC hardware technicians, the olks who build and ix PCs. o get ully CompIA A+ certiied, you need to pass two exams: 220-1101 (Core 1) and 220-1102 (Core 2). o help you prepare or the Core 2 exam, please see our companion book, Mike Meyers’ CompTIA A+ Core 2 Certification Passport (Exam 220-1102). The CompTIA A+ Exams he 220-1101 Core 1 exam concentrates on ive areas: Mobile Devices, Networking, Hardware, Virtualization and Cloud Computing, and Hardware and Network roubleshooting. his exam ocuses on your understanding o the terminology and hardware technology used in each o the ive subject areas. he 220-1102 Core 2 exam works the same way, covering Operating Systems, Security, Sotware roubleshooting, and Operational Procedures. he 1102 exam is ocused mainly on Windows, including installing, updating, maintaining, troubleshooting, and more. he other xxiii xxiv Mike Meyers’ CompIA A+ Core 1 Certifcation Passport operating systems covered—macOS, Linux, iOS, and Android—get more o a big picture view. Security and troubleshooting, in both Windows and applications, make up hal the exam questions. Speaking o questions, each exam consists o up to 90 questions. Each exam takes 90 minutes. You must score at least 675 on a scale o 100–900 to pass exam 220-1101 (Core 1) and at least 700 on a scale o 100–900 to pass exam 220-1102 (Core 2). Remember, you must pass both exams to achieve your CompIA A+ certiication. Question Types and Examples Both o the exams are extremely practical, with little or no interest in theory. When you take the exams, you will see three types o questions: multiple choice, drag-and-drop matching, and perormance based (simulation). he ollowing is an example o the type o multiple-choice question you will see on the exams: A company is planning to upgrade its Fast Ethernet network to Gigabit Ethernet. he existing network uses a mixture o Cat 5, Cat 5e, and Cat 6 cables. Which o the ollowing needs to be perormed during the upgrade process? A. Replace all cables with Cat 6. B. Keep the same cables. C. Replace Cat 5 with Cat 5e or Cat 6. D. Replace all cables with Cat 5e. he best answer is C, “Replace Cat 5 with Cat 5e or 6.” he cable standards mentioned in Answers A and D support Gigabit Ethernet, but since some parts o the network already use these cables types, it is not necessary to replace them. You might also see multiple-response questions, essentially multiple choice with more than one correct answer. Drag-and-drop questions involve dragging and dropping a picture onto the relevant text. For example, you might see the words “HDMI” and “DisplayPort,” and then two video port illustrations next to them. You would need to drag the HDMI illustration onto the word “HDMI” and then drag the other illustration onto the word “DisplayPort.” Perormance-based (simulation) questions ask you to re-create a real process used by techs when working on PCs. You might be asked to copy a ile or change a setting in Control Panel, but instead o you picking a multiple-choice answer, your screen will look like a Windows desktop and you will ollow the provided instructions, just like you were using the real thing. Always read the questions very careully, especially when dealing with perormance-based and multiple-choice questions with two or more correct responses. Remember to look or the best answer, not just the right answer. Check the CompIA website or the most up-to-date exam inormation, as CompIA does make changes. Introduction Signing Up or Your CompTIA A+ Certiication Exams So, how do you sign up to take the CompIA A+ certiication exams? As this book went to press, the procedure looks like this: Go to https://home.pearsonvue.com/CompIA. Click the Sign In button or, i you don’t already have a Pearson VUE account, click Create Account and create one. hen, click View Exams, select the 1101 or 1102 exam (you must pass both to get ully certiied), select your preerred language, review the details, and click Schedule his Exam. Enter your username and password, choose an exam center, date, and time, and provide payment or an exam voucher when required. Repeat this process to schedule the other exam. Be sure to see the Pearson VUE website or the latest details. You can also now take your tests over the Internet. o schedule an Internet-based exam through OnVUE, go to www.onvue.com. You’ll need a solid Internet connection and a webcam, such as one built into most portable computers. Pearson VUE will accommodate any special needs, although this may limit your selection o testing locations. A single exam voucher purchased directly rom the CompIA website is $239. However, there are many sources, including otal Seminars, that oer discounts. Some vendors oer bundles that include a ree retest voucher. his book comes with a coupon code you can use to purchase a discounted exam voucher rom the CompIA Store. See the ad in the ront o the book or more inormation on the code and the discount. ake it rom me, you might like the opportunity to have a “mulligan” i you get test jitters! CompIA A+ certiication can be your ticket to a career in I or simply an excellent step in your certiication pathway. his book is your passport to success on the CompIA A+ Core 1 certiication exam. Your Guides: Mike Meyers and Ron Gilster You get a pair o tour guides or this book—both me and Ron Gilster. I’ve written numerous computer certiication books—including the best-selling CompTIA A+ Certification All-in-One Exam Guide and the CompTIA Network+ Certification All-in-One Exam Guide. More to the point, I’ve been working on PCs and teaching others how to make and ix them or a very long time, and I love it! When I’m not lecturing or writing about PCs, I’m working on PCs! My personal e-mail address is michaelm@totalsem.com. Please eel ree to contact me directly i you have any questions, complaints, or compliments. Ron has written or co-authored many books on career certiication and books on hardware and sotware principles and troubleshooting, networking, and security. As an educator, he has developed and taught courses in computer technology, inormation systems, cybersecurity, and networking. He sees himsel as a trainer, teacher, and guide and works to exhibit these qualities in his writing. Ron can be contacted at rgilster@pm.me. xxv xxvi Mike Meyers’ CompIA A+ Core 1 Certifcation Passport About the Book his Passport is divided into “Domains” that ollow the exam domains. Each Domain is urther divided into “Objective” modules covering each o the top-level certiication objectives or the Core 1 exam. he goal is to acilitate accelerated review o the exam objectives in a quick-review ormat that will allow you to quickly gauge what you can expect to be tested on. Whether you want a last-minute review or you have enough experience that you don’t need ull coverage o every topic, this ormat is designed or you. his isn’t meant to be a course in a book, but we hope you will ind the Passport helpul as you prepare or your exam. I you ind you need more in-depth coverage o the exam topics, we suggest using Mike’s CompTIA A+ Certification All-in-One Exam Guide, Eleventh Edition to supplement your studies. We’ve created a set o learning elements that call your attention to important items, reinorce key points, and provide helpul exam-taking hints. ake a look at what you’ll ind: • • Each Domain begins with a Domain Objectives list o the oicial CompIA A+ Core 1 exam objectives, which correspond to the titles o the individual Objective modules in that Domain. he structure o each Objective module is based on the subobjectives listed under the corresponding exam objective. he ollowing elements highlight key inormation throughout the modules: EXAM TIP The Exam Tip element focuses on information that pertains directly to the exam These helpful hints are written by authors who have taken the exam and received their certification—who better to tell you what to worry about? They know what you’re about to go through! Cross-Reerence This element points to related topics covered in other Objective modules or Domains ADDITIONAL RESOURCES This element points to books, websites, and other media for further assistance CAUTION These cautionary notes address common pitfalls or real-world issues NOTE This element calls out any ancillary but pertinent information Introduction • • • Tables allow or a quick reerence to help quickly navigate quantitative data or lists o technical inormation. Video Cable Type Standard Name ReducedSignal Types Size Version Supported VGA Video Graphics Array N/A HDMI High Deinition MiniMultimedia HDMI Interace Notes Analog video VGA displays can be connected to HDMI, DVI-I, and DisplayPort ports with suitable adapters. HD video Video signal is compatible and HD with DVI. audio Each Objective module ends with a brie Review. he review begins by repeating the oicial exam objective number and text, ollowed by a succinct and useul summary, geared toward quick review and retention. Review Questions and Answers are intended to be similar to those ound on the exam. Explanations o the correct answer are provided. Online Content For more inormation on the practice exams and other bonus materials included with the book, please see the “About the Online Content” appendix at the back o this book. Ater you’ve read the book, complete the ree online registration and take advantage o the ree practice questions! Use the ull practice exam to hone your skills, and keep the book handy to check answers. When you’re acing the practice questions, you’re ready to take the exam. Go get certified! What’s Next? he I industry changes and grows constantly, and so should you. Finishing one certiication is just a step in an ongoing process o gaining more and more certiications to match your constantly changing and growing skills. Remember, in the I business, i you’re not moving orward, you are way behind! Good luck on your certiication! Stay in touch. Mike Meyers, Series Editor Mike Meyers’ Certification Passport xxvii This page intentionally left blank Mobile Devices M A I 1.0 Domain Objectives • 1.1 Given a scenario, install and configure laptop hardware and components. • 1.2 Compare and contrast the display components of mobile devices. • 1.3 Given a scenario, set up and configure accessories and ports of mobile devices. • 1.4 Given a scenario, configure basic mobile-device network connectivity and application support. 1 N D O 2 Mike Meyers’ CompTIA A+ Core 1 Certifcation Passport Given a scenario, install and congure laptop hardware and components Objective 1.1 A lthough an increasing number o laptops have no user-replaceable parts, there are still many existing and new models rom a variety o manuacturers that will need replacement keyboards, upgraded RAM or mass storage, or other types o upgrades. This objective gives you the “inside story” on what to expect. Hardware/Device Replacement Laptops can break, but when they do, the problem is usually a component that can be replaced. The most common replacements (or upgrades) include keyboards and other input devices, hard drives, and RAM, but there are several additional components that you might be called upon to swap out. Many o these components can be seen in Figures 1.1-1 and 1.1-2. HDMI port DVI and VGA ports Memory slots USB ports CPU socket Power connector Audio port SATA/SSD slots PCI/PCIe slots Chipset CMOS battery FIGURE 1.1-1 The major components on the top side of a typical laptop system board DOMAIN 1.0 Objective 1.1 Memory slots System board (bottom side) CPU heat sink and fan assembly FIGURE 1.1-2 The bottom side of a typical system board Cross-Reference Be sure to apply electrostatic discharge (ESD) precautions when upgrading or replacing laptop field replaceable units (FRUs). The companion book in this set, Mike Meyers’ CompTIA A+ Core 2 Certification Passport (Exam 220-1102), provides coverage on ESD protections and preventive measures. CAUTION Before attempting any laptop hardware or component replacement, refer to its service or owner’s manual or access it online. Because laptops differ so much from brand to brand and model to model, the steps vary a great deal, and if you don’t use proper procedures to disassemble a laptop, you might end up with more problems than when you started! Keyboard Replacing a laptop keyboard varies in diiculty rom model to model. With some laptops, removing the old keyboard can be as easy as removing a retaining screw rom the bottom o the laptop and pushing the keyboard up. However, some models require that almost all other components be removed beore the keyboard can be removed. NOTE If the built-in laptop keyboard fails and can’t be replaced right away, you can attach an external keyboard through a USB physical or wireless connection or through a Bluetooth connection. 3 4 Mike Meyers’ CompTIA A+ Core 1 Certifcation Passport FIGURE 1.1-3 The 2.5-inch and 3.5-inch drives are mostly the same. Hard Drive The term hard drive is used or a variety o mass storage devices using magnetic or solidstate technologies. You can replace a hard disk drive (HDD), solid-state drive (SSD), or solidstate hybrid drive (HHD or SSHD) easily in any recently manuactured traditional laptop; it’s almost certainly a 2.5-inch SATA drive (most are 7 mm thick, but a ew thicker drives won’t it into some laptops). Otherwise, no dierence exists between 2.5-inch drives and their larger 3.5-inch brethren (see Figure 1.1-3). Hard drive replacement is a little dierent on laptops than on desktops: ind the hard drive hatch—either along one edge or on the bottom—and remove the screws (see Figure 1.1-4). Remove the old hard drive, detach its mounting hardware, and install the mounting hardware on the new drive. The mounting hardware might include brackets, shock bumpers, or a protective cover over the drive’s circuit board (see Figure 1.1-5). FIGURE 1.1-4 Removing the drive compartment hatch. Some laptops, like this one, use a single cover for access to hard drives and RAM. DOMAIN 1.0 Objective 1.1 Shock bumpers FIGURE 1.1-5 Protective cover Bumper attachment screws The mounting hardware on this hard drive must be removed and attached to the new drive so it will fit properly in the computer. SATA connectors Install Remove FIGURE 1.1-6 Inserting a replacement drive Next, slide the new drive into its place (see Figure 1.1-6), making sure it is irmly connected to the drive interace and secured in place. Reattach the hatch, boot the computer, and install an operating system (OS) i necessary. NOTE Some laptops require the user to remove many components before upgrading the drive. Try to avoid upgrading these systems. SSD vs. Hybrid vs. Magnetic Disk One o the best laptop upgrades is to an SSD rom a magnetic disk (HDD). It’s less storage or the money, but SSDs are aster, lighter, quieter, cooler, use less power, and lack mechanical parts easily damaged by bumps, drops, and travel. SSDs are available in both the traditional 2.5-inch laptop orm actor and smaller orm actors, most notable the M.2 design. 5 6 Mike Meyers’ CompTIA A+ Core 1 Certifcation Passport SATA hard drive FIGURE 1.1-7 M.2 SSD A laptop with both SATA and SSD drives Some laptops, like the one shown in Figure 1.1-7, can use both. M.2 SSDs are available in two types: those that emulate SATA drives as well as versions known as NVMe drives. These connect to the PCIe bus, which is much aster than the SATA bus. EXAM TIP Make sure you are familiar with installing and configuring solid-state drives (SSDs) and magnetic hard disk drives (HDDs). 1.8 Inch vs. 2.5 Inch Today, 2.5-inch HDDs and SSDs dominate laptop designs, as 1.8-inch HDDs have allen out o avor due to lash memory usurping their role in portable music players and other small portables. These days, 1.8-inch HDDs are quite rare. I you encounter one, it almost certainly will be in an older portable on the small end o the scale. Cross-Reference For more on HDDs and SSD, see Domain 3.0, Objective 3.4. Memory Some laptops have upgradeable memory (RAM) slots, and other portables may not. RAM or portable devices, and especially laptop PCs, has its own small outline DIMM (SO-DIMM) orm actor. Older SO-DIMMs (DDR and DDR2) were conigured with 200-pin expansion cards. The DDR3 and DDR3L (low-voltage) cards used 204-pin SO-DIMMs, and the 260-pin DDR4 and 262-pin DDR5 SO-DIMMs. A DDR5 SO-DIMM has a 4800 MT/s (megatransers per second) data rate and is currently available with 8 GB, 16 GB, and 32 GB memory capacities. Figure 1.1-8 shows examples o the DDR3, DDR4, and DDR5 SO-DIMMs. DOMAIN 1.0 Objective 1.1 DDR3 SO-DIMM DDR4 SO-DIMM DDR5 SO-DIMM FIGURE 1.1-8 Examples of DDR3 (top), DDR4 (middle), and DDR5 SO-DIMMs (bottom) (images courtesy of Micron Technology, Inc.) NOTE The DDR5 SO-DIMM may not be backward compatible, even on DDR4 systems. EXAM TIP Memorize the SO-DIMM form factors—and the associated memory technologies—for the CompTIA A+ 220-1101 exam. (Note that the CompTIA objectives use “SODIMM,” without the hyphen.) When installing RAM, just like with a desktop, protect yoursel and the portable by removing all power and taking ESD precautions. With portables, this includes removable batteries. I the portable has built-in batteries, consult the manuacturer’s resources to check i and how you can saely work on it. CAUTION Some portables have both built-in and removable batteries. 7 8 Mike Meyers’ CompTIA A+ Core 1 Certifcation Passport FIGURE 1.1-9 Removing a RAM panel Once you know you can work saely, consult the manuacturer’s website or manual to conirm what kind o RAM the portable requires. Next, check the existing RAM coniguration to conirm what you need to buy. To go rom 4 GB to 8 GB, or example, you need to know i the portable has one 4-GB module or two 2-GB modules. You should also match the clock speed and timing o the existing module. Second, locate the RAM slots. Depending on the system, the RAM slots might be under the same panel that you remove to access the hard drive (reer back to Figure 1.1-4) or under a separate panel (see Figure 1.1-9) on the bottom o the portable. Then you push out the retaining clips, and the RAM stick pops up (see Figure 1.1-10). Gently remove the old stick o RAM and insert the new one by reversing the steps. Retaining clips RAM swings up after retaining clips are released FIGURE 1.1-10 Releasing the RAM DOMAIN 1.0 Objective 1.1 Some portables (and desktops) have shared memory that enables the video card to borrow regular system RAM, providing perormance comparable to its mega-memory alternative at a much lower cost. Unortunately, the term shared memory is a bit misleading: the video card reserves this memory, and perormance can suer i the system runs out o it. EXAM TIP RAM and hard drives are usually the easiest components to replace. Some CMOS utilities can change the amount o shared memory, while others can just toggle the setting. In both cases, more system RAM will improve overall perormance when the OS and CPU get more usable RAM; the upgrade can also improve video perormance i the system either shares a percentage o all RAM or lets you adjust the amount. Cross-Reference For more about laptop and desktop RAM types and specifications, see Domain 3.0, Objective 3.3. Wireless Card A wireless card is sometimes relatively easy to swap, as it may be accessible rom the panel covering the hard drive and/or RAM. Beore choosing an upgrade, make sure you check out the supported models, as an unsupported card won’t be recognized by your system. I you upgrade a wireless expansion card, remember to reattach the antenna leads coming rom the display in the correct locations. Depending on the age o the system, the wireless card might use a Mini-PCIe (reer back to Figure 1.1-1) or M.2 orm actor. EXAM TIP Make sure you are familiar with the form factors used for wireless cards/Bluetooth modules. Physical Privacy and Security Components Laptop computers and other mobile devices don’t stay in any one location, by design, which requires their physical security to be more speciic to them than is the case or stationary devices. The physical security measures that protect desktop computers can also protect laptops, but only when the laptops are located within their coverage. A laptop that is moving about requires a special orm o physical security that must also provide or data privacy as well. 9 10 Mike Meyers’ CompTIA A+ Core 1 Certifcation Passport Physical Security The general objective o physical security is to restrict physical access to a device and, in turn, restrict logical access to its private content. Because a laptop is portable, its physical security must be portable as well. Certain aspects o physical security are diicult to apply to a laptop, such as preventing physical proximity, physical contact, and even physical possession. But wait, aren’t those the physical aspects we need to secure? Yes, but more importantly, we need to secure any access to private or sensitive inormation or services located on the device. In other words, or a laptop, physical security amounts to denying access to the laptop’s resources despite weak or nonexistent physical security. The A+ Core 1 exam may include questions or content related to two o the methods used to secure laptops and their stored content: biometrics and near-ield scanning. Biometrics Biometrics is used to both identiy and authenticate someone attempting to gain access to a laptop and its resources. Biometrics involves the capture o one or more human traits or comparison against a prerecorded standard o the same measurements. Common biometric scans used with laptops and mobile devices include voice recognition, a ingerprint, the recognition o acial eatures, or an iris or retina scan o an eye. Much like how a password is established as a control device, any o these biometric measurements and scans require a baseline capture to which uture scans will be compared. Biometrics is, or the most part, reliable, and as the technology continues to develop, it becomes more and more reliable. However, biometric systems can produce two security laws that, just like a password, require monitoring and the renewal o the baseline: alse negatives and alse positives. A alse negative occurs when the biometric scan o an authorized user results in the user being denied access. On the other hand, a alse positive, which many be a more troublesome problem, occurs when an unauthorized supplicant is granted access in error. NOTE The Windows Biometric Framework (WBF), located on the Windows Control Panel, provides native support for the interface, management, and control of biometric devices interfaced to a computer. Near-Field Scanners Although the technology is more o a protective application than a pure security measure, near-ield scanning can saeguard a computer rom harm by detecting electromagnetic intererence (EMI) within a conigured range o a device. As mobile devices move about, EMI signals in an area may be strong enough to cause damage to system and power components. DOMAIN 1.0 Objective 1.1 A near-ield scanner measures the amount o voltage in a time period or by requency and quantiies it. The resulting metric is used to determine i a threat exists and, i so, to alert the user. Older near-ield scanning systems used an onboard antenna, but more recent systems employ a scanner receiver to detect any electrical charges in its vicinity. Understand, though, that near-ield scanning works over relatively small distances. REVIEW Objective 1.1: Given a scenario, install and configure laptop hardware and components Laptop hardware and component issues you might deal with include the ollowing: • • • • • Keyboard replacement Hard drive (2.5 inch) removal and installation Use an SSD (2.5 inch or M.2), i you can, to improve perormance and durability. Memory (SO-DIMM) types and their removal and installation Wireless card removal and installation Biometric devices or authentication and identiication security • 1.1 QUESTIONS 1. Your client wants you to upgrade the RAM, wireless cards, and storage in a collection o laptops rom dierent vendors. Which o the ollowing do you need to perorm the work successully? (Choose all that apply.) A. Service manual or each model B. Specialized tools C. Speciications D. All o the above 2. You are speciying the components you want in an ultimate gaming laptop. Which o the ollowing standards provides the best opportunity or high-perormance mass storage? A. SATA B. USB C. M.2 D. Mini-PCIe 3. Which o the ollowing laptop components typically requires the least disassembly to swap or upgrade? A. Hard drive B. RAM C. CPU D. Smart card reader 11 12 Mike Meyers’ CompTIA A+ Core 1 Certifcation Passport 4. Your client wants to switch rom SATA hard disk to SATA SSD storage in their leet o laptops. Which o the ollowing pieces o advice is most likely to be correct? A. B. C. D. Buy M.2 drives because all laptops have M.2 slots. SSDs are no aster than hard disk drives, so don’t bother switching. Replacing hard disk drives with SSDs can provide better perormance. SSDs are more ragile than hard disk drives. 5. Your client has stripped components rom retired laptops to use or replacement parts in more recent laptops. Which o the ollowing is most likely to be compatible with a newer laptop? A. Hard drive B. RAM C. Wireless card D. Optical drive 1.1 ANSWERS 1. D A service manual provides detailed teardown and reassembly instructions; specialized tools help you open cases without breaking parts; speciications inorm you o standard eatures and supported upgrades. 2. C M.2 drives using NVMe are the astest mass storage devices. 3. B Most laptops with upgradeable RAM have the modules under an easy-to-remove panel on the bottom o the case. 4. C SSDs in the SATA orm actor provide aster perormance than SATA hard disk drives. 5. A As long as a SATA 2.5-inch hard drive will physically it into a laptop, it can be used as a replacement (a ew hard drives are too thick or some laptops, but that is rare). Objective 1.2 T Compare and contrast the display components of mobile devices he displays on or in mobile devices, including those on laptop computers, are very complex components. As a certiied A+ technician, you can expect to encounter, troubleshoot, and diagnose the displays across the gamut o mobile devices, which will likely include smartphones, tablet, laptop, and notebook PCs, and other smaller handheld devices. This objective covers the subjects, topics, and content you can expect to see on the A+ Core 1 exam (220-1101). DOMAIN 1.0 Objective 1.2 Types of Displays As mentioned, mobile devices are available in an expanding range o sizes and capabilities, which are determined by the technology each uses to create a displayed image. The overall size o a mobile device is largely a unction o its display’s size and its technology. A mobile device’s display, which is commonly a liquid crystal display (LCD) or an organic light-emitting diode (OLED), typically ranges rom 3 inches to as much as 20 inches on some laptop PCs. LCD An LCD display is backlit with light-emitting diodes (LEDs). Mobile devices incorporate three LCD display types: twisted nematic (TN), vertical alignment (VA), and in-plane switching (IPS). Table 1.2-1 compares these display types or perormance and quality. ADDITIONAL RESOURCES For some additional information on the different LCD types, read the article “Monitor Panel Types | TN, IPS, VA Pros and Cons Explained – Pick the Right Display Technology!” by Dusan Stanar at the VSS Monitoring website (https://www.vssmonitoring.com/monitor-panel-types/). EXAM TIP Know the differences between the IPS, TN, and VA LCD technologies. LED An LED display on a mobile device uses light-emitting diodes (LEDs) to construct and show images, typically on a lat-screen display. An LED display provides a bright color image with higher eiciency that other types o monitors, including an LCD. In act, an LED display consumes as much as 50 percent less power than an LCD, which is important to the lie o the battery in a mobile device. TABLE 1.2-1 LCD Displays on Mobile Devices Criteria TN VA IPS Perormance Faster than VA and IPS Worse than VA and IPS Slower than TN and IPS Better than TN, worse than IPS; good color; best contrast and image depth Worse than TN, better than VA Better than TN and VA; best viewing angles; best color Display 13 14 Mike Meyers’ CompTIA A+ Core 1 Certifcation Passport An LED is a type o semiconductor that emits light when electricity is passed through it. An LED contains red, green, and blue sub-pixels that can blend to produce a particular color or shade. There are our primary types o LED displays: • • • • Edge-lit LED This is actually an LCD monitor that has LEDs along the edges o the display that shine light toward the center o the display to light an image. The LEDs enable the displayed image to be viewed rom several angles. Full-array LED As its name implies, a ull-array LED display has LEDs throughout the display area to produce sharp images and iner dimming. This type o display is popular on gaming and video streaming systems. Direct-lit LED This type o LED display places LEDs in rows, which limits its capability to produce true colors, including black. Its images are in gray tones only. Organic LED (OLED) OLEDs provide a superior display quality without separate backlighting. OLEDs illuminate pixels using negatively and positively charged ions. The three other orms o LEDs, and LCDs as well, use backlighting to sharpen their images, but OLED pixels provide all the light needed. Display Panel Components The display panel o a mobile device, especially laptops and notebook PCs, typically contains more than just the display. The display panel typically also houses the Wi-Fi antenna and the onboard webcam and microphone. There is a dierence between a display panel, which is essentially the “lid” o the mobile PC, and the display assembly, which is only the display itsel and its connecting wires and components. Because the same panel can work in a wide variety o laptop models, inding a compatible display panel is easier than inding a compatible display assembly, and purchasing only a panel is less expensive than purchasing an assembly. In a ew cases, it might be possible to switch screen types (rom matte to glossy, or example). When swapping the panel only, take particular care to note the placement o component wires and how they are routed around the panel. The ollowing sections cover the system components commonly included in a display panel. EXAM TIP Expect a question or two on the A+ 220-1101 exam involving a typical scenario that requires the replacement of the screen or components in the screen (for example, a cracked display panel, digitizer/touchscreen failure, Wi-Fi antenna malfunction, and so on). DOMAIN 1.0 Objective 1.2 Wi-Fi Antenna Connector/Placement A broken mobile device display can be serviced in one o two ways: replace the entire display assembly or swap the display panel only. NOTE CompTIA’s specific language for the antenna is Wi-Fi antenna connector/ placement (although the industry-standard term is Wi-Fi ). This refers to the wireless antenna wires that run along the top and sides of the screen assembly and connect to the Wi-Fi card. When you’re swapping a display assembly, it’s important to note how the Wi-Fi antenna wires are connected to the wireless card. Even i you are only swapping a panel, you might need to move the wires out o the way. When you ind it necessary to move them, it’s important to properly position the Wi-Fi antenna wires around the panel and reconnect them to the wireless card. I they are pinched or broken, the laptop’s Wi-Fi will stop working. Figure 1.2-1 illustrates the position o Wi-Fi antenna wires and other components in a typical laptop display assembly. Camera/Webcam The camera/webcam (reer to Figure 1.2-1) is also built into the display assembly. The webcam can be replaced i it stops working. However, it’s usually easier to replace a ailed webcam with a USB version. I you decide to replace the webcam, be sure to note how it is attached to the display assembly and connected to the system board. Secondary (aux) wireless antenna Webcam Aux antenna wire Display interface cable FIGURE 1.2-1 Primary wireless antenna Inverter Primary antenna wire Wi-Fi antennas and other components in a typical laptop display panel 15 16 Mike Meyers’ CompTIA A+ Core 1 Certifcation Passport Microphone Some laptops include a microphone in the screen assembly, while others place the microphone in the base o the laptop. I the laptop has a microphone in the screen assembly, be sure to disconnect it beore swapping the screen assembly and be sure to reconnect it during the replacement process. Inverter Laptops that use older LCD screens with cold cathode luorescent lamp (CCFL) backlighting require an inverter to convert DC power to AC power to control the backlight (reer to Figure 1.2-1). I the inverter ails, the screen will be extremely dim (use a lashlight to see i the screen still works). Replacing an inverter is a relatively easy and inexpensive repair to make because it is accessed rom the bottom o the display assembly and is a plug-in component. Touchscreen/Digitizer Older laptops oten used a separate touchscreen/digitizer layer, making repairs both expensive and more complicated. (A digitizer is the component that provides the “touch” part o a touchscreen. The digitizer’s ine grid o sensors under the glass detects your inger’s touch and signals to the OS its location on the grid.) Recent touchscreen laptops typically use display panels with integrated touchscreens, making the process o swapping the panel easier. REVIEW Objective 1.2: Compare and contrast the display components of mobile devices A typical laptop display assembly includes the ollowing: • • • • • • • LCD panel (standard) or OLED panel (only very recent laptops) • LCD has a luorescent or LED backlight. • OLED has no backlight. Wi-Fi antenna wires Camera/webcam Microphone (might be built into the base on some models) Inverter, but only on older LCD screens with luorescent backlights Touchscreen/digitizer (might be a separate display panel layer on older models) LCD technologies, including IPS, TN, and VA DOMAIN 1.0 Objective 1.2 1.2 QUESTIONS 1. Your client has a cracked laptop screen, but the laptop still works. Which o the ollowing might be the most cost-eective solution? A. B. C. D. Replace the display panel. Replace the display assembly. Replace the laptop. Replace the laptop with a desktop. 2. Your client decided to have a laptop display assembly swapped. Now, the Wi-Fi connection doesn’t work. Which o the ollowing is the most likely cause? A. The webcam was plugged into the wireless card. B. The Wi-Fi card was not reconnected to the wireless antennas. C. The new assembly is not compatible with the current wireless card. D. Wi-Fi wires were broken during the swap. 3. A user reports that an older laptop isn’t displaying anything. However, when you plug in an external display, the laptop can be used. Which o the ollowing would you check irst? A. Digitizer B. Microphone C. Inverter D. Wi-Fi antennas 4. The wireless antennas in a laptop display assembly are usually located where? A. Lower-let and lower-right corners o the display B. Bottom center o the display C. Top center o the display D. Top-let and top-right corners o the display 5. Your client uses a laptop or live chats with her salesorce, but her webcam has ailed. The weekly chat is in two hours. What should you do? A. Arrange or an express swap o her display assembly. B. Connect a USB webcam. C. Reimage a spare laptop. D. Advise her to cancel the chat. 1.2 ANSWERS 1. A Replace the display panel. The other components in the display assembly are working, so replacing only the panel is likely to be cheaper and probably aster than swapping the entire display assembly. 17 18 Mike Meyers’ CompTIA A+ Core 1 Certifcation Passport 2. B The Wi-Fi card is in the laptop base, so the wireless antenna wires must be disconnected to swap a display assembly. It’s easy to orget to reattach them. 3. C Check the inverter (on older laptops so equipped). When it ails, the built-in display becomes extremely dim. 4. D The antennas usually are located in the upper-let and upper-right corners o the display assembly. 5. B A USB webcam will work ine, may have better image quality than the built-in webcam, and can be installed and conigured in plenty o time or the meeting. Objective 1.3 Given a scenario, set up and congure accessories and ports of mobile devices M obile devices are small and portable, but thanks to a variety o wired and wireless connections, they can also be versatile. In this objective you are introduced to the main types o accessories available or mobile devices and the ways in which they can be connected. Connection Methods Mobile devices have many o the same types o connections and options as desktop devices do. These include wired ports, wireless devices, and accessories. Wired connections can be used or data synchronization and transer to a larger computer, or charging, and or tethering to share a cellular connection. You need to be able to identiy several wired connection types or the CompTIA A+ 220-1101 exam. Universal Serial Bus The universal serial bus, which is most commonly reerred to as USB, connects a wide variety o devices to other devices, such as printers, external storage devices, keyboards, mice, and other controllers. USB has replaced the standard serial and parallel interaces or the most part. Like these interaces, USB provides or data transmission but also supplies 5 volts (5V) o power through a standard connection and cable. This allows low-voltage devices (those needing 5V o power or less) to connect and operate without requiring additional external power sources. A single USB jack has the capability o supporting as many as 127 USB devices using a series o unpowered USB hubs. USB devices that need more than 5V o power can connect through a powered USB hub that connects directly to a power source. Since their introduction in the mid-1990s, the USB standards have expanded to a variety o versions and connector conigurations, oten distinguished by their overall size and pin array. DOMAIN 1.0 Objective 1.3 USB connectors are identiied in a conusing overlap o types (aka generations and orm actors) and versions that speciy the cabling and transer speeds, among other characteristics. Types and versions are commonly used interchangeably and in combination. However, simply put, USB types are denoted by letters (as in A, B, and C) and USB versions by numbers (such as 2, 3, and 4). The sections that ollow explain the USB types and versions you should know or the A+ Core 1 exam. NOTE USB standards advanced from the original USB 0.7 to the developing USB 4.0. Market acceptance, or the lack of it, drove the early developments, but the first version to gain acceptance was USB 1.1. USB versions 1.0 and 1.1 were later renamed as USB 2.0 LowSpeed and USB 2.0 FullSpeed, respectively. There are three basic USB types or orm actors: • • • Type-A The original and likely most commonly used USB connector Type-B Smaller, squarish-shaped connector compatible with nearly all other USB types Type-C Asymmetric and slightly oval connector Figure 1.3-1 shows each o these USB types. USB-C A USB-C cable, shown in the upcoming Figure 1.3-3, uses Type-C 24-pin connectors or transerring power o up to 100 watts and data as ast as 10 Gbps. These capabilities make the USB-C cable suitable or connecting video devices, such as monitors, transerring data between computers or phones, and charging any compatible devices. A standard USB-C cable has Type-C connectors at each end, but there are USB-C to USB-A converters that can be used or interacing with USB Type-A ports. One o the better eatures o a USB-C/Type-C connector is that it is completely reversible and can be inserted into a plug with either side up. Type-A FIGURE 1.3-1 Type-B Type-C The three basic USB connector types 19 20 Mike Meyers’ CompTIA A+ Core 1 Certifcation Passport FIGURE 1.3-2 A micro-USB cable with a USB 3.0 connector Micro-USB The micro-USB connector is the smallest o the USB types and has been commonly used or connecting and charging mobile devices, such as MP3 players, smartphones, cameras, and more. There are several varieties o micro-USB cables, each intended to connect a micro-USB device to another USB port, commonly o a dierent type and typically a USB 3.0 or Type-C connector. Figure 1.3-2 and Figure 1.3-3 show examples o this cable. There are a variety o micro-USB cables, each having a dierent USB type connector on the other end o the cable. Commonly used micro-USB cables are the micro-USB to Type-A, micro-USB to Type-B, and the USB 3.0. Mini-USB The mini-USB is essentially a sub-amily o USB cables that includes versions with Type-A, Type-B, and hybrid Type-AB connectors. The most commonly used mini-USB connector is the 5-pin Type-B, which is popular in card readers, MP3 players, digital cameras, and many mobile PC storage devices. All mini-USB interaces are sealed and essentially waterproo and dustproo. However, because they are smaller in size than other USB types, which is both a plus and a disadvantage, they are easily misplaced and can be diicult to remove rom a device. FIGURE 1.3-3 From left to right: USB-C, micro-USB, and Lightning cables DOMAIN 1.0 Objective 1.3 Lightning Connector The Lightning connector was introduced in 2012 along with the iPhone 5 and several other Apple products or use in charging and synchronizing its devices. Apple continues to use the Lightning connector or its iPhones but has switched some devices to the USB-C interace. An example o a Lightning cable is shown in Figure 1.3-3. Lightning is an 8-pin digital signal connector that can be attached to a device with dualorientation, meaning no up or down sides. Each o the pins is connected directly to the reverse side pin in its position. Cross-Reference To learn more about these cables, their features, and how they are used, see Domain 3.0, Objective 3.1. Serial Interfaces The A+ Core 1 exam objectives indicate that you may encounter serial interaces on the 220-1101 exam. So, let’s take a quick look at this topic. At one time, the peripheral devices on a PC were connected primarily as either a serial or a parallel interace. Simply deined, a serial interace sends or receives data one bit at a time in a series or in what is known as a temporal (time) ormat. In comparison, a parallel interace transmits data on a set o parallel carriers, usually wires, as a spatial group. Here’s the short version: serial is one bit at a time on one wire and parallel is more than one bit at a time and more than one wire. Serial interaces are used by USB and Serial Attached SCSI (SAS) devices. Near-Field Communication Near-ield communication (NFC) uses chips embedded in mobile devices that create electromagnetic ields when these devices are close to each other or touching each other (typical ranges are anywhere rom a ew centimeters to only a ew inches). The ields can be used to exchange contact inormation, small iles, and even payment transactions through stored credit cards using systems like Apple Pay and Google Pay. The OS determines the exact eatures o a smartphone. For example, Apple supports NFC only or Apple Pay, while Android smartphones also support ile transer. Bluetooth Bluetooth is a short-range wireless technology that can be used or personal area networking, connections to wireless speakers, mice, and keyboard devices, as well as connections to headsets, microphones, and wearables. Bluetooth implementations in mobile devices generally have a range o no more than 10 meters (about 33 eet). 21 22 Mike Meyers’ CompTIA A+ Core 1 Certifcation Passport Hotspot Many smartphones and tablets with cellular support can share their cellular Internet connection with other devices by enabling a hotspot. The hotspot eature turns the device into a wireless router with an SSID (service set identiier) and password. When the hotspot device shares that inormation with Wi-Fi-enabled devices, those devices can connect to the Internet. The range o a hotspot connection varies according to the Wi-Fi standard used by the smartphone and the location (outdoors has a longer range than indoors). EXAM TIP Be able differentiate the wireless connection types, including NFC, Bluetooth, and hotspot. Accessories Although mobile devices have many built-in eatures, they can use accessories to provide even more unctionality. The ollowing sections describe the accessories you need to understand or this objective. Touch Pens Also known as a stylus, a touch pen is a handheld pointing device that can be used on capacitive touchscreens. Touch pens can be used on smartphones, tablets, and other devices with touchscreen displays. A touch pen works much like your inger in that it absorbs the electricity o the touchscreen and identiies a speciic location on the display. Headsets Headsets can connect to mobile devices via traditional 3.5-mm mini-jacks, USB, or wirelessly via Bluetooth. Headsets designed or use with smartphones or gaming include microphones. Speakers Mobile devices oten have very small speakers with limited power. To increase volume and make it easier or groups to hear music, connect external speakers via 3.5-mm speaker jacks or wirelessly via Bluetooth. Webcams A webcam is a small digital camera that can be connected to a computer to capture video images in real time. Like any digital camera, a webcam captures images using a matrix o light detectors in a light-sensing chip, which is either a charge-coupled device (CCD) or a CMOS image sensor (the most common these days). The name “webcam” reers more to its sotware that ormats the video or the Web. DOMAIN 1.0 Objective 1.3 FIGURE 1.3-4 Port replicator (bottom) versus docking station (top) Docking Station Business-oriented laptops can connect (Transformers style) with docking stations that provide a host o single- and multi-unction ports. The typical docking station uses a proprietary connection but adds ports or devices not available on the original laptop, such as a network port, optical drive, and so on (see Figure 1.3-4, top device). Port Replicator A port replicator provides a permanent home or video, network, and audio cables that you would otherwise attach to and detach rom a laptop as you move it around. Port replicators typically connect to the highest-bandwidth port (such as USB 3.0, 3.1, 3.2 and USB-C or Thunderbolt) and subdivide the bandwidth among port devices. Figure 1.3-4 shows a typical port replicator or a MacBook Pro or Air compared with a docking station or a Microsot Surace Pro. EXAM TIP The difference between port replicators and docking stations is sometimes unclear. For purposes of the CompTIA A+ 220-1101 exam, a docking station connects to a proprietary port, whereas a port replicator connects via a standard port. The Microsoft Surface Dock shown in Figure 1.3-4 is a true docking station because it plugs into the proprietary charging/docking port on the Surface Pro and adds a network port. The third-party port replicator for macOS-based laptops connects to a Thunderbolt port on a MacBook, MacBook Air, or MacBook Pro. 23 24 Mike Meyers’ CompTIA A+ Core 1 Certifcation Passport Trackpads and Drawing Pads A trackpad is a user interace device that senses downward pressure and movement that is converted into cursor or pointer locations and movements. Also known as a touchpad, a trackpad is included in many laptop computers as an alternative to an external mouse. Trackpads and drawing pads, which are typically used with a stylus, work much like touchscreens and touch pens in that the touch device grounds the pad and its location is passed to the computer to move a visible cursor. REVIEW Objective 1.3: Given a scenario, set up and configure accessories and ports of mobile devices Mobile devices eature various types o connections and accessories, including the ollowing: • • • • • • • • • • • • • Universal serial bus (USB), including USB-C, micro-USB, and mini-USB Lightning Serial interaces Near-ield communication (NFC) Bluetooth Hotspots Touch pens Headsets Speakers Webcams Docking stations use a proprietary connection but add ports or devices not available on the original laptop, such as a network port and optical drive. Port replicators provide a permanent home or video, network, and audio cables that you would otherwise attach to and detach rom a laptop as you move it around. Trackpads/drawing pads are typically used with a stylus and work much like touchscreens and touch pens in that the touch device grounds the pad and its location is passed to the computer to move a visible cursor. 1.3 QUESTIONS 1. Which o the ollowing is not a wired connection type ound on many mobile devices? A. Micro-USB B. Mini-USB C. USB-C D. NFC DOMAIN 1.0 Objective 1.3 2. Bluetooth can be used or which o the ollowing accessories? (Choose all that apply.) A. Headset B. Battery pack C. Game pad D. Speaker 3. Your supervisor asks you about using a smartphone to make a payment at a convenience store. Which eature needs to be activated? A. USB B. Tethering C. NFC D. Hotspot 4. Your client has just purchased a new model iPad Pro. Which type o charge/sync cable does she need to use? A. Lightning B. USB-C C. Thunderbolt D. 30-pin 5. You’re prevented rom connecting your laptop computer to a video display because the laptop lacks an HDMI port. Which o the ollowing devices could be used to solve this problem? A. Lightning cable B. USB-C hub C. Port replicator D. Serial cable 1.3 ANSWERS 1. D An NFC connection is a type o wireless interace. The other answers are common types o wired connectors into which a matching cable can be inserted. 2. A C D Bluetooth cannot be used or battery charging but works with Bluetoothequipped speakers, headsets, game pads, and other input/output devices. 3. C Near-ield communication (NFC) can be used or cardless payment at convenience stores. 4. B The newest iPad Pro models have switched rom Lightning to USB-C. 5. C A port replicator or docking station may supply the missing HDMI port. 25 26 Mike Meyers’ CompTIA A+ Core 1 Certifcation Passport Objective 1.4 Given a scenario, congure basic mobile-device network connectivity and application support I n this objective, you learn how to conigure mobile devices, including cellular and wireless devices, or e-mail and other mobile applications. Wireless/Cellular Data Network (Enable/Disable) The majority o today’s mobile devices are able to connect to two dierent communication technologies to access a network, including the Internet: cellular (cell phone) and wireless (Wi-Fi) networks. Only recently has either o these mediums been a viable means o connecting to a network rom a mobile device. Mobile Device Communication Cellular networks became a usable way to connect to a network, and especially to the Internet, with the introduction o the ourth-generation (4G) long-term evolution (LTE) cellular technologies. The emerging 5G standard will improve the perormance o cellular-based network access and provide the technology to support a merger o cellular networking with Wi-Fi standards. A Wi-Fi network connection applies the IEEE 802.11 standard that is appropriate and compatible with the wireless communication technology o the particular mobile device. Wi-Fi communications are over the air radio requency (RF) communications. Cross-Reference For more information on the IEEE 802.11 wireless networking standards, see Domain 2.0, Objective 2.3. Regardless o the technology used to access a network rom a mobile device, this capability likely needs to be conigured and enabled (or disabled, i so desired). Generally, these actions are perormed in the Settings or Preerences page o a system, using roughly the same steps. By deault, cellular-enabled devices, such as smartphones and some tablets, are enabled or communication to cellular data networks. However, on non-cellular (that is, Wi-Fi) devices such as laptops, notebooks, and some tablets, these connections must be conigured and enabled manually. DOMAIN 1.0 Objective 1.4 Mobile devices such as laptops, notebooks, and some tablets running a ull operating system, such as Windows, macOS, or Linux, have deined methods or coniguring and enabling a connection to one or both o the communication mediums. Tablets, personal digital assistants (PDAs), and smartphones that are running a specialized version o Windows or macOS, or a version o Android or IOS, use a process that is particular to that system to enable or disable network communications over either technology. EXAM TIP For the A+ Core 1 exam, you should know the general process involved to enable, share, and disable access to a network over a cellular or Wi-Fi network on a mobile device. Enabling/Disabling Cellular Communication Smartphones and cellular-based tablets, by deault, have a Subscriber Identiication Module (SIM) card or an embedded SIM (eSIM) that permits the device to connect and communicate with a speciic cellular network service such as LTE or broadband. Some laptops and tables may have an eSIM, but or the most part, these devices must connect to a cellular service though a USB cellular modem (see Figure 1.4-1) or a cellular router device. Cellular modems commonly have their own speciic conigurations that are typically set by deault. The process used on a Windows laptop to conigure and enable a connection to the Internet using a cellular network involves the ollowing steps: 1. Insert the SIM card into its holder, slot, or USB modem. Without a SIM or eSIM, cellular communications cannot be conigured. 2. Access the Start menu and click the gear wheel icon on the let edge o the window to open Settings. 3. On the Setting menu page, click the Network & Internet selection. FIGURE 1.4-1 A USB cellular modem with a SIM card adapter 27 28 Mike Meyers’ CompTIA A+ Core 1 Certifcation Passport 4. On the Network and Internet page, select Cellular rom the let-hand panel and do the ollowing: a. In the Data Roaming Options drop-down menu on the right-side o the page, select either Don’t Roam (which is the deault selection) or Roam. NOTE The preceding action sets a value for the InternetAlwaysOn DWORD of the HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\WwanSvc\RoamingPolicyForPhone\ key. b. Close Settings. ADDITIONAL RESOURCES For information on a few other options for using a cellular connection on a Windows 10 or 11 system, visit https://support.microsoft.com/ en-us/windows/cellular-settings-in-windows-905568ff-7f31-3013-efc7-3f396ac92cd7. Enabling/Disabling Wi-Fi Communication On a Windows 10 system, the steps used to access the settings to enable or disable Wi-Fi are ound by choosing Settings | Network & Internet | Wi-Fi. On the Wi-Fi page, this service can be set on (enabled) or o (disabled) using a slide switch, as shown in Figure 1.4-2. (This igure also shows the other connection options available. I a cellular service is available, it would also be listed.) On handheld mobile devices, you should reer to the user’s manual or how to enable or disable Wi-Fi services. Making a Wi-Fi connection on a smartphone or tablet is essentially the same as the process used on a laptop. The settings involved are relatively intuitive: on an iPhone they are under Wi-Fi, and on an Android device they are under Wireless and Networks. Much like with other mobile devices, the Wi-Fi networks within range are listed and you can select one to connect with temporarily or conigure one as the deault Wi-Fi network. Wireless Generations To date, there have been ive major “generations” o wireless and cellular communications. Figure 1.4-3 illustrates the path o the generations. Each generation provided important improvements in the technologies and capabilities o wireless telecommunications. Here is a brie summary o each o the generations: • • The irst generation (1G) cellular network provided narrow band analog service with a very limited number o simultaneous callers. The second generation (2G) introduced digital transmissions on wider requency bands with greater mobility. 2G introduced digital encryption o conversations. DOMAIN 1.0 Objective 1.4 FIGURE 1.4-2 • • The Network & Internet settings page on a Windows 10 system The third generation (3G) added several security eatures, transmission types, global roaming, and data transmission speeds, which are in the range o 144 Kbps to a theoretical 2 Mbps. 3G provided eatures that included video conerencing, instant messaging, and cellular VoIP. 3G provided or two-way authentication between a phone and a network. The ourth generation (4G) uses an IP-based system and higher transmission rates. 4G provides data speeds o 50 Mbps to 80 Mbps (LTE+) to a maximum distance o 31 miles (endpoint device to tower). 4G provides security eatures such as secured data in transit, authenticated access, and support or 3DES and AES encryption. 29 30 Mike Meyers’ CompTIA A+ Core 1 Certifcation Passport FIGURE 1.4-3 • 1G 2G 3G 4G 5G Analog Messaging Wireless Internet Mobile broadband Unlimited data Each of the five generations in telecommunications introduced major developments in mobile and cellular communications. The ith-generation (5G) telecommunications standards deine a radio access technology (RAT) separated into two requency ranges: Frequency range 1 (FR1) supports the sub-6 GHz bands o the earlier standards and the 410 MHz to 7.125 GHz spectrum. Frequency range 2 (FR2) supports the range 24.25 GHz to 52.6 GHz. 5G, which is built on the 4G LTE standard, provides data speeds o multiple Gbps or more. Hotspot A mobile hotspot device creates a Wi-Fi network to share its cellular data connection (3G, 4G, 4G LTE, or 5G) with other Wi-Fi devices. Wireless providers sell standalone hotspot devices or their network, but many smartphones and tablets with cellular access can be conigured to act as a hotspot. As illustrated in Figure 1.4-4, enabling a smartphone (in this case, an Android smartphone) involves enabling a cellular data connection and toggling the hotspot setting. The hotspot coniguration enables the device to interact with the Wi-Fi network and serve as a router between it and the cellular network. You should also conigure a password to limit access to the hotspot. FIGURE 1.4-4 The sequence of screens (left to right) and selections for configuring an Android phone as a Wi-Fi hotspot DOMAIN 1.0 Objective 1.4 NOTE Some devices use the term tethering as a synonym for hotspot. GSM vs. CDMA The two primary service protocols used or cellular phone systems are Global System or Mobile Communications (GSM) and code division multiple access (CDMA). GSM is the generally deployed standard and is replacing CDMA slowly, but there are still CDMA networks deployed. Both o these network standards provide about the same eatures and capabilities, but their major dierence is their portability. A GSM SIM card can be removed and installed into a new device with the same provider or that o another provider. CDMA devices are tied to a provider and must remain so. Preferred Roaming List Updates As mobile devices travel, they requently have to pass through areas that don’t have strong signals, or into areas that the carrier does not service, and maintain connection by roaming on another carrier’s network. Your phone’s irmware gets occasional updates to its preferred roaming list (PRL), a priority-ordered list o other carrier networks and requencies, sent via your phone’s cellular connection (called baseband updates, or over-the-air updates) or through normal OS updates. Updates to the PRL are also sent to cell towers. As the PRL is updated, devices can roam urther rom their own providers’ coverage area. CDMA devices may also receive product release instruction (PRI) updates that modiy a host o complex device settings. Don’t worry about speciics, here—but a device may need PRI updates i the network is evolving during the lietime o the device, the device is moving to a new network, or the device has a new owner. EXAM TIP PRL updates are handled automatically during firmware/OS updates. They are only for CDMA networks. No one but the nerdiest of nerds will ever see these updates. Bluetooth As discussed in the previous objective, Bluetooth is a popular way to connect many dierent types o accessories. Table 1.4-1 covers the process o using Bluetooth on a mobile device. EXAM TIP Given a scenario, know the setup process for Bluetooth pairing. 31 32 Mike Meyers’ CompTIA A+ Core 1 Certifcation Passport TABLE 1.4-1 Bluetooth Setup Process Step What It Does Enable Bluetooth. Enable pairing. Turns on Bluetooth connectivity. Enables the device to ind and be ound by other Bluetooth devices. Locates and lists nearby Bluetooth devices available to pair with (headset, keyboard, and so on). Makes the pairing connection between the Bluetooth host and device. Conirms that the devices can communicate. Use the Bluetooth device to play music, record audio, type, and so on. Find a device or pairing. Enter the appropriate PIN code or press a button on the device. Test connectivity. Two or more paired Bluetooth devices create a personal area network (PAN). Figure 1.4-5 illustrates a very simple PAN, in which each device is paired with other devices in range to create a network. Another Bluetooth network topology is a scatternet, which combines two PANs by connecting a device rom either side to link the PANs. Figure 1.4-6 illustrates a simple scatternet. Cellular Location Services Cellular location services use real-time location tracking to identiy a mobile device’s physical and geographical locations. This technology tracks your location constantly, not just at one Smartphone Laptop Desktop Printer Tablet FIGURE 1.4-5 A Bluetooth personal area network (PAN) DOMAIN 1.0 Objective 1.4 Bridge link PAN #1 PAN #2 FIGURE 1.4-6 A Bluetooth scatternet connects two or more PANs. particular moment. A mobile device commonly includes one or more technologies able to determine its current location. In most cases, these technologies are GPS, radio requency ID (RFID), Wi-Fi, and cellular RF technology. In order to unction, a mobile device uses one or more o these technologies to interact with other devices, which may include geopositioned satellites, network routers, and cell and communication towers. This interaction, which involves a mobile device communicating with one o the multiple types o communication hubs, is used to nail down a device’s precise location. This eature, known as Location Services in iOS and Location in Android, is used by mapping and several other types o apps, but only you provide the apps with permission to use this eature. Most cellular systems use a triangulation method to determine the general location o a trackable device. As shown in Figure 1.4-7, the distance to each o three (and possibly more) cellular service towers can cause the transmitted signal strength to weaken. The degree to which the signal does weaken is used to determine the distance to the tower. The distance calculations or each tower are combined to locate the device. Cellular towers Signal degradation = Distance Mobile device FIGURE 1.4-7 A process called triangulation is used to determine the location of a device. 33 34 Mike Meyers’ CompTIA A+ Core 1 Certifcation Passport There are many pros and cons to enabling location services on a cellular or mobile device. Enabling location services can provide a route-inder application with a starting point and the capability o tracking progress. In an emergency, irst responders are able to pinpoint the phone’s exact location. You can also let selected riends see your location on their smartphones. There are many other possibilities with location services turned on. On the other hand, it may not always be sae to broadcast your location. You can’t be sure exactly who may be receiving that inormation. Knowing where you are could lead to stalking or robbery. And knowing where you aren’t could lead to someone breaking into your home. It’s debated whether the police or a government agency knowing and tracking your location, without a warrant to do so, could be a violation o your civil rights. Disabling location services on a mobile device won’t completely mask its location. Several applications, and even phone calls, connect to the nearest cell tower, which has a location. Perhaps the only way you can hide your personal location is to not have the device with you. Much o the sharing o a mobile device’s location is done by misconigured application permissions and settings. Being aware o which apps use location services and careully assigning their permissions can reduce the chance o location services being used or bad. ADDITIONAL RESOURCES To learn more about location-based services, read the article “What are location-based services?” at the Ancoris website (https:// www.ancoris.com/blog/what-are-location-based-services). GPS One o the primary technologies used by location-based services is the Global Positioning System (GPS), which is built into most mobile devices, along with Bluetooth, Wi-Fi hotspots, and cellular towers, to determine the device’s location. GPS is based on 24 satellites that transmit their location and time to Earth-based GPS receivers. The most common purpose-built GPS device is the navigational aid that mounts on a vehicle’s dashboard or windshield, and you can buy the equivalent or boats, airplanes, bicycles, and more. There are even handheld versions tailored to scuba diving, hiking, hunting, and so on, with eatures better suited to their niche, such as preloaded special-purpose maps, waterprooing, impact resistance, route memory, bookmarking, stored locations, low-power use, simple replaceable batteries, and other useul sensors or tools. Figure 1.4-8 illustrates a simpliied version o GPS integrated into a communications system. Securing Mobile Devices Mobile device management (MDM) is a type o security sotware that enables organizations to secure, monitor, manage, and enorce policies on employees’ mobile devices. MDM is oten linked with or based on the use o mobile application management (MAM) sotware. DOMAIN 1.0 Objective 1.4 GPS satellites Satellite-based communication connection GPS and cellular tower Mobile device FIGURE 1.4-8 An example of a GPS network Mobile Device Management MDM involves the use o monitoring, securing, and managing any mobile devices that have access, gain access, or connect to a company’s network and data resources. Employees and possibly customers or suppliers may be allowed to directly connect mobile devices on an internal network. Their activity must be tracked to protect the data asset by applying a careully thought-out data management program. The purpose o the MDM is to provide the internal IT administrators with the inormation needed to manage and administer the security o a network. MDM solutions allow IT teams and admins to control and distribute security policies to the mobile devices. Mobile Application Management MAM encompasses the entire sotware development lie cycle (SDLC) process or mobile sotware developed internally or externally, as well as updates, ixes, and retirement o mobile sotware. MAM can also include the management o application licenses, user account access permissions, and the operating coniguration o mobile sotware. Here are some examples o how MAM is applied: • Corporate e-mail configuration A corporate or even a small business e-mail system must be conigured and ine-tuned to provide e-mail services to mobile devices. Commonly this may also be accomplished through the coniguration on the mobile device itsel. The inormation commonly used includes account type, e-mail address, password, logical domain, and the user’s account name. 35 36 Mike Meyers’ CompTIA A+ Core 1 Certifcation Passport • Two-factor authentication Unortunately, shoulder suring and phishing are oten successul in learning a user’s login credentials. The use o a two-actor authentication (2FA) process at login helps to ensure that a mail client is who they claim to be. In a 2FA scheme, the user’s account name and password count only as one actor. A second security actor is commonly a phone number, a PIN code, or a generated code sent to the supplicant’s device. EXAM TIP Be sure you understand the concept and use of two-factor (multifactor) authentication and the use of biometrics as a part of the MAM process. • Corporate applications The management o application sotware on a mobile device is very much like the management o sotware on an internal network. For example, i a corporation has a customer relationship management (CRM) system, whether the user is local and using a device on the internal network or is remote and several thousand miles away, the client/server nature o the application must be the ocus or its conidentiality, integrity, and availability. EXAM TIP Know the differences between MDM and MAM. MDM concentrates on centrally managing device updates and securing mobile devices, whereas MAM focuses on specific corporate applications. Mobile Device Synchronization People generally want their contacts and calendars to match across their devices, so or the CompTIA A+ 220-1101 exam, you need to know how to conigure mobile devices to synchronize data across two or more devices to maintain a single set o contacts, one e-mail inbox, one calendar, and perhaps even one set o up-to-date iles, olders, or directories. Whether you wish to synchronize a desktop with a mobile device or two, most personal productivity applications and suites now include support to synchronize, or sync, data. EXAM TIP Be sure you understand the difference between the synchronization of data and files and performing a backup of the same. Having the same data available on dierent mobile (and stationary) devices is the primary beneit o data synchronization. The requirements or this process are a data source, a target or the data, and an application to transer and synchronize the data on both devices. A source device could be a mobile phone or a desktop computer, and the target device may be any mobile device or desktop PC, or any other combination o devices, provided a synchronization application is available. DOMAIN 1.0 Objective 1.4 Data synchronization is important to anyone who relies on data stored on a mobile device to be just as accurate and timely as the same data stored on a base system. Data synchronization is a two-way street, meaning that the data source could very well be a mobile device, and the target device could be a user’s desktop computer, a cloud application, or even another mobile device. Data synchronization processes are deined by their targets. The ollowing briely describes the three target categories. • Synchronizing to a desktop Mobile devices can synchronize data by connecting to a laptop or desktop computer via USB, Wi-Fi, or Bluetooth. Another way that a mobile computing device can sync to a desktop is using OneDrive or Dropbox as an intermediary. However, this method may only work or data that isn’t updated requently. • Synchronizing to the cloud Cloud-based storage sites can be used to pass data between devices, especially when the devices might not be able to communicate directly. Cloud services like NetApp’s Cloud Sync, Apple’s iCloud, and Microsot Azure AD Connect provide the capability to schedule backups, synchronization, and other data harmonization eatures. Synchronizing to an automobile The latest models o automobiles use synchronization to push irmware and sotware updates to systems in a vehicle, usually without the owner being involved or even knowing that it happens. The car may also provide data back to the manuacturer regarding the perormance o certain onboard systems. Drivers may want to synchronize their smartphone to the sound system or hands-ree use or to play music stored on the smartphone. • The types o data and inormation that can be synchronized between two devices includes just about everything: e-mail messages, calendars and contacts, applications, photos, audio iles, video iles, browser bookmarks, documents, e-books, and even passwords. You should expect to encounter a question or perhaps just a reerence to the synchronization processes o Microsot 365, Google Workspace, and Apple iCloud application suites. The synchronization processes or these and other similar products are relatively the same, but the setup processes do vary. Since the primary resource that is synchronized to a mobile device relates to e-mail, the ollowing are some examples o how each is set up. Synchronize Apple iCloud to an Android Device iCloud is an application in the Apple system environment. Beore you can sync to it, you must establish an account. I you already have an @mac.com or @me.com e-mail account, you are set. I not, you must create one. Ater doing so, you can then set up synchronization. On an Android device, perorm the ollowing steps: 1. Access the Apps menu and select Settings. 2. Choose Accounts and then Add An Account. 37 38 Mike Meyers’ CompTIA A+ Core 1 Certifcation Passport 3. Select the appropriate Account Type and, i necessary, the Account Sub-Type. 4. Enter the e-mail address to be synchronized and its corresponding password and then tap Next to continue. You may be prompted or a username, password, or server. I so, provide this inormation. 5. Provide the SMTP server ID and the related port number and then tap Next. 6. You may be asked or some additional settings or this account, such as requency, size, and the like. I so, enter this inormation and tap Next. 7. Assign a name to the account (it will be the name used or outgoing messages rom the account). Select Next to create the account. Synchronize Google Workspace to an Android or iOS Device As in the previous example, in order to synchronize to a Google Workspace account, you must irst have one. I you already have an @gmail.com account, you are good to go. Otherwise, you need to create one. Next, sign in to the Gmail app: • • For an Android device, access the Gmail app and sign-in. For an iOS device: 1. Choose Settings | Accounts & Passwords | Add Account | Gmail. 2. Enter a name, address, and password and then click Next. 3. Re-enter the address and click Next. 4. Choose the items to be synced and click Done. Synchronize Outlook (Exchange) to an Android or iOS Device Beore beginning to set up the synchronization, create a Microsot account, i necessary, and install the Outlook or Android app on the Android device, i needed. Use the ollowing steps to set up synchronization between Outlook and the device. On the Android device: 1. Open the Email app and sign in. 2. Select Manually Setting and ill in the Domain/Username entry. 3. Enter the Exchange server password and choose the Use Secure Connection (SSL) option. 4. Set the requency to be used or checking or updates in Accounts Options. 5. Give the account a name and tap Done. DOMAIN 1.0 Objective 1.4 On the iOS device: 1. Add the account using Settings | Accounts & Passwords | Add Account and indicate the account type being added. 2. Enter a name, e-mail address, e-mail password, and description, i desired, and tap Save. Synchronize Outlook (Exchange) to an iOS Device Beore you begin to set up the synchronization, create a Microsot account, i necessary. Use the ollowing steps to set up synchronization between Outlook and the iOS device: 1. The irst step is to identiy the Outlook/Exchange account to iOS using Settings | Passwords & Accounts | Add Account | Exchange. Then enter the e-mail address to be synchronized. 2. Enter how you wish to connect to the Exchange server, choosing either Conigure Manually or Sign In. • Conigure Manually requires that you set up an Exchange account using your e-mail account and its associated password, plus perhaps some other serverrelated inormation. • Sign In requires only your e-mail address and password, which are transmitted to the Exchange server or validation and to retrieve account inormation. I multiactor authentication is in use, you will be asked or the additional authentication inormation. 3. Add the account using Settings | Accounts & Passwords | Add Account and indicate the account type being added. 4. Enter a name, e-mail address, e-mail password, and description, i desired, and then tap Save. One huge caution, though: i you are synchronizing to or rom a cell phone or smartphone, keep the data transer capacity limit (data cap) in mind. Some iles, and probably most iles, are larger than you think and may result in additional charges or data transers. REVIEW Objective 1.4: Given a scenario, configure basic mobile-device network connectivity and application support • The ive generations o cellular data networks and communication are 1G, 2G, 3G, 4G, and 5G. • 1G oered narrow band analog service with a limited number o simultaneous callers. • 2G provided wider requency bands and greater mobility. 2G introduced digital encryption. 39 40 Mike Meyers’ CompTIA A+ Core 1 Certifcation Passport • • • 3G added security eatures, transmission types, global roaming, aster data transmission speeds, and two-way authentication. • 4G uses IP-based system with data speeds o 50 Mbps to 80 Mbps over a maximum range o 31 miles. Also, it secures data in transit with 3DES and AES encryption, and access is authenticated. • 5G deines a RAT that is separated into two requency ranges: FR1 with sub-6 GHz bands, and FR2 built on the 4G LTE, which provides Gbps data speeds. A mobile hotspot device creates a Wi-Fi network that shares its data connection with other Wi-Fi devices. A hotspot is also called tethering. The primary service protocols or cellular phone systems are Global System or Mobile Communications (GSM) and code division multiple access (CDMA). • • • • • • • GSM is the generally deployed standard and is replacing CDMA. A GSM SIM card can be removed and installed into a new device. • CDMA devices are tied to a provider and must remain so. A preerred roaming list (PRL) contains networks and requencies used by other carriers. CDMA devices may receive product release instruction (PRI) updates. Bluetooth setup includes the ollowing steps: enable Bluetooth, enable pairing, locate a device or pairing, enter the PIN code, and test connectivity. Location services use GPS, RFID, Wi-Fi, or cellular RF technology to identiy a device’s location. Mobile device management (MDM) is security sotware that enables organizations to secure, monitor, manage, and enorce policies on employees’ mobile devices. Mobile application management (MAM) is a methodology or mobile sotware development but can also cover operations o mobile sotware, including corporate e-mail coniguration, two-actor authentication, and corporate applications on mobile devices. Data synchronization helps to ensure that the same data is available on dierent devices. 1.4 QUESTIONS 1. Which o the cellular technology generations added security eatures, transmission types, global roaming, and data transmission speeds o 144 Kbps to 2 Mbps? A. 1G B. 2G C. 3G D. 4G E. 5G DOMAIN 1.0 Objective 1.4 2. What technology allows a SIM card to be removed and installed into a new device? A. CDMA B. GSM C. TDMA D. 5G 3. What eature is used by mapping and location-based apps on mobile devices? A. Location Services B. Maps C. Find My D. Tips 4. You are getting ready to try out a new Bluetooth headset or your smartphone. Ater you enable Bluetooth and turn on the headset, which o the ollowing do you need to do to use the headset? A. Tether the headset. B. Connect to the hotspot on the phone. C. Pair the headset with the phone. D. Run a program. 5. What types o data can be synchronized between a PC and another device? A. Only text-based data B. Only e-mail C. All data D. No data 1.4 ANSWERS 1. C 3G added security eatures, transmission types, global roaming, aster data transmission speeds, and two-way authentication. 2. B GSM SIM cards are portable and can be removed rom one device and inserted into another device, regardless o the service provider. 3. A Apple’s Location Services eature provides location inormation to mapping and location-based apps. (The same is true or Google’s Location eature.) 4. C You must pair a new Bluetooth device with your mobile device beore you can use the new device. 5. C Virtually all types o data can be synchronized between two devices or between a source and a target. 41 This page intentionally left blank Networking M A I 2.0 Domain Objectives • 2.1 Compare and contrast Transmission Control Protocol (TCP) and User Datagram Protocol (UDP) ports, protocols, and their purposes. • 2.2 Compare and contrast common networking hardware. • 2.3 Compare and contrast protocols for wireless networking. • 2.4 Summarize services provided by networked hosts. • 2.5 Given a scenario, install and configure basic wired/wireless small office/home office (SOHO) networks. • 2.6 Compare and contrast common network configuration concepts. • 2.7 Compare and contrast Internet connection types, network types, and their features. • 2.8 Given a scenario, use networking tools. 43 N D O 44 Mike Meyers’ CompTIA A+ Core 1 Certifcation Passport Objective 2.1 Compare and contrast Transmission Control Protocol (TCP) and User Datagram Protocol (UDP) ports, protocols, and their purposes I n the standard network reerence models, such as the TCP/IP and OSI models, the respective Transport layers deine two protocols: the Transmission Control Protocol (TCP) and User Datagram Protocol (UDP), which are the primary data transer protocols o any TCP/IP network. Although both are used to transport inormation, they are as dierent as an eye dropper and a ire hose—a dierence we explore in this objective. Ports and Protocols Protocols handle data transer details, such as how to pack and unpack data into protocolspeciic packet ormats. The Internet runs on the Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol (TCP/IP) suite, which is a stack (collection) o protocols and services that individually are designed to manage, package, transmit, and operate networks large and small. NOTE The terms packet and frame are often used interchangeably. However, they are actually two different message formats used on separate layers of a network reference model. A frame is a Data Link layer message format, most commonly used in Ethernet networks. A packet is a Network or Internet layer message format typically associated with TCP/IP networks, such as the Internet. TCP and UDP both use port numbers to identiy the type o connection being used. Table 2.1-1 provides a quick reerence to application protocols and the TCP port numbers they use. Table 2.1-2 provides a quick reerence to utility protocols (protocols that are hidden “behind the scenes” protocols) and the TCP and UDP port numbers they use. EXAM TIP Be able to identify the various TCP/UDP ports and the associated protocol of each port. ADDITIONAL RESOURCES Apps with network support use many additional TCP and UDP ports. To see a comprehensive real-time report on TCP and UDP activity on a computer running Windows, download the free LiveTcpUdpWatch utility from NirSoft at https://www.nirsoft.net/utils/live_tcp_udp_watch.html. DOMAIN 2.0 Objective 2.1 TABLE 2.1-1 Application Protocols TCP Port Number Application Protocol 20/21 FTP (File Transer Protocol) 22 23 25 80 110 143 443 3389 TABLE 2.1-2 Function File transer control data (20) and ile data (21) SSH (Secure Shell) Encrypted terminal emulation Telnet Terminal emulation (not secure) SMTP (Simple Mail Transer Protocol) Outgoing e-mail HTTP (Hypertext Transer Protocol) Web pages (not secure) POP3 (Post Oice Protocol 3) Incoming e-mail IMAP (Internet Message Access Protocol) Incoming e-mail HTTPS (HTTP Secure, HTTP over SSL) Secure web pages RDP (Remote Desktop Protocol) Remote Desktop Utility Protocols Port Number Protocol Type Utility Protocol Function 53 67, 68 UDP UDP 137–139 TCP/UDP 161, 162 UDP 389 TCP 445 TCP DNS (Domain Name System) Allows the use o DNS naming DHCP (Dynamic Host IP addressing provided by Coniguration Protocol) a DHCP server (67) to network client (68) NetBIOS/NetBT (NetBIOS Enables legacy (pre-TCP/IP) over TCP/IP) apps to run on TCP/IP networks SNMP (Simple Network Remote management o network Management Protocol) devices; SNMP manager (161) and SNMP agent (162) LDAP (Lightweight Querying directories Directory Access Protocol) SMB/CIFS (Server Message Windows naming/older sharing Block/Common Internet and cross-platorm ile sharing File System) Connection-Oriented vs. Connectionless When transmitting data over a network, whether it’s over the same network or between two dierent networks, the protocol in use and the communication interaces o the sending and receiving stations determine which o the two available connection types is to be used. The two connection types are connection-oriented and connectionless. A connection-oriented protocol, as its name implies, ocuses on creating, managing, and operating the connections and data transmission over the circuit established between them. 45 46 Mike Meyers’ CompTIA A+ Core 1 Certifcation Passport A connectionless protocol, as its name implies, doesn’t create ormal connections and ocuses instead on the data transmission. Connection-Oriented The connection-oriented communication method is an outgrowth o the telephone system. Beore signals can be transmitted over an end-to-end link, each end o the link must agree to the coniguration o the line and the protocol in use. The link is conirmed using what is called a handshake, which involves an exchange o specialized packets that represent a request to synchronize (SYN), a request to send (RTS), indications that the line is clear to send (CTS), and the acknowledgments (ACKs) or each packet sent and received by either end. Once the connection is veriied, data packets are transmitted and received in a ixed serial order. Because o its rigid protocol requirements, TCP, which is a connection-oriented protocol (COP), is considered to be a reliable communication protocol. Connectionless Earlier TCP and UDP were likened to an eye dropper and a ire hose, respectively. With its ixed requirements or establishing and managing a communication link, the connectionoriented TCP is something like an eye dropper. A connectionless protocol—namely, UDP—is then more like a ire hose. A connectionless protocol doesn’t manage the connection, the transmission link, or the data low. Data is merely transmitted on the line without the use o RTSs, CTSs, or ACKs. Data lows at the speed available, much like water through a ire hose. UDP, which is a connectionless protocol (CLP), is considered to be an unreliable protocol. Figure 2.1-1 shows a simpliied comparison o connection-oriented and connectionless protocols. Connection-oriented: TCP ACK SYN - ACK www ACK www Connectionless: UDP Data www FIGURE 2.1-1 www A comparison of the connection methods used by TCP and UDP DOMAIN 2.0 Objective 2.1 TCP vs. UDP TCP accomplishes the reliable transer o data with communication rules that require both machines to acknowledge each other to send and receive data. Thus, TCP is reerred to as a connection-oriented protocol. UDP is much aster because it lacks these checks—which is ine i your data can tolerate some errors, or i the chance o errors is low. For example, speed might be more important than a ew dropped packets or a Voice over IP (VoIP) call or video chat. Because UDP simply sends data without checking to see i it is received, it is reerred to as a connectionless protocol. When data moving between systems must arrive in good order, we use the connectionoriented Transmission Control Protocol (TCP). I it’s not a big deal or data to miss a bit or two, the connectionless User Datagram Protocol (UDP) is the way to go. Most TCP/IP applications use TCP (that’s why we don’t call it UDP/IP) because it transers data reliably. Other Connection-Oriented Protocols Although TCP is oten given as the primary example o a connection-oriented protocol, there are others. In situations where an assurance o integrity or conidentiality is needed, there is very likely a COP that its the bill. Other commonly used COPs are HTTPS, FTP, SMTP, and SSH. TCP, HTTPS, and SSH are the COPs you can expect to see on the A+ Core 1 exam. Let’s look at the latter two a bit deeper. Hypertext Transport Protocol Using TLS At one time, the S in HTTPS represented the Secure Sockets Layer (SSL), but SSL is in the process o being replaced by the Transport Layer Security (TLS) protocol, but more on that later. First, it’s important to understand how HTTPS incorporates connection-oriented communication. Like TCP, an HTTP session involves an exchange o messages between the requester and the server, which can require several back-and-orth messages. These messages help the client and the server come to an agreement on the characteristics o the transmission, such as bandwidth, speed, and more. However, one o these characteristics isn’t security, and HTTP data packets are plain text, which is why TLS is added to the mix. HTTPS encrypts the standard HTTP packet within a TLS wrapper (packet). So, in this relationship, HTTP provides the connection-oriented assurance o the communication and TLS supplies the security. Secure Shell The Secure Shell (SSH) protocol is a secured replacement or the unsecured Telnet protocol, which is a COP or unencrypted communication between network nodes. In addition to a lack o security, Telnet doesn’t provide authenticate policies or encryption. The SSH protocol is included in all later versions o macOS and Linux, but a utility, such as PuTTY, is required or Windows systems. SSH operates on a client/server model using TCP port 22 and uses a TCP authentication handshake to veriy a session and, once veriied, sets up the secure shell and connection. 47 48 Mike Meyers’ CompTIA A+ Core 1 Certifcation Passport Other Connectionless Protocols There are unctions and services perormed by several TCP/IP protocols that require less assurance and more eiciency than would be possible with a connection-oriented protocol. Some o the more commonly used connectionless protocols are UDP, Internet Protocol (IP), Internet Control Message Protocol (ICMP), Dynamic Host Coniguration Protocol (DHCP), and Trivial FTP (TFTP). The A+ Core 1 exam may include questions or reerences about DHCP and TFTP. Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol The Dynamic Host Coniguration Protocol (DHCP) is a connectionless protocol that unctions on UDP. DHCP is a client/server model protocol that responds to a client’s request or IP coniguration data with data drawn rom a pool o predeined values. DHCP also manages the “lease” period or the data supplied to the client and its renewal or expiration. DHCP operates as a connectionless service because the data is needed immediately by the requesting station. Trivial File Transfer Protocol The legacy File Transer Protocol (FTP) is a connection-oriented service based on the need or accuracy in the transer. However, smaller iles, command sets, or iles not requiring veriication can use a connectionless service. Trivial FTP (TFTP) is a lightweight version o FTP that operates without authentication and a structured low control as a connectionless protocol. REVIEW Objective 2.1: Compare and contrast Transmission Control Protocol (TCP) and User Datagram Protocol (UDP) ports, protocols, and their purposes • Application protocols use TCP ports to perorm unctions such as ile transer, terminal emulation, web page transers, and remote desktop connections. • TCP ports are connection-oriented, meaning that both ends o a connection must acknowledge the connection. TCP connections are more reliable but slower than UDP connections. Utility protocols use primarily UDP ports, as well as some TCP ports, to perorm unctions such as ile and directory services, older sharing, and services discovery. UDP ports are connectionless, meaning that a service using UDP does not veriy that the connection is working. UDP connections are aster but less reliable than TCP connections. HTTPS and SSH are connection-oriented protocols. DHCP and TFTP are examples o connectionless protocols. • • • • DOMAIN 2.0 Objective 2.1 2.1 QUESTIONS 1. An incorrect irewall setting results in port 110 being blocked. Which o the ollowing services will not work until the port is unblocked? A. B. C. D. Secure web pages Receiving POP3 e-mail Remote desktop Upgrading to Windows 11 2. A computer that uses automatic IP addressing relies on which o the ollowing ports? A. 21 B. 25 C. 143 D. 67, 68 3. Which o the ollowing protocols are considered connection-oriented? (Choose two.) A. HTTPS B. SSH C. DHCP D. TFTP 4. Sometimes, or greater security, e-mail providers change the deault ports used or sending and receiving e-mail. I an e-mail provider changes rom port 143 to a dierent port, which o these services would need to be conigured to use the new port? A. POP3 B. SMTP C. IMAP D. HTTP E. SSH 5. A user reports that she can connect to insecure websites (http://) but not to secure websites (https://). Which port is being blocked by a irewall? A. 80 B. 445 C. 25 D. 443 49 50 Mike Meyers’ CompTIA A+ Core 1 Certifcation Passport 2.1 ANSWERS 1. B The deault port used by POP3 to receive e-mail is 110. 2. D The ports used by the DHCP service or automatic IP addressing are 67 and 68. 3. A B HTTPS and SSH are connectionless protocols. 4. C IMAP normally uses port 143. 5. D 443 is the port used or HTTPS (secure HTTP). Objective 2.2 Compare and contrast common networking hardware N etworks are all about interconnecting computing devices (also called hosts) so they can communicate. More speciically, your local host can communicate with remote hosts to access the resources (such as printers, iles, web pages, and so on) those systems share, and to share its own resources. In each exchange, the system providing a resource is the server, and the system using the resource is the client; when we call an entire system a server, what we really mean is that the system’s primary job is serving some resource(s) to clients. For a variety o dierent devices to share resources over a network, the network components need a shared connectivity standard, an addressing method clients and servers can use to ind and communicate with each other, and shared sotware protocols that each system in an exchange understands. Let’s look at many o the concepts and components that come together to orm a network. Routers A router is a device that connects LANs to a WAN (see Figure 2.2-1). Hosts send signals or destinations outside o the LAN to the router, which routes traic between networks. FIGURE 2.2-1 Two broadcast domains connected by a router—a WAN DOMAIN 2.0 Objective 2.2 FIGURE 2.2-2 Two broadcast domains—two separate LANs Switches Switches connect hosts on a local area network (LAN) and pass signals between them. Switches memorize the MAC address o each device to smartly repeat signals to the appropriate host. A group o computers connected by one or more switches is a broadcast domain (see Figure 2.2-2). EXAM TIP A LAN is a group of networked computers within a few hundred meters of each other, whereas a wide area network (WAN) is a group of computers on multiple LANs connected with long-distance technologies. Managed A managed switch is a switch in which each port can be conigured with dierent settings. For example, you can set a single managed switch to unction as two or more virtual LANs (VLANs), control quality o service (QoS) settings on a per-port basis, and more. Unmanaged An unmanaged switch is the type o switch sold or small oice/home oice (SOHO) use, such as the one shown in Figure 2.2-2. It has no management eatures, and all devices connected to it are in the same LAN. EXAM TIP Be ready to identify the various networking hardware devices. Know the differences between routers, managed switches, and unmanaged switches. 51 52 Mike Meyers’ CompTIA A+ Core 1 Certifcation Passport FIGURE 2.2-3 Device that acts as access point, switch, and router (inset shows ports on back side) Access Points An access point (AP) centrally connects wireless network nodes into a wireless LAN (WLAN) in the same way a switch connects wired devices into a LAN. Many APs also act as highspeed switches and Internet routers (see Figure 2.2-3). APs are sometimes reerred to as wireless APs (WAPs). Patch Panel A patch panel (shown in Figure 2.2-4) has a row o permanent connectors or horizontal cables on the back and a row o emale port connectors on the ront, enabling you to use short FIGURE 2.2-4 Typical patch panels DOMAIN 2.0 Objective 2.2 FIGURE 2.2-5 Typical patch cable stranded-core UTP patch cables (shown in Figure 2.2-5) to connect the patch panel to the switch. Premade patch cables make it simple to get multiple colors or organization and oten come with booted (reinorced) connectors. NOTE A patch cable is a specific length (usually short but can be up to 100 feet) of cable terminated at each end with a plug or socket. Also called a patch cord. Firewall Firewalls generally protect an internal network rom unauthorized access to and rom the Internet at large with methods such as hiding IP addresses and blocking TCP/IP ports, but irewalls at internal boundaries can also help limit the damage a compromised node can do to important resources. Hardware firewalls are oten built into routers (or standalone devices), whereas software firewalls run on individual systems. Hardware irewalls protect your LAN rom outside threats by iltering packets beore they reach your internal network and its resources and devices. You can conigure a SOHO router’s irewall rom its browser-based settings utility provided by virtually all hardware irewalls. Hardware irewalls use stateful packet inspection (SPI) to inspect individual packets and block incoming traic that isn’t a response to your network’s outgoing traic. You can even disable ports entirely, blocking all traic in or out. Most sotware irewalls don’t provide the advanced eatures ound on larger hardware irewalls, but they are primarily designed to protect a single host computer rather than entire networks or enterprise systems. Figure 2.2-6 shows a sampling o the irewall settings on the Comodo Internet Security Pro system. 53 54 Mike Meyers’ CompTIA A+ Core 1 Certifcation Passport FIGURE 2.2-6 The configuration settings on a software firewall Power over Ethernet Most network hardware, including APs, draw power rom an electrical outlet. Advanced APs and networked devices such as security cameras can instead operate on electricity supplied by a Power over Ethernet (PoE) injector or PoE switch. Both types o devices enable a standard Ethernet cable to carry power and data simultaneously. PoE Standards PoE provides electrical power rom power sourcing equipment (PSE), such as a PoE switch, to a powered device (PD) over Ethernet cables that carry both the electrical power and transmitted data. PoE standards, discussed next, are developed and published by the IEEE (Institute o Electrical and Electronics Engineers) primarily to control how much power is supplied to dierent types o PDs. The PoE standards deine our types or levels o power, detailed in IEEE 802.3a, IEEE 802.3at, and IEEE 802.3bt, which deines two types. Each o these PoE standards speciies the minimum power a PSE can source and the maximum power a PD can expect to receive. The three standards, which are deined within the IEEE 802.3 Ethernet group, are as ollows: • IEEE 802.3af (Standard PoE) Also known as Type 1, this standard deines a power source o 44–57 volts and the maximum power output o a port to be no more than 15.4 watts. Used or voice over the Internet (VoIP) and Wi-Fi APs. DOMAIN 2.0 Objective 2.2 TABLE 2.2-1 IEEE PoE Standards IEEE Standard Type PD Min. Power PSE Max. Power Cable 802.3a 802.3at 802.3bt 802.3bt 1 2 3 4 12.95 W 25 W 51–60 W 71–90 W 15.4 W 30 W 60 W 100 W Cat5e Cat5e Cat5e Cat5e • • IEEE 802.3at (PoE+) Also known as Type 2, this standard is essentially an update to the 802.3a standard. However, the 802.3at standard doesn’t replace or obsolete the earlier standard and is backward compatible with it. PoE+ supplies a range o 50–57 volts. Each port o a PSE can supply up to 30 watts o power, but not less than 25 watts. PoE+ supports LCD displays, biometric sensors, and tablets. IEEE 802.3bt (PoE++) Also known as Type 3 and Type 4, these two standards increase the maximum PoE power by sending additional power over two or more previously unused pairs o Ethernet cables: • Type 3 (PoE++) Carries up to 60 watts on each PoE port with a minimum power o 51 watts on a single RJ-45 cable. • Type 4 (higher-power PoE) Supplies maximum power o 100 watts on each port o a PSE and ensures a minimum o 71 watts. Table 2.2-1 summarizes the speciications o the PoE standards. Injectors A PoE injector (also known as a midspan) is plugged into a standard Ethernet cable coming rom a switch and a source o AC power. The injector adds the power to the Ethernet cable running rom the injector to the PoE device. Switch A PoE switch detects whether connected devices are standard Ethernet devices or PoE devices. It supplies power to PoE devices but does not supply power to standard Ethernet devices. Hub An Ethernet hub resembles a switch but takes a signal rom one port and blindly broadcasts it out the others. This slows down traic, and to make matters worse, hubs subdivide the total bandwidth o the network by the number o connected devices. Take, or example, a 100Base-T (Fast Ethernet) network. Use a switch, and you get the ull 100-Mbps speed to each port. Replace that switch with a hub, and i you have our devices connected, the eective speed per port is only 25 Mbps. Don’t use Ethernet hubs (USB hubs, on the other hand, are very useul). 55 56 Mike Meyers’ CompTIA A+ Core 1 Certifcation Passport Optical Network Terminal Fiber-to-the-curb/-cabinet (FTTC), iber-to-the-premises (FTTP), and iber-to-the-home (FTTH) are becoming more and more available throughout the United States and in many countries around the world. I you subscribe to a iber optic service or Internet, you’ll ind that just like most all other communication service types, there is a device that serves as the demarcation point (demarc). In a iber installation, the demarc is a device or which the responsibility or the service connection is divided. The service provider is responsible or all aspects o the service (quality, availability, speed, and so on) rom its originating source, like a central oice (CO). The subscriber is responsible or the service either at or beyond the demarc (as it enters the premises). The responsibility o the demarc and the service responsibility change are typically tied to who owns the demarc. In a iber optic service, the demarc can be an optical network terminal (ONT), or the service provider may install a termination unit as the demarc, as illustrated in Figure 2.2-7. This device operates like a modem that is converting digital to analog and back again. An ONT, however, converts light signaling into electrical impulses, and vice versa. An ONT device can be about the same size as a cable modem but may also be the size o a bathroom medicine cabinet. Typically, an ONT is installed out o sight in a utility or service area. Cable/DSL Modem At one time, DSL was one o the more common types o broadband services or SOHO networks. However, it’s now just one o several services available or SOHO Internet connections, along with cable, satellite, and wireless. The A+ Core 1 (220-1101) exam ocuses on only two o these services: cable and DSL. This section looks at the dierences between these services and their respective modem interaces. Cable Modem Cable uses regular RG-6 or RG-59 cable TV lines to provide upload speeds rom 1 to 20 Mbps and download speeds rom 6 Mbps to 1+ Gbps. Cable Internet connections are theoretically Demarc FTTH D ONT Network cable Fiber optic cable Router FIGURE 2.2-7 An ONT provides the conversion between fiber optic service and a premises network. DOMAIN 2.0 Objective 2.2 FIGURE 2.2-8 Cable modem with VoIP telephone support available anywhere you can get cable TV. The cable connects to a cable modem that itsel connects (via Ethernet) to a small home router or your NIC. Some cable modems also include support or VoIP telephony, such as the one shown in Figure 2.2-8. DSL Modem A digital subscriber line (DSL) modem connects to a standard RJ-11 telephone line, enabling the conversion o high-speed digital signals to and rom the telephone line. DSL modems requently are combined with wireless routers and are reerred to as DSL gateways. DSL speeds vary widely rom location to location because the greater the distance rom the DSL modem to the telephone company’s central switch, the slower the perormance. Cross-Reference To learn more about DSL service, see the “DSL” section in Objective 2.7. Network Interface Card A network interface card (NIC) was originally an add-on card that connected a computer to an Ethernet or other wired network. Although most computers and network devices use integrated wired or wireless network connections instead o a card, the term NIC is used or both network cards and integrated network adapters. Older computers can use PCI-based NICs, while current computers can use PCIe NICs, such as the wireless NIC shown in Figure 2.2-9. I a computer needs an upgrade to a aster or more capable NIC, it’s usually easier to use a USB NIC, like the one shown in Figure 2.2-10. Tablets and other devices with USB ports but no Ethernet ports can use a USB to Ethernet adapter (see Figure 2.2-11). 57 58 Mike Meyers’ CompTIA A+ Core 1 Certifcation Passport FIGURE 2.2-9 Wireless PCIe add-on NIC FIGURE 2.2-10 External USB wireless NIC DOMAIN 2.0 Objective 2.2 FIGURE 2.2-11 External USB to Ethernet adapter Each network adapter (or NIC) has a 48-bit built-in binary media access control (MAC) address that uniquely identiies it. Beore a NIC sends data out, it breaks that data into transmission-riendly frames (see Figure 2.2-12), each tagged with the MAC address o the sender and recipient, along with inormation the receiver can use to detect any possible errors. A network switch uses the MAC address to orward rames to the port on which the correct host can be reached. NOTE A cyclic redundancy check (CRC) is a common mechanism for detecting data transmission errors. FIGURE 2.2-12 Generic frame 59 60 Mike Meyers’ CompTIA A+ Core 1 Certifcation Passport Software-Dened Networking Unlike hardware-based networking—where the conigurations o a network’s switches, routers, and irewalls speciy its operations, pathing, and decisions—software-defined networking (SDN) provides an approach to network management that enables the network coniguration to be set using dynamic, programmatic settings to deine the network environment. SDN provides a more lexible way to conigure a network’s operation, perormance, and monitoring unctions. SDN is more like cloud computing than traditional hardwarebased network management. An SDN network is deined on three layers: an application layer, a control layer, and an inrastructure layer. This architecture isn’t something you need to know or the exam, but what each layer represents may help you to answer a question in which SDN is material. The application layer o an SDN contains hardware or sotware edge devices, such as a load balancer or a irewall (or both) and other mechanisms that operate at the edge o the network. The control layer contains the device (or example, a router or switch) that runs the sotware and acts as the brains or the network. The inrastructure layer is made up o the switching systems and devices that direct the low o network traic. The most important element o all o this is that the unctions and interactions o the SDN layers are sotware-deined. REVIEW Objective 2.2: Compare and contrast common networking hardware • • • • • • • • • Networks interconnect devices or communication and sharing resources. Network components share a connectivity standard, an addressing method, and protocols. A router connects LANs to WANs, and a switch connects devices on a LAN. Switches use the MAC address o a device, and routers use IP addresses to orward data to a destination. A LAN is a group o networked computers in close proximity, and a WAN is a group o computers on multiple LANs connected with long-distance technologies. Each port on a managed switch can be conigured with dierent settings. An unmanaged switch has no management eatures. An AP centrally connects wireless network nodes into a WLAN. A irewall protects an internal network rom unauthorized access to and rom external networks. A network irewall can be either hardware or sotware. PoE devices provide electrical power over cables that carry both electrical power and transmitted data. An Ethernet hub takes a signal rom one port and broadcasts it to all its other ports. An ONT is a iber optic service’s demarc that converts light into electrical impulses, and vice versa. DOMAIN 2.0 Objective 2.2 • • A DSL modem converts high-speed digital signals to and rom the telephone line. A cable modem perorms the same unction on a cable service line. An SDN network is deined on three layers: an application layer, a control layer, and an inrastructure layer, which contain hardware or sotware edge devices, the control sotware, and the switching systems, respectively, that deine and control a network. 2.2 QUESTIONS 1. Company A wants to create two separate networks in a building but only wants to use a single-point connection. Which o the ollowing does the company need? A. Unmanaged switch B. Router C. Hub D. Managed switch 2. You wish to install a digital PoE security camera over an outside storage area that requires 60 watts o power. To operate, what is the minimum PoE standard or this camera? A. PoE+ B. Standard PoE C. Type 3 PoE++ D. PoE is not available or digital cameras. 3. Company B has just moved into a new building and has ound an existing Internet connection that use RG-6 wiring. Which o the ollowing is being used? A. Cable B. DSL C. PoE D. Fiber 4. Your client is a company that has two locations in the same city, both o which get their Internet service rom the same provider in the same city. Both locations use the same type o service, but one location has service that is about three to ive times aster than the other. What type o service is most likely being used? A. Cable B. Satellite C. DSL D. PoE 61 62 Mike Meyers’ CompTIA A+ Core 1 Certifcation Passport 5. What eature o all network adapters can be used to determine which device a rame is sent rom or going to? A. B. C. D. IP address MAC address Switch port Router 2.2 ANSWERS 1. D A managed switch can be used to create multiple networks. 2. C A 60-watt PoE device requires Type 3 PoE++ standard support. 3. A RG-6 is a type o wiring used or cable Internet and cable TV. 4. C DSL service varies widely in speed, which is dependent on the distance rom a client site to the central switch (central oice) used by the phone company; longer distances have slower connections. 5. B Every network adapter, including those built into other devices, has a unique 48-bit MAC address. Objective 2.3 Compare and contrast protocols for wireless networking S etting up a small oice/home oice (SOHO) network is a great way to learn about networking and its beneits, such as easy ile sharing and more lexible printing. The principles and methods you learn in this objective will help you understand the operations o wireless networking protocols. Frequencies The U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) work together to provide intererence-ree transmission across the spectrum o RF bands. The ITU’s authority also extends to assigning satellite orbits and developing and coordinating worldwide technical standards. Figure 2.3-1 shows a graphic o the requency allocations in U.S. radio spectrum. ADDITIONAL RESOURCES For a better view of the poster shown in Figure 2.3-1, visit the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) at www.ntia.doc.gov/files/ntia/publications/january_2016_spectrum_wall_chart.pdf. DOMAIN 2.0 Objective 2.3 FIGURE 2.3-1 The frequency allocations in U.S. radio spectrum The two primary radio requency bands used in SOHO wireless networks are those that contain the 2.4-GHz and 5-GHz requencies. These requency bands are unlicensed, meaning there is no registration or licensing ees or requirements or their use. Industrial, Scientific, and Medical Bands The Industrial, Scientiic, and Medical (ISM) bands were originally designated or use by machinery that emits RF signals as a by-product o its use, such as welders, heaters, and microwave ovens. In 1985, these bands were opened or use with mobile communications and LAN networking. The ISM bands are open and ree to use without restriction. However, the downside to using ISM bands is that ISM bands are used or other purposes beside Wi-Fi. Many household, irst responder, microwave, and several other wireless connections are also permitted to use these requencies. As shown in Table 2.3-1, the ISM bands used in Wi-Fi are in the 2.40-GHz to 2.48-GHz band and the 5.73-GHz to 5.83-GHz band. ISM bands are the basis o two IEEE 802.11 standards: 802.11b and 802.11g. Within these standards, wireless devices communicate over nonoverlapping channels (channels 1, 6, and 11), as shown in Figure 2.3-2. All other channels overlap one or more other channels, making them unreliable to use. 63 64 Mike Meyers’ CompTIA A+ Core 1 Certifcation Passport TABLE 2.3-1 Bandwidth for the ISM RF Bands Band Designation ISM Band/Devices Max Bandwidth Industrial Scientiic Medical 902–928 MHz 2.4–2.48 GHz 5.725–5.825 GHz 26 MHz 100 MHz 150 MHz 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 2.412 2.417 2.422 2.427 2.432 2.437 2.442 2.447 2.452 2.457 2.462 2.467 2.472 Channel 1 Channel 6 FIGURE 2.3-2 14 2.484 Channel 11 The channels in a wireless frequency band Unlicensed National Information Infrastructure Bands The Unlicensed National Inormation Inrastructure (UNII) bands include three separate requency bands: UNII-1 (lower bands), UNII-2 (middle bands), and UNII-3 (upper bands), as shown in Table 2.3-2. Each o these requency groupings is 100 MHz wide. Like the ISM bands, UNII bands are unlicensed. Channels Each o the 802.11-based wireless network standards uses a single requency range in either o the two radio band allocations (ISM or UNII) or sending and receiving data. Although 14 ISM channels are deined internationally, not all the channels can be used in certain countries. In the U.S., the FCC identiies only 11 channels, or example. Each o the 11 U.S. channels is 5 MHz in width. Unortunately, in the 11-channel designation, only channels 1, 6, and 11 are available or use on a wireless local area network (WLAN), as these channels aren’t overlapped by other channels, as illustrated in Figure 2.3-2. TABLE 2.3-2 Standard UNII Bands Band Designation ISM Band/Devices UNII-1 Low UNII-2 Middle UNII-3 Upper 5.15–5.25 GHz 5.25–5.35 GHz 5.725–5.825 GHz DOMAIN 2.0 Objective 2.3 TABLE 2.3-3 UNII Non-overlapping Channels UNII Band Non-overlapping Channels Available UNII-1 UNII-2 UNII-3 36, 40, 44, 48 52, 56, 60, 64 149, 153, 157, 161, 165 The UNII requencies have 24 non-overlapping channels that can be used on a WLAN, but not all are available on each o the UNII band levels. Table 2.3-3 lists the non-overlapping channels available or each o the bands. Wireless Networking Standards Wi-Fi, or wireless networking, is made up o a series o standards published by the IEEE. These standards deine dierent levels o range, bandwidth, and compatibility with other standards or the medium in a WLAN. For each o the Wi-Fi standards, all o which are in the 802.11 series, two primary measurements are used to dierentiate them: speed and requency. Speed designates the amount o data a standard can transmit rom one wireless device to another in millions o bits per second, or Mbps. Frequency speciies the RF requency o the wireless medium. Table 2.3-4 lists these characteristics or the current wireless standards. EXAM TIP You should know the characteristics of the various Wi-Fi/802.11 standards for the A+ Core 1 exam. TABLE 2.3-4 Current Wireless Network Standards Name Standard Speed Range Indoor/Outdoor Frequency Wi-Fi 1 Wi-Fi 2 Wi-Fi 3 Wireless-N/ Wi-Fi 4 Gigabit Wi-Fi/ Wi-Fi 5 AX Wi-Fi/ Wi-Fi 6 Wi-Fi 6E 802.11b 802.11a 802.11g 802.11n 11 Mbps 54 Mbps 54 Mbps 100 Mbps 115 eet/460 eet 115 eet/390 eet 125 eet/460 eet 230 eet/820 eet 802.11ac 1.3 Gbps 115 eet 2.4 GHz 5 GHz 2.4 GHz 2.4 GHz/ 5 GHz 5 GHz 802.11ax 9.6 Gbps 200 eet/3000 eet 802.11ax 10.8 Gbps 50 eet 2.4 GHz/ 5 GHz 6 GHz 65 66 Mike Meyers’ CompTIA A+ Core 1 Certifcation Passport NOTE Wi-Fi 5, or 802.11ac, operates only in the 5-GHz band. However, Wi-Fi 4, Wi-Fi 6, and after are dual-band and operate in either the 2.4-GHz or 5-GHz band. Bluetooth As explained in Objective 1.4, Bluetooth devices communicate directly with each other. Whereas a wireless LAN needs an intermediary device, such as a router or an access point, Bluetooth devices are able to connect directly by “pairing.” Bluetooth data transmission uses a limited-distance requency between 2.1 and 2.48 GHz that a wireless network may also use. A Bluetooth device operates on either Bluetooth Low Energy (LE), which is the more popular o the two types, or legacy Bluetooth, which is also called Basic Rate/Enhanced Data Rate (BR/EDR). Bluetooth LE has a lower data transer rate (1 to 2 Mbps) than the Bluetooth BR/ EDR, which operates at 3 Mbps. Bluetooth devices, such as computing and handheld devices, can be all or part o a personal area network (PAN), which is accomplished by pairing Bluetooth devices together (important to remember or the exam). The ollowing section provides a basic outline o the pairing process or a Bluetooth device. Enabling and Pairing Bluetooth Beore you can connect via Bluetooth one device with another, you must irst enable the Bluetooth capability on the device(s). Enabled Bluetooth devices can then be paired to establish interaction between them. For example, you can pair two smartphones together or a PC to a keyboard, mouse, printer, or another Bluetooth device. Assuming the device you wish to pair with has Bluetooth active and ready, the ollowing sections describe the steps you need to take on a Windows, macOS, or Linux device to enable and pair it. Windows 10/11 To enable Bluetooth on a Windows 10 or Windows 11 device, do the ollowing: 1. Open the Settings app rom the Start menu. 2. Choose Devices to open the Bluetooth & Other Devices page. 3. Move the slide switch to On to enable Bluetooth (see Figure 2.3-3). Once Bluetooth is enabled on a Windows device, it can be paired with (connected to) another Bluetooth device. On a Windows device, open the Settings | Devices | Bluetooth & Other Devices page, as described. Click the plus sign associated with the Add a Bluetooth or Other Device option, and the Add a Device applet page will appear (see Figure 2.3-4). Choose Bluetooth to open the page that lists the Bluetooth devices within range to which your device can be paired. Choose the device to complete the pairing. DOMAIN 2.0 Objective 2.3 FIGURE 2.3-3 The Bluetooth & Other Devices settings page FIGURE 2.3-4 The Add a Device applet is used to pair Bluetooth devices to a Windows device. Many Bluetooth devices, such as wireless headsets, mice, keyboards, and the like, will ask or a PIN code (number) to complete the pairing. For most devices, the pairing process is timed, which means you only have about 30 seconds (or less) to complete the pairing. Typically, this code is ound in the device’s user manual or on a sticker on the device itsel. I you cannot ind the code cannot, access the manuacturer’s website or contact them directly. macOS To enable Bluetooth on an Apple macOS device, use the ollowing steps: 1. On the Control Center or on the menu bar, click the Bluetooth icon (see Figure 2.3-5). 2. Click the Bluetooth switch to On (to enable) or O (to disable). NOTE On a macOS system, turning off Bluetooth may also disable hotspot and other services. 67 68 Mike Meyers’ CompTIA A+ Core 1 Certifcation Passport FIGURE 2.3-5 The Bluetooth symbol To pair a Bluetooth device to macOS, make sure the device is on and Bluetooth is enabled. Open System Preerences on the Apple menu and click Bluetooth to list the devices in range and choose the device. Enter the passcode i required. Linux On a Linux system, depending on its distro, the required daemons are bluez, gnomebluetooth, Xoe, LXDE, and i3, all o which are typically available in the blueman package. To start the Bluetooth daemon, enter the command sudo apt-get Bluetooth start in the Terminal. To pair a Bluetooth device to a Linux system, use the ollowing series o commands at the command line: 1. Check the Bluetooth status: sudo systemctl status Bluetooth 2. Enable Bluetooth discovery: bluetoothctl discoverable on 3. List Bluetooth devices in range: bluetoothctl scan on 4. Pair with a device: bluetoothctl pair <MAC address> 5. Connect to the paired device: bluetoothctl connect <MAC address> 6. Set the paired device to trust status: bluetoothctl trust <MAC address> 7. List paired devices: bluetoothctl paired-devices Long-Range Fixed Wireless Oten the cost o pulling cable over long distances to provide access to rural homes and businesses isn’t easible. In this case, alternative solutions, such as digital subscriber line (DSL), satellite, and ixed wireless access (FWA), can provide access to Internet-based resources. DOMAIN 2.0 Objective 2.3 DSL may not be a viable solution in all situations. It has distance limitations and may not be available. Satellite and FWA may also not be viable as they are point-to-point and typically line-o-sight (LoS) services. Satellite services require the installation o a dish and typically have expensive bandwidth increments. FWA does require an antenna, but it is smaller than a satellite dish. Like satellite, FWA doesn’t require long pulls o iber optic and copper cables or last mile connection. I you have a satellite service, such as Dish Network, DirectTV, or Hughes Internet, you are already using a orm o FWA. FWA isn’t a new technology, and it’s possible you use some orm o it, in one way or another, including 4G/LTE and Wi-MAX, both o which have proven to be expensive to install and operate. The deployment o 5G Fixed Wireless Access (5G-FWA) or any o the ixed wireless legacy systems, such as Local Multipoint Distribution Services (LMDS) and ISM 2.4-MHz point-to-point services, will depend on local ordinances and policy. IEEE 802.11ah The IEEE 802.11ah standard deines a WLAN that operates on an unlicensed 1-GHz band. Its lower requency gives it a longer transmission range than other Wi-Fi WLAN standards. IEEE 802.11ah is used or extended-range hotspots and cellular traic oloading. Local Multichannel Distribution Service Local multichannel distribution service (LMDS) has proven to be a cost-eective two-way wireless LoS microwave service or all Internet media types. In the U.S., LMDS operates on the 28-GHz requency band (the EU uses 40 GHz), which is limited to a range o two or three miles, depending on what may be encountered in its path. Licensed Frequencies In the U.S., the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) controls who can broadcast on the available RF spectrums. Licensed bands o the RF spectrum are assigned (or a ee) to broadcasting and cellular networks, among others. A licensed RF band grants the holder the sole right to broadcast their signals over one speciic requency in a speciied geographic area (or example, your avorite radio station might broadcast on the licensed requency o 98.7 FM). EXAM TIP For the A+ Core 1 exam, you should know and understand what longrange fixed wireless is and how it’s used as well as the difference between licensed and unlicensed frequencies. You should also have a general understanding of the power and signal strength elements of wireless signaling. 69 70 Mike Meyers’ CompTIA A+ Core 1 Certifcation Passport WLAN Devices: Power and Signal Strength In a WLAN, transmitting and receiving devices convert wired signals to wireless signals and back again. The signals transmitted between the wireless devices are in the orm o radio requency signals, which can attenuate over set distances, depending on the signal strength. The primary signal strength and the power o the transmission are deined by the ollowing: • • • Radio transmit power Measured in decibel mW to indicate the power level o a transmitted signal. Equivalent isotopically radiated power (EIRP) The equivalent o the transmit power less the signal strength loss between the transmitter and the antenna plus the signal strength gain o the antenna. Received signal strength indicator (RSSI) As its name says, this is the measurement o the signal strength received at any receiver within the range o a WLAN. It indicates the signal strength residual ater distance and obstacle attenuations. Near-Field Communication Near-field communication (NFC) allows wireless devices to communicate with other wireless devices within a range o 4 centimeters (cm), or about 1.6 inches. NFC transmits and receives RF waves, which can make it seem much like Bluetooth, RFID, or even Zigbee, but NFC diers because its signal generation is produced rom electromagnetic induction. This allows passive devices with no power source to transmit to an active device, such as a smartphone or tablet, that enters its range. NFC has three modes o operations: read/write, card emulation, and peer-to-peer, which has been redacted. NFC is most commonly used with tap-to-go payment systems, such as Apple Pay, Google Pay, and other orm o cashless payment services. Radio-Frequency Identication Radio-requency identiication (RFID) is a technology in which digital data, burned into labels or tags, is emitted as RF waves that can be received by nearby readers. RFID is an automatic identiication and data capture (AIDC) technology that automatically identiies objects, collects data about them, and inputs the data into another system without external intervention. At its core, an RFID system has three components: an RFID tag or label, a reader, and an antenna. An RFID tag or label contains an integrated circuit and an antenna that transmits data to an RFID reader on a receiver device. The reader converts the signal into usable data that is transerred to a host computer system and then stored. RFID devices can be used or asset, inventory, and people tracking as well as to limit access into controlled areas. RFID technology is also used in ID badges. DOMAIN 2.0 Objective 2.3 REVIEW Objective 2.3: Compare and contrast protocols for wireless networking • • • • • • • The two primary RF spectrums used in SOHO wireless networks are the unlicensed ISM and UNII spectrums (2.4 GHz and 5 GHz, respectively). ISM WLAN devices communicate over non-overlapping channels (channels 1, 6, and 11). The IEEE 802.11 wireless networking standards have evolved rom the 802.11a to the current 802.11ax. Wi-Fi 802.11 standards use two measurements to dierentiate them: speed and requency. Speed designates the data transmitted in Mbps. Frequency speciies the RF requency. Bluetooth devices communicate directly, but a WLAN requires an intermediary device, such as a router or an access point. Bluetooth transmits on a limited-distance requency between 2.1 and 2.48 GHz in the ISM requencies. NFC wireless devices communicate in a range o 4 cm. NFC has three modes o operations: read/write, card emulation, and peer-to-peer. RFID labels or tags emit RF waves that can be received by nearby readers. RFID systems have three components: an RFID tag or label, a reader, and an antenna. 2.3 QUESTIONS 1. The wireless LAN RF requencies are speciied in the 2.4-GHz and 5-GHz ranges, which are known commonly as what? (Choose two.) A. ISM B. WLAN C. NTIA D. UNII 2. Bluetooth transmits on a limited-distance requency between which two ISM requencies? A. 2.57 GHz to 2.8 GHz B. 2.1 GHz to 2.48 GHz C. 5.725 GHz to 5.825 GHz D. 28 GHz to 36 GHz 3. Which o the ollowing is not one o the actors used to deine the primary signal strength and transmission power o an RF wireless signal? A. Radio transmit power B. EIRP C. RSSI D. DHCP 71 72 Mike Meyers’ CompTIA A+ Core 1 Certifcation Passport 4. What is the maximum range o NFC wireless devices? A. 4 cm B. 4.6 inches C. 4 mm D. 4 mW 5. Which o the ollowing is not a component o an RFID system? A. RFID tag B. RFID label C. RFID printer D. RFID reader 6. Which Wi-Fi standard has a maximum speed o 9.6 Gbps and uses the 2.4-GHz and 5.8-GHz requencies? A. 802.11ac B. 802.11n C. 802.11ax D. 802.11z 2.3 ANSWERS 1. A D 2. B 3. ISM requencies begin with 2.4 GHz, and UNII requencies begin with 5 GHz. Bluetooth transmits on a limited-distance requency between 2.1 GHz to 2.48 GHz. D DHCP is not a actor o the primary signal strength and transmission power o an RF wireless signal. 4. A The maximum range o NFC wireless devices is 4 cm. 5. C RFID systems are wireless and do not print physical elements. 6. C 802.11ax, also known as Wi-Fi 6, has a maximum speed o 9.6 Gbps and uses the 2.4- and 5.8-GHz requencies. Objective 2.4 N Summarize services provided by networked hosts etwork hosts can be used as servers to provide ile, print, and other types o services; as network appliances to provide security and network protection eatures; and as embedded and legacy devices to provide ATM, traic light, machine control, and other specialized services. DOMAIN 2.0 Objective 2.4 Server Roles A server is any computer or device that provides services to connected devices. Depending on the size and types o networks in use, some servers are built into devices such as routers, and some computers on the network can perorm server roles. The ollowing sections describe these roles. EXAM TIP Know the various server roles by name and function. For example, know that a syslog server is used to store (log) events and can send alerts to administrators. DHCP Server A Dynamic Host Coniguration Protocol (DHCP) server provides IP addresses, deault gateways, and other network settings such as DNS server addresses to connected devices. Typically, a DHCP server’s unction is incorporated into a device such as a router on a small oice/home oice (SOHO) network. However, larger networks might use dedicated DHCP servers. DNS Server A Domain Name Service (DNS) server maintains a database o IP addresses and their matching host names. When a host name, such as www.totalsem.com, is entered into a web browser, the DNS server used by that system matches that host name to the appropriate IP address. DNS servers are provided by ISPs as well as by public DNS services such as Google DNS and OpenDNS. Although your device typically is conigured with DNS servers by the DHCP server, it is possible to manually conigure the DNS servers you preer. File Server A file server or a file share stores iles that are used by other computers and devices on a network. For residential or small business networks, a ile server–like unction can be enabled through ile sharing on Windows, Linux, or macOS computers. Larger organization networks typically use dedicated ile servers and computers. File server hardware generally eatures very large high-speed storage devices, high-perormance network adapters, and suicient memory to support the server sotware it hosts. Print Server A print server manages a network print queue or printers that are attached to the server or are connected directly to the network. Depending on the network, a single physical server might be used or both ile and print server tasks, or separate servers might be used. 73 74 Mike Meyers’ CompTIA A+ Core 1 Certifcation Passport Mail Server A mail server sends and receives e-mail. Incoming servers (where you check or new e-mail) typically use Post Office Protocol version 3 (POP3) or Internet Message Access Protocol version 4 (IMAP4), while outgoing servers (where you send e-mail) use Simple Mail Transfer Protocol (SMTP). These addresses come rom your e-mail provider (usually your ISP, company, school, or other organization). Syslog Syslog is a protocol that network devices use to send event messages to a server that logs them or viewing. The syslog server can send alerts that can be reviewed by network administrators. Syslog is not natively supported on Windows, but third-party sotware can be used to convert messages rom Windows apps into syslog-compatible messages. ADDITIONAL RESOURCES To learn more about syslog, see the article “The Original Windows Syslog Server” at https://www.winsyslog.com/. Web Server A web server runs sotware designed or serving websites. For example, Microsot Internet Inormation Services (IIS) unctionality is available as an optional eature o Windows Server and business-oriented editions o Windows 10 and Windows 11. Most Linux distributions include Apache or Nginx web servers. Apache can also be used on macOS. Authentication, Authorization, and Accounting Server An authentication, authorization, and accounting (AAA) server program processes user requests to authenticate (identiy) that the requestor is valid, may be authorized or speciic access levels, and is to be tracked by audit and accounting unctions. Authentication typically requires the veriication o a user name and password, but additional actors can be used or required. Authorization assigns the predeined rights and permissions o an authenticated user to control access and action with resources. Accounting is the tracking mechanism in use to record the actions and results o the user. An AAA server veriies the user’s identity and controls and tracks access to system resources while the user is logged in to a network. Examples o AAA servers include RADIUS servers used by WPA2 and WPA3 encryption on corporate networks and servers that inspect RSA tokens provided by users with RSA key obs. DOMAIN 2.0 Objective 2.4 Internet Appliance Internet appliances are special-purpose devices that are incorporated into networks, typically to provide various types or levels o network security. The ollowing sections provide a brie overview o the types o Internet appliances you need to know or the CompTIA A+ 220-1101 exam. Spam Gateways Anti-spam appliances (aka spam gateways) are devices that use onboard sotware to ilter out incoming spam e-mail messages and instant messaging (or “spim”) to prevent them rom entering a system. Spam gateway devices are primarily in use in enterprise organizations, but many ISPs, academic institutions, and small businesses also employ some version o this unction. Unified Threat Management Unified threat management (UTM) involves the use o hardware or sotware to provide a combination o several security unctions. Typically, a UTM device provides security protections that may include irewall, remote access, VPN support, web traic iltering, anti-malware, and network intrusion prevention. UTM replaces the need to install separate devices or systems or each o its supported security unctions. A UTM solution can be a specialized appliance that is placed between an internal network and an end or gateway device, or it may be installed on a virtual machine running cloud-based services. EXAM TIP Know the purposes of and understand the differences between Internet appliances such as UTM devices, intrusion detection systems (IDSs), and intrusion prevention systems (IPSs). For example, an IDS can identify threats and send alerts. However, the more powerful IPS can actually act on the threat and possibly stop it! Load Balancers The purpose o a load balancer is to spread out the processing required to respond to incoming request traic as evenly as possible, or desired, across a group o network or speciic-purpose servers. Load balancers typically sit on the network between client devices and the servers to be balanced. Incoming requests are assigned to the next available server with the capability o processing the request. Proxy Server A proxy server is an intermediary between its users and the resources they request. Applications send requests to the proxy server instead o trying to access the Internet directly, and the proxy server etches the resources on behal o the users. This enables the proxy server to monitor usage, to restrict access to or modiy insecure or objectionable content, as well as to 75 76 Mike Meyers’ CompTIA A+ Core 1 Certifcation Passport cache, compress, or strip out resources to improve perormance—and more. Enterprise proxy servers are usually implemented as sotware running on a multipurpose server. EXAM TIP Many security appliances include context-based rules called data loss prevention (DLP) to avoid data leaks. DLP scans outgoing packets and stops the flow if they break a rule. Legacy/Embedded Systems Networked devices don’t necessarily look like computers. Many are, but you can ind narrow-purpose computers or servers embedded in all sorts o machines and other equipment— CompTIA calls these legacy/embedded systems. It can be easy to overlook networked devices embedded in this equipment, but they may represent massive investments your network must remain compatible with. Some examples o legacy/embedded systems include machine controllers, digital watches, digital music players, traic light controllers, aviation equipment, bank ATMs, and more. I these systems are running operating systems that are no longer supported with security or other patches (such as Windows XP or Windows 7), they represent a signiicant security threat. Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition Supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) systems perorm real-time data collection or analysis o the eiciency, cost reduction, and operation improvements in an industrial setting. Because there can be an almost overwhelming amount o data available, SCADA is used to help organizations select and access speciic data and control the unctions o the equipment and machinery involved. SCADA applications can be used to view, collect, analyze, and graph a range o process characteristics, such as temperature, power consumption, operating levels, and many other measurable conditions. Internet of Things Devices Internet of Things (IoT) devices, also called “smart devices,” include those devices and objects capable o being connected to a WAN or the Internet. IoT devices, or “things,” is an ever expanding group, but characteristically they are devices that have the capability to send and receive data over a network. This includes automobiles, home appliances, smartphones and watches, residential and security lighting, home security detection and alarm systems, and more. For example, a car may have a system that helps it locate an empty parking space, or a rerigerator can alert its owner when the inventory o a required ood or liquid item alls below a certain level. DOMAIN 2.0 Objective 2.4 REVIEW Objective 2.4: Summarize services provided by networked hosts • • • • • • • • • • • • Web servers run sotware that serves websites. File servers store iles and olders or use on the network. Print servers manage network print queues. DHCP servers provide IP addresses to connected devices. DNS servers handle DNS/IP address lookups. Proxy servers reroute requests or Internet content to their own copy o that content, or they can block requests. Mail servers send and receive e-mail. Authentication servers veriy a user’s identity. The syslog protocol is used to send event messages to a server where they can be logged and viewed. Internet appliance categories include spam gateways, load balancers, IDSs, IPSs, UTM devices, and end-point management servers, all o which can be used to protect the network. Legacy/embedded systems such as ATMs and machine controllers represent a signiicant security threat i their operating systems are no longer being patched. SCADA systems perorm real-time data collection or analysis o the eiciency, cost reduction, and operation improvements in an industrial setting. IoT devices include automobiles, home appliances, smartphones and watches, residential and security lighting, home security detection and alarm systems, and more! 2.4 QUESTIONS 1. Microsot IIS and Apache are examples o which type o server? A. DHCP server B. File server C. Web server D. Print server 2. Company H is setting up a RADIUS server as part o its wireless network. This server will perorm which o the ollowing tasks? A. Mail server B. Authentication server C. Proxy server D. Print server 77 78 Mike Meyers’ CompTIA A+ Core 1 Certifcation Passport 3. Company J wants to install an Internet appliance that will provide protection as well as load balancing and VPN services. Which o the ollowing categories has the device they need? A. B. C. D. IPS DLP IDS UTM 4. Your client’s network is able to receive e-mail but unable to send it. Which o the ollowing is not working? A. SMTP B. UTM C. Authentication server D. DNS server 5. Your department is considering an Internet appliance. Which o the ollowing is the most likely reason to get one? A. Print serving B. Security C. Wireless AP D. Web server 2.4 ANSWERS 1. C These are examples o web servers. 2. B A RADIUS server is used or authentication on a WPA2 or WPA3 Wi-Fi enterprise network. 3. D UTM (uniied threat management) includes broad protection against threats as well as bundles network security services. 4. A SMTP (Simple Mail Transer Protocol) is used to send e-mail messages. I this protocol is disabled or blocked, e-mail cannot be sent. 5. B Internet appliances are used to provide additional security eatures to an Internet connection. DOMAIN 2.0 Objective 2.5 Objective 2.5 Given a scenario, install and congure basic wired/wireless small ofce/home ofce (SOHO) networks S mall oice/home oice (SOHO) networks tend to be simpler in design and layout, and they typically have ewer components than the networks in larger organizations and enterprises. This doesn’t mean that the same network unctions aren’t required, because they are. A SOHO network oten uses a single device to implement multiple network processes, but this capability isn’t always available. This objective provides an overview o the processes used to conigure and install a basic network, wired or wireless, in a SOHO setting. Internet Protocol Addressing The most important activity in the coniguration o a network, regardless o its size, is the assignment o its Internet Protocol (IP) addressing scheme. On Ethernet networks, which most SOHO networks are, the addressing choices are Layer 2 Media Access Control (MAC) addresses (also called physical addresses) and IP version 4 (IPv4) or IP version 6 (IPv6) addresses (also called logical addresses). MAC addresses are the deault addressing on any Ethernet network. Each component capable o communicating on the network’s medium is permanently assigned a MAC address by its manuacturer. I the communication between one network node and another remains totally on the local network, only the MAC address is needed. However, should network communication need to exit the local network and be orwarded on a WAN or the Internet, IP addressing becomes a necessary part o the coniguration o the network and each o its nodes. A network address, also called a logical address, must uniquely identiy any device capable o communicating on the network medium, regardless o the medium being wireline (or wired) or wireless. A network address becomes the means by which a device is located on the network. In the addressing schemes o a TCP/IP network, an IP address identiies both a device and the network on which it resides. There are two versions o IP: IPv4 and IPv6. The ollowing sections cover their essentials eatures and dierences. EXAM TIP Know the differences between IPv4 and IPv6. For example, an IPv4 address uses 32 bits while an IPv6 address uses 128 bits. 79 80 Mike Meyers’ CompTIA A+ Core 1 Certifcation Passport IPv4 Addresses An IPv4 address is expressed in dotted-octet notation, which ormats the address in our sets o eight binary numbers (octets), separated by periods (or dots). Network devices see IP addresses in binary orm (or example, 11001010.00100010.00010000.00001011), but this isn’t human-riendly. Thereore, the dotted-decimal orm is used to express the IPv4 address (or example, 202.34.16.11), which is easier or people to read. The IPv4 standard reserves certain address ranges or special purposes and uses. Table 2.5-1 lists these special-purpose address ranges. Loopback Addresses An IPv4 loopback address is the logical address assigned to the network adapter in a computer or network-capable device. On most computers, the loopback address reers to the network interace controller (NIC) or its network adapter. Because the address range o the lookback address block is a set standard, the loopback address is almost always the same on all network-enabled computers. This means that on any single PC, the loopback address is likely to be 127.0.0.1. The same is true or any other PC, even i it’s on the same network. Network-capable devices, especially computers, can have multiple network adapters (reerred to as being “multihomed”). In this case, each o the network adapters is assigned a dierent loopback address rom the 127.0.0.0–127.255.255.255 loopback address range. Private Addresses When it began to be apparent that the available IPv4 addresses were running out, one o the changes made to the IPv4 standard was to set aside three blocks o addresses, one rom each address class, that could be used repeatedly or local area networks (LANs) and other private networks. To ensure that these addresses could be reused on dierent networks and to avoid any possible routing problems, these addresses, designated as private addresses, were blocked rom being orwarded outside o an organization’s edge routers. Similar to the reusability o loopback addresses, multiple LANs in the same or in dierent organizations may use the same block o private addressing. All IPv4 addresses that are not in the set-aside ranges o private addresses are public addresses. This means that unlike private addresses, a public address cannot be duplicated anywhere on the Internet or on the WANs and LANs that make up the Internet. TABLE 2.5-1 Reserved IPv4 Nonroutable Addresses Purpose IPv4 Address Range Loopback/localhost Private addresses 127.0.0.0–127.255.255.255 10.0.0.0–10.255.255.255 172.16.0.0–172.31.255.255 192.168.0.0–192.168.255.255 169.254.0.0–169.254.255.255 Link-local (APIPA) DOMAIN 2.0 Objective 2.5 Link-Local Addresses Sometimes a node on a local network is unable to obtain its coniguration data rom a Dynamic Host Coniguration Protocol (DHCP) server. Rather than being blocked rom communicating on the local network, which typically uses MAC addresses, the node’s operating system can assign a placeholder link-local address, which is an address that’s valid only or interactions within the network segment (broadcast domain) on which its node is located. This address is blocked rom communicating outside o its LAN until it can obtain a valid IPv4 address. On a Windows system, the link-local address that is assigned is an Automatic Private IP Addressing (APIPA) address, which is chosen randomly rom the reserved IPv4 address range o 169.254.0.1 to 169.254.255.254 and assigned with a Class B 16-bit subnet mask (255.255.0.0). To ensure that the address assigned is unique to the local network, the system broadcasts the random address and uses it i there is no response. EXAM TIP If your system can communicate with other systems on your local network but can’t reach the Internet, chances are the DHCP server is down and you have been assigned an APIPA address. You can find out if you are using an APIPA address by running ipconfig. IPv6 Addresses IPv6 is a Network layer protocol that was irst deined by the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) in a drat proposal in December 1998 because o a concern that we would soon be running out o IPv4 addresses to assign. In September 2015, the American Registry or Internet Numbers (ARIN) announced that oicially there were no more IPv4 addresses to issue. In July 2017, IETF issued the IPv6 standard to expand the available address pool and to supersede IPv4. The ormat o an IPv6 address is shown in this example: 2001:0000:0000:3210:0800:200C:00CF:1234 The structure o IPv6 involves the ollowing characteristics: • • It has 128 bits in its addressing scheme, which provides or 340 undecillion (2128) addresses. It has eight hexadecimal number groups separated by colons. An IPv6 address can be shorted using the ollowing rules: • • Leading zeros may be omitted rom a group; thereore, 00CF becomes CF, and 0000 becomes 0. Any number o consecutive all-zero groups (0000) can be omitted and indicated with two-colon separators rom the beginning and end o the string. 81 82 Mike Meyers’ CompTIA A+ Core 1 Certifcation Passport For example, the shortened version o the IPv6 address 2001:0000:0000:3210:0800:200C:00CF:1234 is 2001::3210:800:200C:CF:1234 EXAM TIP IPv6 addresses aren’t case sensitive and can use either uppercase or lowercase letters. You may encounter lowercase or uppercase notation on the exam. Operating system (OS) developers have two options or the last 64 bits (host ID) o an IPv6 address. Windows OS generates a random value when a NIC is conigured, and that number never changes. Linux and macOS build the host ID (called the Extended Unique Identifier64-bit, or EUI-64) rom the MAC address o the NIC. IPv6 includes a loopback address or a network adapter that can be used or testing. The ull address is 0000:0000:0000:0000:0000:0000:0000:0001/128, which can be abbreviated as ::1/128 (using the two-colon abbreviation or consecutive all-zero groups). IPv4 vs. IPv6 IPv4 and IPv6 dier in many ways. Table 2.5-2 helps you compare the dierences. TABLE 2.5-2 IPv4 vs. IPv6 Feature IPv4 Number o address bits 32 bits Address ormat Four groups o binary octets, separated by periods Zero compression N/A Address example 192.168.0.1 Loopback address 127.0.0.1 Maximum number o public IP addresses Over 4 billion (232) IPv6 128 bits Eight our-digit groups o hex numbers, separated by colons Uses :: (double colon) to replace one or more contiguous ields o zeros 2001:0000:0000:3210:0800:200C:00CF:1234 or 2001::3210:800:200C:CF:1234 0000:0000:0000:0000:0000:0000:0000:0001/128 or ::1/128 Over 340 undecillion (2128) DOMAIN 2.0 Objective 2.5 Dynamic Address Assignment Dynamic address coniguration on a Windows, Linux, or macOS computer is perormed by the TCP/IP protocol DHCP. Dynamic addressing allows a network’s devices to be possibly conigured with a dierent IP address each time it connects to a network. A node conigured through dynamic address assignment is able to use network services like DNS and communication protocols based on UDP or TCP. Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol On a local network, or multiple LANs connected via a relay, the DHCP inrastructure consists o one or more DHCP servers and usually one or more network nodes or DHCP clients. The DHCP server supplies IP coniguration inormation rom a pool conigured by the network administrators in response to requests made by DHCP clients. The primary elements o a DHCP implementation are as ollows: • • • • DHCP server As a server in a client/server arrangement, a DHCP server responds to IP coniguration or lease requests to provide an IP address, monitor it during its lease period, and renew the lease i it expires. DHCP client As a client in a client/server arrangement, a DHCP client is the endpoint that requests and receives coniguration data rom a DHCP server. Most network clients receive DHCP coniguration data by deault. IP address pool The IP address provided to a network node is drawn rom a pool o unassigned addresses deined in a pool o available addresses. IP address lease DHCP coniguration items, including the IP address, have expiration dates. This data indicates the time period (present to uture) in which a DHCP client can hold its DHCP coniguration. I the lease expires, the aected client must renew it. NOTE Each time a DHCP client reboots, the DHCP configuration is assigned without regard to any configuration data previously assigned. IPv4 DHCP DHCP is the deault dynamic addressing service or Windows and macOS and can be conigured on most Linux distros. In response to a request rom a node, DHCP automatically provides an IP address (IPv4, IPv6, or both), the associated subnet mask, the deault gateway address, and the primary DNS address. The addressing provided is selected rom a conigured pool o available addresses. 83 84 Mike Meyers’ CompTIA A+ Core 1 Certifcation Passport To view the address assignment coniguration o a Windows system, use the ollowing steps: 1. Open the Control Panel and select Network and Sharing Center. 2. Click Change Adapter Settings. 3. Select the adapter that provides the primary connection to the network. 4. Click Properties. 5. Click Internet Protocol Version 4 (as shown in Figure 2.5-1). 6. Click Properties. Figure 2.5-2 shows a typical example o the settings or dynamic IP addressing on a Windows system. Here are the steps used in the DHCP client/server coniguration acquisition process, as illustrated in Figure 2.5-3: 1. Discover Ater the client has completed its startup or i the ipconig/iconig command is used, the client broadcasts a message asking the DHCP server to identiy itsel with its network addressing. 2. Offer The DHCP server responds to the client with an IP address assigned rom its pool o available addresses. I no addresses are available, the server sends a nonacknowledgment (NAK) message, and the client assigns itsel a link-local address and terminates the dialog. FIGURE 2.5-1 The adapter properties dialog box DOMAIN 2.0 Objective 2.5 FIGURE 2.5-2 Network adapter configured to get an IP address from a DHCP server automatically DHCP discover DHCP oer DHCP request DHCP ACK FIGURE 2.5-3 The DHCP client/server configuration acquisition process 3. Selection On some larger networks, there may be two or more DHCP servers oering IP address conigurations, each sending its own DHCP oer. The client can respond to each o the oers with a DHCP request or additional inormation or merely respond with a request to the server that provided the irst oer it received. 4. Acknowledgment When the server receives the DHCP request message rom the client, it creates an Address Resolution Protocol (ARP) mapping and responds to the client directly (unicast) with a DHCP ACK message. 85 86 Mike Meyers’ CompTIA A+ Core 1 Certifcation Passport IPv6 Link-Local Address When a computer running IPv6 boots or restarts, the system is conigured with a link-local address using the Stateless Address Autoconfiguration (SLAAC) service. SLAAC provides IPv6 systems with most o their link-local conigurations. The irst 64 bits o a link-local address are always FE80:0000:0000:0000 (which shortens to FE80::). IPv6 DHCPv6 Whereas IPv4 DHCP (DHCPv4) uses broadcasting requests and responses, IPv6 DHCP (DHCPv6) uses multicasting (IPv6 doesn’t include a broadcasting capability). One limitation o DHCPv6 is that it doesn’t provide a deault gateway to a node. DHCP Reservations A DHCP reservation is a DHCP-supplied IP address that never changes. It is meant or devices whose IP address needs to remain constant (or example, a print server). DHCP reservations are created on the DHCP server. This eature is available in DHCP servers as well as in some SOHO routers. Static Addresses A static IP address is a permanent, manually assigned IP address. Typically, static IP addresses are used in networks or systems that must always have the same IP address because they are used as servers or because they use dierent protocol settings than other devices on the network. When a static IP address is used, the IP address, subnet mask, deault gateway, and DNS servers must also be assigned. See Figure 2.5-4 or a typical example. EXAM TIP Know the various IP addressing concepts, including static, dynamic, APIPA, and link local. Practice using the ipconfig and ipconfig /all commands at a command prompt to see if you can identify any of these IP address assignments. Gateway A gateway is a link connecting two networks. When a computer uses DHCP or its IP address, it receives the deault gateway’s IP address as part o its coniguration. However, i you conigure a device with a static IP address, you must also provide the deault gateway’s IP address. The deault gateway on most private networks is an address such as 192.168.0.1 or 192.168.1.1. To see the current IP address, subnet mask, deault gateway, and DNS servers in Windows, open a command prompt and use the command ipconfig /all. Scroll to the current local area connection ater running the command (a typical example is shown in Figure 2.5-5). The comparable command to use in Linux and macOS is ifconfig. DOMAIN 2.0 Objective 2.5 FIGURE 2.5-4 Network adapter configured with a static IP address FIGURE 2.5-5 Using ipconfig /all to display the current IP configuration on the author’s PC 87 88 Mike Meyers’ CompTIA A+ Core 1 Certifcation Passport EXAM TIP Make sure you know how to use ipconfig /all and how to identify the settings displayed by ipconfig /all. Practice using ipconfig and ipconfig /all (or ifconfig and ifconfig -a) on different computers. NOTE The “(Preferred)” after an IP address in an adapter’s ipconfig display indicates the address assigned to the interface. This address has no restrictions on its use. REVIEW Objective 2.5: Given a scenario, install and configure basic wired/wireless small office/ home office (SOHO) networks • • • • • • • • • A dynamic IP address is received rom a DHCP server by a device on the network. An APIPA address is generated i the DHCP server cannot be reached. A link-local address is IPv6’s equivalent to an APIPA address. A static IP address is an address that is manually assigned. I a static IP address is assigned, a DNS server must also be assigned. A DHCP reservation is a DHCP-supplied IP address that doesn’t change. IPv4 uses dotted-octet notation and a subnet mask. IPv6 uses up to eight groups o numbers and supports methods to shorten its address. A gateway is a link connecting two networks. 2.5 QUESTIONS 1. A user cannot connect to the Internet. When you ask her or her current IP address, she tells you it is 169.254.0.18. Which o the ollowing is not working? A. APIPA B. Static IP C. Link-local D. DHCP 2. An IPv4 address o 10.10.10.10 is best described as which o the ollowing? A. Class C address B. Loopback address C. Private address D. DHCP address DOMAIN 2.0 Objective 2.6 3. Which o the ollowing are characteristics o an IPv6 address? (Choose two.) A. Link-local B. 128 bits C. Zeroes omitted D. Colon separated 4. A DHCP-provided IP address that never changes is classiied as which o the ollowing? A. IP permanency B. IP reservation C. Link-local D. APIPA address 5. A network node using IPv6 can get its IP coniguration rom which o the ollowing services and protocols? (Choose two.) A. VPN B. SLAAC C. DHCPv6 D. ipconig 2.5 ANSWERS 1. D The IPv4 address 169.254.x.x is generated when the DHCP server cannot be reached. 2. C Three address ranges are reserved or use as private network addressing. 3. B D IPv6 addresses are 128 bits in length and ormatted into eight groups o our-digit hex numbers separated by colons. 4. B An IP reservation is an address set up by a DHCP server that doesn’t change. 5. B C DHCP is not a deault coniguration method in IPv6, but SLAAC is. Optionally, DHCPv6 can be conigured. Objective 2.6 T Compare and contrast common network conguration concepts o enable a network to work properly, an IP address must be assigned to each device on the network, a mechanism must be available or translating between website names and IP addresses, and methods must exist or connecting dierent networks to each other. This objective explains these eatures. 89 90 Mike Meyers’ CompTIA A+ Core 1 Certifcation Passport DNS The Domain Name System (DNS), also reerred to as the Domain Naming Service, exists because humans use the Internet. In the site-to-site operations o the Internet, the binary-encoded addresses o the sites, whether IPv4 or IPv6, guide the transer o data across the network. A binary IPv4 address like 10010000.10101000.11001010.10110110 could be hard to remember. For this very reason, DNS was developed as a means to convert the binary addressing and its decimal equivalent (such as 144.168.202.182) into a uniorm resource locator (URL) or a ully qualiied domain name (FQDN). DNS Operation Figure 2.6-1 illustrates the interaction o a local device with DNS to request a URL rom a DNS server. Although greatly simpliied, this illustration shows the process involved to resolve a URL to an IP address. 1. The user enters a URL into a browser. 2. DNS responds with the IP address associated with that URL. 3. The browser sends out an HTTPS request with the IP address. 4. The appropriate web server provides the requested content. DNS Record Types DNS matches IP addresses to host names (and the reverse). Each device on an IP network must have access to at least one DNS server. By deault, DNS values are assigned by a DNS server, but they can be manually entered. Although DNS appears to be a simple lookup application, www.myurl.com? DNS 1 2 144.168.202.182 3 HTTPS://144.168.202.182 HTTP response 4 www FIGURE 2.6-1 A request and response between a local device and a DNS server DOMAIN 2.0 Objective 2.6 it’s really not. More than 30 separate record types deine the relationships between a URL or FQDN and an IP address. The ollowing list includes the DNS record types you are likely to encounter on the A+ Core 1 (220-1101) exam: • A record An A record associates a domain name with its corresponding IPv4 address, and it deines the ollowing characteristics or the domain name: • The domain name I an “at” sign (@) ollows the domain name, the name is a root domain name. • The IP address associated with the domain name A records can only hold IPv4 addresses. • The TTL (Time to Live) in seconds The deault is 14400 (240 minutes or 4 hours). This is the time at which DNS must request new inormation or this record type. Here is an example o an A record: www.myurl.com @ A 144.168.202.182 14400 • • AAAA record An AAAA record perorms the same unction and contains essentially the same data as an A record. However, an AAAA record associates an IPv6 address to a domain name. Remember that A is or an IPv4 address and AAAA is or an IPv6 address. MX record Mail exchanger (MX) records provide SMTP instructions or e-mail to use to reach a particular mail server, which must have an active A record that provides its IP address. In addition to the ields in an A record, the MX record includes a priority. In the example that ollows, the MX record has a priority o 10. There is no scale, but the lower the priority in an MX record, the higher its privilege. Here is an example o an MX record: www.myurl.com @ MX 10 mail.myurl.com 14400 • TXT record A text (TXT) record can be combined with any other DNS record type to store comments or descriptions that cannot be included in other record types. In a TXT record, the IP address ield is replaced with a comments or “value” ield that can contain up to 255 alphanumeric characters. As explained in the next section, TXT records can also be used to help prevent spam. Here is an example o a TXT record: www.myurl.com @ TXT “IP expires 10-31-24” 14400 EXAM TIP The important elements and concepts to remember about DNS for the A+ Core 1 exam are addressing, A records, AAAA records, TXT records, and MX records. 91 92 Mike Meyers’ CompTIA A+ Core 1 Certifcation Passport E-mail Protection in DNS The DNS server’s MX records indicate where e-mail messages are to be orwarded. Speciically, MX records identiy the mail servers that can receive messages addressed to a domain name. MX records identiy speciically who (which senders) is authorized to send messages to a mail client or mail box. There are other DNS record types that can help to set up controls on the deliverability o e-mail. For the A+ Core 1 exam, you should know the DMARC, SPF, and DKIM record types and their purposes, as explained in the ollowing sections. DMARC Record DMARC stands or Domain-based Authentication, Reporting, and Conformance. DMARC records are composed in DNS TXT record types to help prevent spooing on the domain in an e-mail address. Essentially what a DMARC does is deine what should happen to a message i the sender cannot be authenticated. One o two actions can be taken: • • The receiving mail server is advised to quarantine the message, reject the message, or accept the message or delivery to the addressee. The receiving mail server reports to the message’s recipient e-mail address (or addresses) with inormation on messages received rom the sending domain. SPF Record A Sender Policy Framework (SPF) record is another type o a DNS TXT record. An SPF record identiies the speciic mail servers that are authorized to send out e-mail rom a particular domain. One o the primary protections oered by an SPF record is that it can prevent spam being generated rom the domain with a spooed From address. In other words, SPF records act as an e-mail authentication agent that protects against e-mail spooing. DKIM Record The DomainKeys Identified Mail (DKIM) DNS record attempts to authenticate whether a message’s content can be trusted and has not been modiied or tampered with while in transit. DKIM records are also TXT records. An SPF record is oten compared to the return address o a message, and DKIM raises the level o a message to something like that o a USPS certiied letter, providing enhanced trust to both sender and receiver. DHCP Although the Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) was discussed in the previous objective, we’ll look a bit deeper into some o its characteristics and unctions in this section. DHCP Operations DHCP operates with a our-step interactive process to provide an IP coniguration to a network node. The steps involved, and the transaction types used, are as ollows: DOMAIN 2.0 Objective 2.6 1. When a network node powers up onto a network, typically a LAN, it has no ability to communicate on the network. To gain this ability, it broadcasts a DHCPDISCOVER message to the network with a source address o 0.0.0.0 and a destination address o 255.255.255.255. The local network DHCP server continuously scans or these messages on UDP port 67. 2. The DHCP server responds to the DHCPDISCOVER message with a DHCPOFFER message that includes all o the coniguration settings the node needs to become active on the network. The node, which is now a DHCP client, uses the content o the DHCPOFFER message to complete its network coniguration. 3. The client replies to the DHCPOFFER message with a DHCPREQUEST message to accept the coniguration it was provided. 4. The server acknowledges the client’s DHCPREQUEST message with a DHCPACK message granting permission to the client to use the coniguration provided. DHCP Leases As explained in the previous objective, DHCP coniguration data is not assigned permanently to a network node. In eect, the coniguration is assigned or a speciic period o time ater which it expires and must, i possible, be renewed. Why is this mechanism needed? Well, at one time, an organization could have more networked workstations needing Internet access than it had IP addresses. So, to give each one the network time needed, IP addresses were pooled and assigned by DHCP on ixed-time leases. The lease time set the number o seconds a client could use the IP coniguration beore it expired and then possibly assigned to a dierent node. On networks that allow clients to renew their leases, a lease is renewed when the lease period is about hal over. However, i a node with a current DHCP coniguration is powered o, the next time it restarts, the complete cycle starts over rom scratch. EXAM TIP For the exam, know the difference between a static IP address and a reservation. A static IP address is configured at the client, and the DHCP reservation is created at the server. DHCP Scope A DHCP scope deines a range o IP addresses and other coniguration settings available or assignment to requesting network nodes. DHCP scopes can be deined as one o three dierent types: • Normal A normal DHCP scope is created through the DHCP Management Console and the Scope Wizard. 93 94 Mike Meyers’ CompTIA A+ Core 1 Certifcation Passport • • Multicast A multicast scope is created and managed by the Multicast Address Dynamic Client Allocation Protocol (MADCAP). Superscope A DHCP server with a superscope is able to provide DHCP coniguration settings to clients on multiple subnets. All DHCP scopes share a common ormat that includes the ollowing data: • • • • • • • Network ID or the range o IP addresses in the scope Subnet mask or the network ID The range o IP addresses assigned to the scope The IP address o the network gateway or router The range o any IP addresses excluded rom the scope The lease duration in seconds An administrative alphanumeric name or the scope EXAM TIP You can expect to encounter questions about or references to DHCP leases, reservations, and scope types on the A+ Core 1 exam. VPN A virtual private network (VPN) sets up endpoints at each end o an encrypted tunnel between computers or networks to join them into a private network as i they were on a directly connected LAN (though they obviously won’t perorm like it). In order to pull o this trick, the endpoint on each LAN gets its own LAN IP address and is responsible or handling traic addressed to and rom the remote network (see Figure 2.6-2). NOTE When your mobile or portable device connects to an untrusted Wi-Fi hotspot, you can connect to another network with a VPN and do all of your browsing (or other work) through the secure tunnel. In Windows 10/11, type VPN at the Start screen and select VPN Settings. Enter your VPN server inormation, which your network administrator should provide, in the resulting dialog box (see Figure 2.6-3). This creates a virtual NIC that gets an IP address rom the DHCP server back at the oice. To set up a VPN connection in macOS, open System Preerences | Network, click Add, and choose VPN. Select the VPN type, server address, account name, and authentication settings and then click OK. Click Connect to connect. To set up a VPN connection in Linux, check the distro’s documentation. DOMAIN 2.0 Objective 2.6 FIGURE 2.6-2 Typical VPN tunnel FIGURE 2.6-3 The Add a VPN Connection dialog box in Windows 11 95 96 Mike Meyers’ CompTIA A+ Core 1 Certifcation Passport VLAN A virtual local area network (VLAN) is a Layer 2 logical construct o switch ports that connect a set o nodes to create a broadcast domain. Typically, a VLAN is created by coniguring ports on a managed network switch into a single VLAN. Other VLANs may be conigured on the same switch by placing other interaces into a VLAN coniguration. A VLAN is essentially a subgroup o switch ports on an Ethernet LAN. A VLAN is its own broadcast and collision domain and subnetwork, thus increasing the number o domains while reducing the size o each. For example, a 48-port managed switch could be subdivided into six eight-port VLANs. Figure 2.6-4 illustrates a common VLAN in which all o the network hosts exist on the same collision and broadcast domain. Figure 2.6-5 shows an example o how VLANs are conigured across a network. FIGURE 2.6-4 A VLAN with all of the hosts in the same broadcast domain VLAN1 Floor 3 VLAN2 VLAN3 Floor 2 Floor 1 FIGURE 2.6-5 VLANs do not need to be configured in a single location or on a single switch. DOMAIN 2.0 Objective 2.6 ADDITIONAL RESOURCES To learn more about VLANs, go to www .lifewire.com and search for the article “What Is a Virtual LAN (VLAN) and What Can It Do?” REVIEW Objective 2.6: Compare and contrast common network configuration concepts • • • DNS record types contain speciic content: • The ollowing are the important address records: • A records associate a domain name with an IPv4 address. • AAAA records associate a domain name with an IPv6 address. • MX records provide SMTP instructions. • TXT records hold comments and descriptions. • DKIM records are a version o TXT records that provide message authentication. • SPF records identiy the mail servers authorized to send e-mail rom a domain. • DMARC records prevent domain spooing. A VPN is a virtual private network. It enables secure connections over an insecure network such as the Internet. A VLAN is a collection o ports that act as a separate physical network, and it requires a managed switch. 2.6 QUESTIONS 1. Which o the ollowing is used to deine DNS-based security or e-mail? A. DKIM B. DMARC C. SPF D. MX 2. Company K has a sales orce that typically uses insecure wireless networks in hotels and coee shops. Which o the ollowing should you advice the salespeople start using to enhance security? A. VLAN B. VPN C. NAT D. IPv6 97 98 Mike Meyers’ CompTIA A+ Core 1 Certifcation Passport 3. A DHCP-provided IP address that never changes is known as which o the ollowing? A. IP permanency B. IP reservation C. Link-local D. APIPA address 4. Your client wants to buy a single switch to create three separate wired networks. What type o networks does the client want to create? A. VPN B. Link-local C. VLAN D. IPv6 5. Which o the ollowing DNS record types is a TXT record intended to prevent spooing o an e-mail address domain? A. MX B. AAAA C. DMARC D. SPF 2.6 ANSWERS 1. D 2. DMARC, SPF, and DKIM records are deined using a TXT record. B A VPN is a virtual private network, which creates a secure “tunnel” or carrying network traic through insecure connections. 3. B An IP reservation is an address set up by a DHCP server that doesn’t change. 4. C A VLAN is a group o ports on a managed switch that perorms as i it’s on a separate network rom other ports on the switch. 5. C DMARC records help to block spooing o a domain name. Objective 2.7 T Compare and contrast Internet connection types, network types, and their features here are many dierent methods or connecting to the Internet as well as many dierent network types. They work together to connect devices into networks ranging in size rom small LANs to worldwide networks. DOMAIN 2.0 Objective 2.7 Internet Connection Types When you want to connect a LAN to the Internet, you need some way o connecting the LAN to an available data transmission medium. This can only be done through hardware that interconnects your computer, LAN, or WLAN to the data transmission medium and the sotware that speaks to the hardware. However, this hardware and its associated sotware as well as where the hardware is located can vary. EXAM TIP Make sure you can explain the differences between these Internet connection types: satellite, fiber, cable, DSL, dial-up, cellular, and wireless Internet service provider (WISP). Connection Hardware The type o hardware device used to connect to an Internet service largely depends on the ISP and the type o service it provides. Each o the dierent Internet connection types uses a dierent proprietary device suited to the signal type and ormat. Table 2.7-1 lists the hardware device type used or each o the Internet service types you may encounter on the A+ Core 1 exam. NOTE Each PC OS has settings to share a direct Internet connection with a LAN or other systems. For example, Windows 10 uses a virtual network adapter and Internet Connection Sharing (ICS), and Windows 11 provides a wireless hotspot. Satellite Satellite connections beam data to a proessionally installed satellite dish at your house or oice (with line o sight to the satellite). Coax connects the satellite to a receiver or satellite modem that translates the data to Ethernet, which can connect directly to your router or the NIC in your computer. TABLE 2.7-1 Internet Service Connection Devices Internet Service Connection Device(s) Dial-up Digital subscriber line (DSL) Cable Satellite Cellular (3G/4G/5G) Modem Modem Modem and router or modem/router combo Modem/router combo (plus satellite disk) Cellular Internet gateway 99 100 Mike Meyers’ CompTIA A+ Core 1 Certifcation Passport Real-world download speeds in clear weather run rom a ew to about 25 Mbps; upload speeds vary but are typically a tenth to a third o the download speed. They aren’t stunning, but satellite can provide these speeds in areas with no other connectivity. NOTE Keep in mind satellite latency—usually several hundred milliseconds (ms). It isn’t highly obvious for many purposes but can affect real-time activities like gaming or video/voice calls. Fiber Telephone system providers are in the process o making iber optic services available. The two primary service types or network (WAN and Internet) are iber-to-the-node/iber-tothe-neighborhood (FTTN) and iber-to-the-premises (FTTP) services. FTTN connections run rom a provider’s central oice (CO) to a distribution box in a neighborhood. Your home or oice connects to the distribution box over coaxial or Ethernet cable. An FTTP connection links the provider’s CO directly to a home or oice with iber cabling the whole way. NOTE Other types of fiber services available include fiber-to-the-curb/fiberto-the-cabinet (FTTC), fiber-to-the-home (FTTH), and fiber-to-the-building (FTTB). Fiber is also commonly spelled as “fibre.” Fiber services are becoming more available in cities, with several telco and resell providers oering a variety o service packages. These services oer a range o speeds (100 to 5000 Mbps) and subscription costs ($39 to $55 per month). Cable It may seem counterintuitive that a cable TV service could also provide high-speed Internet service. The coaxial cable used to carry the two signal streams is capable o transmitting multiple MHz o signals. The TV service uses only a 6-MHz channel to transmit the available channels and more. The remaining space can then be used or other services, including Internet and possibly telephone. Typically, the service enters a premises through either a modem or router (or a combination o the two) and is capable o supporting either a wired or a wireless SOHO network. The cable Internet services oer a relatively wide range o speeds, mostly asymmetric, meaning a service oers dierent upload speeds (5 Mbps to 50 Mbps) and download speeds (50 Mbps to 5 Gbps). Cable Internet connections are theoretically available anywhere you can get cable TV. DOMAIN 2.0 Objective 2.7 DSL A digital subscriber line (DSL) connects to a provider’s CO on what is called either the plain old telephone system (POTS) or the public switched telephone network (PSTN). A switching device at the CO, a DSL access multiplexor (DSLAM), supports an always-on Internet connection. There are several “lavors” o DSL, and depending on a number o actors, any or all may not be available to any given location. Distance is DSL’s primary limiting actor. DSL’s speed diminishes as the distance between the subscriber’s premises and the provider’s CO increases. In general, DSL has a very limited range in which its maximum speeds are available, commonly less than 18,000 eet (3.4 miles), measured along the cable path o the provider. NOTE The most common forms of DSL are asynchronous (ADSL) and synchronous (SDSL). Cellular Access to an Internet connection has become a necessity or households and SOHOs. Most cellular service providers now oer home and oice cellular Internet plans. Cellular Internet connections are increasingly available in 3G, 4G, and 5G in more locations. In addition to being available in smartphones, cellular connections are available or tablets and laptops as an additional wireless eature alongside the usual Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connections. To connect an oice or a residence to a cellular Internet service requires a router or a hotspot that connects to a cellular service provider’s network, in the same way that a cellular phone does. A router provides or a wireless LAN, and a hotspot essentially extends the cellular service into the premises. One major limitation on cellular Internet services is that they may be subject to data plans. The amount o data transerred may be included in the cell service plan’s cost, usually with a cap, such as a 10-Gigabit download limit, on a single cellular subscription. Exceeding the data cap could be very expensive. The data speed o the internal network largely depends on location. The closer you are to a cell tower, the higher the speed o the service between the router/hotspot and the tower will be. Another actor that can aect data speeds is congestion; as more devices connect to the tower, its speed can diminish. Weather may also become a actor, although rarely. Typically, the data speeds o a cellular Internet service or homes and oices tend to be lower than those o cable or FTTH server. It is anticipated that 5G services will greatly improve speed, bandwidth, and perhaps even cost. Wireless Internet Service Provider A wireless Internet service provider (WISP) is an ISP that uses wireless technology to provide Internet services to the home. WISP networks are called line o sight. Line-of-sight wireless 101 102 Mike Meyers’ CompTIA A+ Core 1 Certifcation Passport Internet service (also known as fixed wireless) is a popular choice in some smaller cities and nearby rural areas where cable or DSL Internet services are not available. This type o service uses high-powered directional antennas to connect to ixed locations up to about eight miles away. Speeds can vary rom as little as 256 Kbps to 20 Mbps or more, depending on the distance and your ISP. ADDITIONAL RESOURCES To learn more about this type of service, search the Web for “broadband fixed wireless.” Network Types With more network types than ever beore, the CompTIA A+ 220-1101 exam expects you to know the dierences between LANs, WANs, and many more. See the ollowing subsections or a brie introduction to the types you need to know. EXAM TIP Make sure you can explain the differences between these network types: LAN, WAN, PAN, MAN, WLAN, and SAN. LAN A local area network (LAN) is a group o networked computers within a ew hundred meters o each other. LAN connections typically use wired Ethernet or Wi-Fi. WAN A wide area network (WAN) is a group o computers on multiple LANs connected with longdistance technologies. The Internet is a WAN. PAN A personal area network (PAN) is a short-range network typically using Bluetooth. It is used to interchange data between personal devices such as smartphones, tablets, and laptops. MAN A metropolitan area network (MAN) is a network larger than a LAN but smaller than a WAN. The term MAN is oten used to reer to city-wide or campus-wide networks that use iber optic or ixed-base wireless networks. DOMAIN 2.0 Objective 2.7 WLAN A wireless local area network (WLAN) is essentially a LAN with the wired medium replaced by an RF wireless medium, typically with similar range, attenuation, and strength. However, a WLAN can be less secure because its signal is transmitted through the air and can be intercepted. SAN A storage area network (SAN) interconnects two or more storage devices into a single addressable network node. A SAN, which can be connected directly to the network, a server, or a network node, commonly by a iber channel (FC) protocol, is a sel-contained network primarily or servicing data transers. A SAN is recognized by an accessing device as a single data storage device, which serves to reduce latency and improves data transer speeds. Because a SAN is made up o multiple storage devices, it can provide redundancy and scalability in that additional devices can be added to the SAN without impacting the existing system. NOTE A SAN is commonly confused with a NAS (network attached storage), which is a control device with multiple storage devices attached. The storage devices of a NAS are typically in a RAID arrangement. REVIEW Objective 2.7: Compare and contrast Internet connection types, network types, and their features • • • • • • • Internet service types use a variety o connection devices: Dial-up and DSL services use a modem. Cable service uses a modem and router or a modem/router combination. Satellite service uses a modem/router combination. Cellular (3G/4G/5G) uses a cellular Internet gateway. Satellite connections beam data to a satellite dish with a line-o-sight signal. The two primary options or Internet service over iber are iber-to-the-node (FTTN) and iber-to-the-premises (FTTP). Cable TV services also provide highspeed Internet services on a coaxial cable able to carry the two signal streams. • • • • A digital subscriber line (DSL) provides Internet services over the PSTN. Cellular Internet connections are available in 3G, 4G, and 5G on smartphones as well as cellular Internet gateways. Line-o-sight wireless Internet service or ixed wireless service is a popular choice in rural areas where other types o Internet services aren’t available. 103 104 Mike Meyers’ CompTIA A+ Core 1 Certifcation Passport • • • • • • A local area network (LAN) is a group o networked computers within a ew hundred meters o each other. LAN connections typically use wired Ethernet or Wi-Fi. A wide area network (WAN) is a group o computers on multiple LANs connected with long-distance technologies. The Internet is a WAN. A personal area network (PAN) is a short-range network typically using Bluetooth. It is used to interchange data between personal devices such as smartphones, tablets, and laptops. A metropolitan area network (MAN) is a network larger than a LAN but smaller than a WAN. The term MAN is oten used to reer to city-wide or campus-wide networks that use iber optic or ixed-base wireless networks. A wireless local area network (WLAN) is a LAN with an RF wireless medium that may be less secure because its signal is transmitted through the air and can be intercepted. A storage area network (SAN) interconnects two or more storage devices into a single addressable network node connected using a iber channel protocol. 2.7 QUESTIONS 1. You are working with a client who needs Internet access but lives too ar away rom the city to use DSL or cable. They live on top o a hill. They need quick response and expect to use 15 GB or more o data per month. Which o the ollowing Internet services would you recommend investigating? A. Satellite B. Cellular C. FTTP D. Line-o-sight ixed wireless 2. Your client has an old laptop with an RJ-11 port and an RJ-45 port built in. The laptop does not have wireless capabilities. Without buying or renting another component, the client is ready to use which o the ollowing Internet connection types on this laptop? A. DSL B. Dial-up C. Cable D. Fiber 3. You are at a client’s location preparing to install an update to Windows. Their Internet connection goes down. Which o the ollowing is the best choice to use to install the update immediately? A. DSL B. Dial-up C. Mobile hotspot/tethering D. ISDN DOMAIN 2.0 Objective 2.8 4. Your client wants to build a network that will connect locations in various parts o a medium-sized city with each other. Which type o network does the client want to create? A. B. C. D. MAN WAN LAN PAN 5. Your company is considering upgrading its DSL service to a aster service. Which o the ollowing types o services is likely to be the astest? A. Cable B. FTTN C. Satellite D. FTTP 2.7 ANSWERS 1. D Line-o-sight ixed wireless, i available, is the best choice because it has no data caps and, unlike satellite, has a quick response rate (that is, a ast ping rate). 2. B The RJ-11 port indicates the laptop has a dial-up modem. Dial-up requires no additional equipment, only an account with a dial-up ISP. 3. C The mobile hotspot/tethering option supported by many smartphones would enable you to perorm the update onsite. 4. A A metropolitan area network (MAN) connects locations in a single city that might be separated by some blocks o distance. 5. D Fiber-to-the-premises (FTTP) will be the astest because the iber is connected directly to the oice. Objective 2.8 Given a scenario, use networking tools W hether you build, repair, or troubleshoot wired or wireless networks, you need to understand how to use the networking tools covered in this section. EXAM TIP Make sure you understand the uses for the following tools: crimper, cable stripper, Wi-Fi analyzer, toner probe, punchdown tool, cable tester, loopback plug, and network TAP. 105 106 Mike Meyers’ CompTIA A+ Core 1 Certifcation Passport FIGURE 2.8-1 Crimper Crimper and Cable Stripper For a patch cable, use stranded unshielded twisted pair (UTP) cable matching the Cat level o your horizontal cabling. I you use cable with a lower Cat level than your existing cable, the network might run more slowly. The basic tool is a RJ-45 crimper (see Figure 2.8-1) with built-in cable stripper (also known as a wire stripper) and wire snips. Stranded and solid-core cable require dierent crimps; make sure you have the right kind. First, cut the cable square with the RJ-45 crimper or scissors; then use the built-in cable stripper to strip a hal inch o plastic jacket o the end o the cable (see Figure 2.8-2). Once the cable is stripped, you’re ready to wire the connector. FIGURE 2.8-2 Properly stripped cable DOMAIN 2.0 Objective 2.8 FIGURE 2.8-3 Typical 2.4-GHz (left) and 5-GHz (right) router activity as captured by Wi-Fi Analyzer from Farproc Wi-Fi Analyzer Which Wi-Fi channels are currently in use? How strong are the signals? To ind out, you can use your Android or iOS smartphone with a ree or paid Wi-Fi analyzer app, available rom many vendors on the Google Play and Apple App stores. Figure 2.8-3 illustrates how a typical Wi-Fi analysis app (Wi-Fi Analyzer app or Android rom Farproc) shows activity on the 2.4- and 5-GHz bands. Ater you review the inormation, you might want to change the channel(s) used by your router. Toner Probe Even in well-planned networks that don’t turn into a rat’s nest o cable, labels all o and people miscount which port to label. In the real world, you may have to locate, or trace, cables and ports to test them. 107 108 Mike Meyers’ CompTIA A+ Core 1 Certifcation Passport FIGURE 2.8-4 Fox and Hound, a tone generator and probe (toner probe) made by Triplett Corporation Network techs use a toner probe, also known as a tone generator and probe (see Figure 2.8-4). The tone generator connects to the cable with alligator clips, tiny hooks, or a network jack, and it sends an electrical signal along the wire. The toner probe emits a sound when it is placed near the cable carrying this signal. Punchdown Tool With a typical horizontal cabling run, you’ll connect the work-area end to the back o a wall outlet with a emale connector, and the telecommunications-room end will connect to the back o a patch panel’s emale connector. You typically use a punchdown tool (see Figure 2.8-5) to connect the cable to a 110 block (also called a 110-punchdown block), which is wired to the emale connector. The punchdown tool orces each wire into a small metal-lined groove (shown in Figure 2.8-6), where the metal lining slices the cladding to contact the wire. DOMAIN 2.0 Objective 2.8 FIGURE 2.8-5 Punchdown tool FIGURE 2.8-6 Punching down a patch panel (left) and modular jack (right) NOTE The UTP connectors in outlets and patch panels also have Cat levels—for example, don’t hamstring a good Cat 6 installation with outlets or patch panels that have a lower Cat level (such as Cat 5e or Cat 5). A work-area wall outlet (see Figure 2.8-7) consists o one or two emale jacks, a mounting bracket, and a aceplate. 109 110 Mike Meyers’ CompTIA A+ Core 1 Certifcation Passport FIGURE 2.8-7 Typical work area outlet Cable Tester A cable tester (shown in Figure 2.8-8) is used to veriy the individual wires in twisted pair (TP) cable are properly located and connected. When testing cables, be sure to test patch cables as well as cable runs in the walls. To do so, unplug the patch cable rom the PC, attach a cable tester, and go to the communications room. Unplug the patch cable rom the switch and plug the tester into that patch cable. FIGURE 2.8-8 Typical cable tester DOMAIN 2.0 Objective 2.8 FIGURE 2.8-9 Loopback plug Loopback Plug A bad network interace card (NIC) can cause a length o network cable to appear to have ailed. Unortunately, the NIC’s emale connector is easy to damage. To determine i the card is bad, diagnostics provided by the OS or NIC manuacturer may include a loopback test that sends data out o the NIC to see i it comes back. A loopback plug (see Figure 2.8-9) is attached to the NIC’s RJ-45 cable port, and it loops transmit lines back to the receive lines. I the data that’s sent and received is the same, the NIC port works. I not, the NIC needs repair or replacement. Network TAP A network TAP (test access point) is a piece o hardware that can be added to a network segment to track network traic over the network medium. The TAP copies all network traic, without impeding its low. It provide access or other monitoring or measuring devices to all network activity lowing on the network medium. As illustrated in Figure 2.8-10, a network TAP device is inserted into a network segment, typically between two interconnecting devices such as a switch and a server (as illustrated) or perhaps, on a wireless network, between an access point and a router. In either o these cases, the link is considered to be an “out o band” connection. The TAP provides connections or monitoring devices, such as an intrusion detection or prevention system or an VoIP recorder. 111 112 Mike Meyers’ CompTIA A+ Core 1 Certifcation Passport Network Server TAP Monitor Monitoring devices FIGURE 2.8-10 An example of how a network TAP can be used to capture network traffic information REVIEW Objective 2.8: Given a scenario, use networking tools • • • • • • • • A crimper is used to attach a connector to a UTP cable. A wire/cable stripper is used to remove the outer sheath rom the cable to expose the UTP wires. A tone generator and probe (also known as a toner or toner probe) is used to ind the speciic cable or labeling or testing. A cable tester tests speciic wires in a cable. A loopback plug checks the condition o a NIC port. A punchdown tool is used to connect the wires in a cable to a 110-punchdown block. A Wi-Fi analyzer is an app you can run on an iOS or Android smartphone to display signal strength and network usage or Wi-Fi networks. A network TAP monitors local network events. 2.8 QUESTIONS 1. Your client is reporting problems with some o their network cables. Unortunately, none o the cables are labeled and the client’s wiring closet is a mess. Which o the ollowing should you use to help label the client’s cables? A. Multimeter B. Toner probe DOMAIN 2.0 Objective 2.8 C. Crimper D. Loopback plug 2. Ater labeling the cables or your client, you discover that one o the cables is connected to a workstation that can’t connect to the Internet. To help determine i the problem is actually the NIC, which o the ollowing would you use? A. Loopback plug B. Multimeter C. Cable tester D. Tone generator and probe 3. Your client’s 2.4-GHz network once ran very quickly. However, several new houses have been built nearby and network perormance is now very poor. Which o the ollowing would help determine i dierent settings are needed? A. Mobile hotspot B. Cable tester C. Punchdown tool D. Wi-Fi analyzer 4. You are preparing to build some network patch cables or a Gigabit Ethernet network. Which o the ollowing do you not need to use or this task? A. Punchdown block B. RJ-45 crimper C. Wire stripper D. Connector matching cable type 5. Ater an oice remodeling project, some segments o your client’s wired network are slow. The existing computers, switches, and routers were retained, but additional patch panels were installed. What might have gone wrong during the process? (Choose two.) A. Incorrect Cat level in patch panels B. Loopback plugs let connected to some workstations C. Incorrect Cat level in patch cables D. Hub used on some network segments 2.8 ANSWERS 1. B A toner probe helps determine which wire is which. 2. A A loopback plug is attached to the NIC’s RJ-45 cable port, and it loops transmit lines back to the receive lines. I the data that is sent and received is the same, the NIC port works. I not, the NIC needs repair or replacement. 113 114 Mike Meyers’ CompTIA A+ Core 1 Certifcation Passport 3. D A Wi-Fi analyzer displays the activity on the 2.4-GHz band by channel and router name. 4. A A punchdown block is not used to make patch cables. It is used or cables wired into a wall. 5. A C Using patch cables or punchdown blocks with Cat levels lower than the network hardware requires could slow down the network. For example, using Cat 5 (100 Mbps) on a system designed or Cat 6 (1000 Mbps) hardware capabilities. M A I 3.0 Hardware Domain Objectives • 3.1 Explain basic cable types and their connectors, features, and purposes. • 3.2 Given a scenario, install the appropriate RAM. • 3.3 Given a scenario, select and install storage devices. • 3.4 Given a scenario, install and configure motherboards, central processing units (CPUs), and add-on cards. • 3.5 Given a scenario, install or replace the appropriate power supply. • 3.6 Given a scenario, deploy and configure multifunction devices/printers and settings. • 3.7 Given a scenario, install and replace printer consumables. 115 N D O 116 Mk M’ CmTIA A+ C 1 Cf P Objective 3.1 Explain basic cable types and their connectors, features, and purposes C bg g h m m g , b (PCB), x , m, h v, v h m. Cb ( ) xm m mg v’ mm , g, x mm h h v. I h bjv, k h v m, v, h . Network Cables and Connectors Nk b m h v k, m LAN, v I g. Th h m g k b, h b m: • • • Twisted pair (TP) Th m- b h m b Eh LAN h . Coaxial Th b h m hg h m b TV I v. Fiber optic Th b m gh m v g . Fb bg b LAN , b ’ m mm gh m WAN. NOTE Another very popular LAN medium is RF signaling, more commonly known as wireless networking, WLAN, or simply Wi-Fi. Domain 2.0 of the Core 1 exam (220-1101) covers wireless media. EXAM TIP Be sure you are familiar with the network cable types identified in this objective and their speeds, characteristics, and any transmission limitations. Copper Cables W Eh k ( b) g - g b. A , h m bg x b. O h b , TP b h m mm h x bg . DOMAIN 3.0 Objv 3.1 FIGURE 3.1-1 A Cat 6 twisted-pair cable TP b, h Fg 3.1-1, m gh g - . Tb 3.1-1 m h h h mj g Eh b : C 5, C 5, C 6, C 6. NOTE The Electronics Industry Association/Telecommunications Industry Association (EIA/TIA) classifies twisted-pair cable into categories, or Cats, each of which defines the construction, characteristics, and proper use of different twistedpair cable types, such as the number of wires and nominal transmission speeds. Cats 1 through 4 are now considered to be defunct, and Cats 7 and 8 (40 Gbps) are now available. EXAM TIP Although most Ethernet installations use twisted-pair cabling, Ethernet networks can also use fiber optic or coaxial cable. Coaxial cable is still in use for hazardous environments, such as wet areas. TABLE 3.1-1 Common Ethernet Cable Types Category Maximum Speed Supported Network Types Supported C 5 C 5 C 6 C 6 (Agm) 100 Mb 1 Gb 1 Gb 10 Gb F Eh (100-Mb Eh) Ggb Eh (1000-Mb Eh) Ggb Eh (1000-Mb Eh) Ggb Eh, 10-Gb Eh ( 100 m), P v Eh (PE) 117 118 Mk M’ CmTIA A+ C 1 Cf P TABLE 3.1-2 Common 802.3 Ethernet Cable Codes IEEE Standard Ethernet Cable Designation Cable Medium 802.3 802.3 802.3 802.3j 802.3 802.3b 802.3 10B5 10B2 10BT 10BFL 100BTX 1000BT 10GBT Cx (Thk) Cx (Th) T Fb TP TP TP TP bg Eh k g b h IEEE 802.3 h m v g m, h Eh . Tb 3.1-2 h m mm h Eh b . A h, h b g h m: , m m, mm g. F xm, 10BT g 10 Mb , bb m, - mm. EXAM TIP For the A+ Core 1 exam, you should know the IEEE standards in Table 3.1-2. The Ethernet standards in this table are for informational and crossreferencing purposes only. Unshielded Twisted Pair Unshielded twisted pair (UTP) bg gh 22–26 AWG (gg) , h hh h -mh m . Th g h mm v hhg. Th EIA/TIA 568 , hh h A+ xm T568A T568B, h q h - . UTP bg h m mm b Eh k. Fg 3.1-1 h h C 6 UTP b. Th g h mh mg b h h h k h j . I , h h j mg (EMI) m h b. N h k h, b Ax Ghm B v h . Shielded Twisted Pair E, shielded twisted pair (STP) b h h m b UTP b. Hv, h hg h j x EMI. STP q g k . I’ m mm EMI-hv g, h mh h h m. DOMAIN 3.0 Objv 3.1 FIGURE 3.1-2 Cat 6 cable showing the identification on the sheathing M Eh b mk h C mb, h Fg 3.1-2. Th EIA/TIA 568 , , h mxmm g C 5, 5, 6 b (b k v). F C 5, C 5, C 6, h mxmm gm gh 100 m (b 328 ). Th h h b . C 6 h mx 55 m ( b m h 60 ). B h , k m b z b gm, xg h h b. C 6 (C 6 gm) v h TP h v m m . A h Fg 3.1-3, hhg m -mk x m, h - h . Cross-Reference To learn more about network devices used with Ethernet, see Domain 2.0, Objective 2.2. Direct-Burial Underground Cable Sh b , m b q ( ) k b g. A m b hg bg, h bg b g: b, g b b, -b b. Th h h h A+ C 1 bjv. Low smoke zero halogen (LSZH) sheath Drain wire Foil shield Copper wire Color-coded insulation FIGURE 3.1-3 A cross-section of a Cat 6 cable showing its construction 119 120 Mk M’ CmTIA A+ C 1 Cf P Th h h b b q b g b- b. Hv, g, h b g h g: • • • Outdoor cable Th b g hgh- -m m , h g b mg. Hv, b h h b b g —h, , k, , , . Underground burial cable Th b g m h b g, g ’ m m . Th b h g h x jk h g m m mg. Hv, m h b’ vm v g h jk h b m h g. Dmg h h , v, h h b. Direct-burial cable Cbg h h g h m g b h- g h q , k m , b b g h , h . I , h b m b UL (U’ Lb) m- q P-Lm T Cb (PLTC). Th m tray cable m h h b b , gh, , . Th m b g b, hh h h h hh h bk m , underground service entrance (USE) underground feeder (UF) b. USE b m mm b , UF mm . Th bm g b g h ’ , m b h h g h b direct-burial cable. Plenum A m, h m mm bg hz C 5 C 6 UTP. Th b mm h plenum space, hh bv g, , . Pm- UTP STP b h hhg h -, hh b m . Pm- bg h - jk h T h ’ x m h b. Th PVC (v h) hhg m TP b mmb, b, g m h qk hgh m . NOTE Horizontal cabling connects the devices on a single level, such as one floor of a building to connect end devices to a distribution device, such as a router or a switch. This cabling is commonly UTP. A vertical cabler runs from floor to floor to connect the individual floor distribution devices to the core system. DOMAIN 3.0 Objv 3.1 FIGURE 3.1-4 A stripped view of a typical coaxial cable Coaxial Cx b, hh mm coax, h , h b b ( Fg 3.1-4) m , v v. Cx b g Rg G (RG) . Th v Eh x b, h 10B5 10B2, UTP. T, x m b TV . Fiber Fb b h gh bm gh-mg (LED) m Eh k m, hh mk mm bm h ghg, h , . Fb g v 2000 m (2 km) m. Th b bg k, mg h , h g m mm. Ov g-m b, g b gh v g b. Mm b m m LED g, h vg hgh h mm g g h . B h g h gh bm k v g , mm b m v h m . M b Eh k 62.5/125 mm b. Th mb h m h b h z h m. Th mb (62.5) h m h m m, h mb h m, g m, h m g ( v g h m k h gh h ). Fb h-x; , b q b. 121 122 Mk M’ CmTIA A+ C 1 Cf P TABLE 3.1-3 A Comparison of Ethernet Cable Medium Standards Ethernet Standard Wiring Cable Type(s) 1000BT 1000BCX 1000BSX F UTP T STP O mm b O g-m mm b C 5, 5, 6 UTP C 5, 5, 6 STP Mm b 770–860 m m Fb b 1270–1355 m m 1000BLX NOTE Maximum Segment Length 100 m 25 m 550 m 500 m A micron is one-millionth of a meter. Ug b bg k q b h b k . Th m h b h b Eh . Fb bg h xm hgh m , b h Eh k, h v h h . Tb 3.1-3 h m h Ggb Eh UTP, STP, g-m b, mm b. Peripheral Cables A h v v , m , x m. F h m , h v , , . Th m h v m mm b h . Th h x h v b h k h A+ C 1 xm: v b (USB), , Thb. Th g v m h h. USB USB v v PC mb v, g kb, m , , , v, gg hgh h v, h m, h, , m. Th USB h USB h , g m b h h. I h b h m v USB v h . Th USB hb h h h h mk h h h USB . A USB h h b (h m) v (h v) h g DOMAIN 3.0 Objv 3.1 FIGURE 3.1-5 Typical USB hub (image courtesy of Targus Global) h h . Th h m k: g mm vg USB v. Th h m, g v m . Th h h b v v gg , h h v. Y x USB m g h USB x USB hb ( Fg 3.1-5). USB hb m b- v. P USB v hv h g b- USB v h m h USB b. T m b- v b- hb bm, ’ b hb h . ADDITIONAL RESOURCES For more information about USB, visit www .usb.org. USB v hot-swappable, hh m hm m h g m. USB hg hb 127 v g h m. EXAM TIP For the CompTIA A+ 220-1101 exam, you should expect one or more questions on the USB 2.0 and 3.x standards regarding their connectors and their maximum data speeds. 123 124 Mk M’ CmTIA A+ C 1 Cf P TABLE 3.1-4 USB Standards Name Standard Maximum Speed Cable Length H-S USB SS USB SS USB 10 Gb SS+ USB USB 2.0 USB 3.0/3.1 G 1 USB 3.1 G 2 480 Mb 5 Gb 10 Gb U 5 m U 3 m U 3 m Th hv b v g h USB , g h v . Tb 3.1-4 v qk h hm . NOTE USB 3.1 doesn’t specify a limit, but interference can make longer cables slower. Ov h , h hv b v USB , hh hv b hgb h m . F xm, T-A USB g USB 1.1 2.0 . Hv, h USB v, m h 3.x 4 v, hv v q h mk . USB 3.x gg h h b b hm m v h bk h . USB 3.x g mb h USB , v v. Hv, h , , h . Tb 3.1-5 h mm USB h . N h “k” m h g h k . N h h m b m h . TABLE 3.1-5 USB Connection Types Connector Plug Type Plugs Into T-A USB 3.0/3.1 S-A USB 2.0 T-B USB 2.0 M-B USB 2.0 M-B USB 3.0/3.1 M-B USB T-C K K K K K K Rvb Cm Cm Lg h Sm h T h T h Cm h DOMAIN 3.0 Objv 3.1 USB 3.0/3.1 Gen 1 Type-A FIGURE 3.1-6 USB Type-C USB 1.1/2.0 Type-A USB Micro-B USB Type-A, Type-C, and Micro-B cables Fg 3.1-6 3.1-7 Tb 3.1-5. EXAM TIP CompTIA uses the term USB-C for what others call USB Type-C. CompTIA also uses the term micro-USB for USB Micro-B and mini-USB for USB Mini-B. You might see either forms of the device names on the exam. Th USB T-C A mh b, A’ P b, m k m. N A Ph b h Lghg USB-C h h, bh hh ’ k, h’ . USB-C m , . USB-C mgh USB 3.1 G 2, USB 3.1 G 1, USB 2.0 ; hk h v’ . EXAM TIP You will likely see micro- and mini-USB, USB Type-C, and Lightning mobile device connection types on the exam. Know their characteristics and differences. USB 1.1/2.0 Mini-B FIGURE 3.1-7 USB 1.1/2.0 Type-B USB 3.0/3.1 Gen 1 Micro-B USB 2.0 and USB 3.0 Type-B and Micro-B cables USB 3.0/3.1 Gen 1 Type-B 125 126 Mk M’ CmTIA A+ C 1 Cf P FIGURE 3.1-8 DB-9 serial port and connector Serial Connector O ’ m, m h v USB , hh m . Hv, m g k m hv m , m k b DB-9 . Th DB-9 RS-232 v h, g - mm, m m , . USB b v hgh USB DB-9 . Fg 3.1-8 h DB-9 . EXAM TIP Expect to see the DB-9 serial connector on the A+ Core 1 exam. Thunderbolt Th Thunderbolt hgh- v xg hg, g USB FW, g h g PCI DP hg m, h mbg h . Tb 3.1-6 h h h h v h Thb m h xm. A Tb 3.1-6, h h Thb 3 m m h USB T-C . USB T-C Thb 3 hgb. Th m h USB T-C b mb h Thb h Thb bg mb h USB T-C . Fg 3.1-9 h Thb 3 . TABLE 3.1-6 Thunderbolt Standards Standard Connector Maximum Speed Cable Length Thb 1 Thb 2 Thb 3 M DP M DP USB T-C 10 Gb 20 Gb 40 Gb 3 m () / 60 m (b) 3 m () / 60 m (b) 3 m () / 60 m (b) DOMAIN 3.0 Objv 3.1 FIGURE 3.1-9 Thunderbolt 3 port and connector Thb b, hh b b m xv h USB T 3 b, m h h b . Th b 3 m (hh g b h). O x mh h, 60 m. Thb 3 mh h USB T-C, h 480 Mb 20 Gb, b 40 Gb b. Video Cables and Connectors V b , m, HDTV, j m’ v b v . Tb 3.1-7 v vv h b h k h A+ C 1 xm. TABLE 3.1-7 Video Cables Video Cable Type Standard Name Reduced-Size Version Signal Types Supported VGA V Gh A N/A Ag v HDMI Hgh-D Mm I Dg V I M-HDMI HD v HD N/A HD v DP M DP HD v (mDP) HD DVI DP Notes VGA b HDMI, DVI-I, DP h . V g mb h DVI. DVI-I (g/g) DVI-D (g) g mb h HDMI. V g mb h DVI HDMI. 127 128 Mk M’ CmTIA A+ C 1 Cf P FIGURE 3.1-10 Typical HDMI, Mini-HDMI, DP, and mDP cables/connectors (left to right) VGA DVI-D DVI-I Mini-HDMI mDP FIGURE 3.1-11 HDMI Typical video ports Fg 3.1-10 m h v b, Fg 3.1-11 m h v . Hard Drive Cables Objv 3.1 h CmTIA A+ 220-1101 xm “h v b,” b ’ m k h h h b h SSD, v, v. D b b h h v m g v. SATA and eSATA Serial Advanced Technology Attachment (SATA) g mm h v v. SATA -- ( Fg 3.1-12) b SATA v, h h v v, SATA . DOMAIN 3.0 Objv 3.1 FIGURE 3.1-12 SATA power (wide) and data (narrow) cables and drive connectors A SATA v’ m v h v- b h h m gh. Th SATA v’ h SATA . Th SATA v—1.0 (1.5 Gb), 2.0 (3 Gb), 3.0 (6 Gb)—hv mxmm hgh 150 MB, 300 MB, 600 MB, v. N h h mgbytes . External SATA (eSATA) x h SATA b x v h m h SATA b. Th ( Fg 3.1-13) k SATA b k ; b 2 m h h-b. EXAM TIP When you encounter the term hot-swappable on the exam, remember that a hot-swappable drive (or device) is immediately recognized by the system when it is connected, swapped, or replaced while the system is running. FIGURE 3.1-13 eSATA connectors (in center of photo) 129 130 Mk M’ CmTIA A+ C 1 Cf P FIGURE 3.1-14 80-wire (left) and 40-wire (right) IDE cables IDE Integrated Drive Electronics (IDE) h m h CmTIA A+ xm h k ATA P ATA (PATA) v. Th v 40- bb b v h b mhb - . IDE g m, hgh m- m h SATA h v IDE v. Fg 3.1-14 h 80- IDE b , 40- IDE b. EXAM TIP Although CompTIA uses the term IDE on the exam, the interface is more often referred to as PATA or ATA/IDE by the industry. They’re the same thing, so be prepared! SCSI Small Computer System Interface (SCSI) g m x v v . I SCSI v h v h v b v v 50- 68- b h mb v IDE b. Ex SCSI v bk b gg m 25 68 . Eh SCSI v g ID mb, bg m v b g h g -hg. U k h v, ’ k SCSI h v h . Th SCSI h b g b Serial Attached SCSI (SAS) v g . SAS 4, h v, 22.5 Gb. SAS SATA v. Ah v SCSI, Internet SCSI (iSCSI), bk-v I/O g v hgh SCSI mm m k. Connectors A k, g h h v m b h m g m h. M v , h h q mz . C hv m g, DOMAIN 3.0 Objv 3.1 b m b g v g, h RJ-45 M SAS 4x. Cb b v gz. Th m mm h gz— h ’ ’ k h xm— h I E E Eg (IEEE), USB Imm F (USB IF), E I A (EIA), Tmm I A (TIA), Rg Jk (RJ), I Eh Cmm (IEC). C hv g h hh v . A “m” h h , b, . A “m” h h h h v h g m h m . L’ k h k h A+ C 1 xm. Registered Jack Connectors A RJ mg b h TIA mm k v v. Th RJ k h xm h RJ-11 h RJ-45 h g. RJ-11 D- DSL mm k h jk - RJ-11 h b ( Fg 3.1-15). Th kg h m RJ-11 h b h . M mm hv h. RJ-45 Nk m v v. M k (NIC) mhb hv gh- RJ-45 ( Fg 3.1-16). RJ-45 k k RJ-11 h g h m RJ-45 h m m h RJ-11 h b g mm. FIGURE 3.1-15 RJ-11 connectors on a modem 131 132 Mk M’ CmTIA A+ C 1 Cf P FIGURE 3.1-16 An RJ-45 connecter and port T568A/B Th EIA/TIA T568A T568B , h , h g TP g RJ-45 . S, mk , h h T568A (mm) h T568B () h g. Th TP b - ( Fg 3.1-17) g h m mb, Tb 3.1-8. EXAM TIP It’s a good idea to know the pin numbers of RJ-45 and their use in straight-through and crossover connectors. 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 FIGURE 3.1-17 RJ-45 pin numbers using the T568A/T568B standards DOMAIN 3.0 Objv 3.1 TABLE 3.1-8 UTP Cabling Color Chart Pin T568A T568B 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Wh/G G Wh/Og B Wh/B Og Wh/B B Wh/Og Og Wh/G B Wh/B G Wh/B B FIGURE 3.1-18 A male F-type connector Coaxial Cable Connector: F-Type Cx b b h g h b. Th F- h “v h ” b TV. I’ h m mm x bg Eh k. F- b-b I v m point of presence (POP) hm b h consumer premises equipment (CPE), h mm. Fg 3.1-18 h xm m F- . EXAM TIP For the A+ Core 1 exam, you should know the F-type coaxial cable connector. Fiber Optic Cable Connectors Th A+ C 1 bjv h b b h xm: h gh (ST), h bb (SC), h L (LC), h Fg 3.1-19. Sm h b b mgh h xm g FDDI, MT-RJ, FC. 133 134 Mk M’ CmTIA A+ C 1 Cf P FIGURE 3.1-19 ST (left), SC (center), and LC (right) fiber connectors Straight Tip Th gh (ST) b v mm mm k, h m m g bg. Th ST h “h ” kg mhm h k. A h Fg 3.1-19, ST g m m h h b b. Subscriber Connector Th bb (SC) h m b b , h h ’ m xv. A SC h- kg b h . Lucent Connector Lk h bb , h L h- , b h kg mhm b- h. Th LC h h h m. A LC m (h h z SC ST ) , hh h LC h g-m b--h-hm (FITH) v. Punchdown Block O h A+ C 1 xm, h v punchdown block. Hv, ’ mm punch block, quick connect block, patch panel, terminating block, mg h m. A h bk, b h g bg , h m (IDC) hh b g g “h” . DOMAIN 3.0 Objv 3.1 FIGURE 3.1-20 The RJ-45 (left) and punchdown (right) connections of a punchdown block A h bk mm v mg mm b g h k zg g k g. Ph bk m mm m mm h v bg mm m bg. Amg h b g h bk h gg k m q mvg RJ-45 m h. T h bk mm mm : 66 bk 110 bk. A 66 bk m v m g. A 110 bk, m k, h IDC RJ h h ( Fg 3.1-20). Molex and Berg A Mx , hh g m m g v, h Mx C Cm, mm - v v DC m PC. Mx h IDE (ATA, PATA) v g h 4- Mx , h Fg 3.1-21. Mx b h h DC- v, h . Fg 3.1-21 h Mx . 135 136 Mk M’ CmTIA A+ C 1 Cf P FIGURE 3.1-21 Molex (upper) and Berg (lower) power connectors Ah mm mhb h Bg . Nm v, Bg E Cm, m mm P7 m-Mx . Fg 3.1-21 xm Bg . Lightning Port “Lghg” hg b v b A v, g Ph, P, m, m, hg, m. Th m ghg jk mm, hh m h ’ vb b ghg g —k USB h k . Wh h m ghg b, hh h ghg h (mm USB-A ) h h ( Fg 3.1-22), hg A v. I b g , h h , b OS v m. FIGURE 3.1-22 A lightning cable with a USB jack DOMAIN 3.0 Objv 3.1 Adapters A v b v g . Y b h DVI HDMI h h , xm, g DVI h v h HDMI k h m. Th v b g b h bm h v: g v b h g m hg USB. DVI to HDMI, DVI to VGA A v v k m m: v m v h b, vg h , b h b- v h hv h . Th m m xb, b h . Fg 3.1-23 DVI--HDMI b, Fg 3.1-24 DVI-VGA . FIGURE 3.1-23 A DVI-to-HDMI cable FIGURE 3.1-24 A DVI-to-VGA adapter enables a DVI-I connection to work with VGA displays. 137 138 Mk M’ CmTIA A+ C 1 Cf P FIGURE 3.1-25 A USB-to-Ethernet adapter enables a USB port to connect to an Ethernet network. USB to Ethernet Th m USB v, b h m mm h USB--Eh (RJ-45) , b m h Eh - Eh k ( Fg 3.1-25). EXAM TIP Other USB adapters you may encounter on the exam are USB-A to USB-B, USB to Bluetooth, and USB to Wi-Fi. REVIEW Objective 3.1: Explain basic cable types and their connectors, features, and purposes • • • • • • • • Th m mm k b Eh k C 5, 5, 6, 6. Eh bg RJ-45 . Pm-g b g m ( ) -. UTP b h v mj 10/100/1000BT k. STP b h EMI h vm. Th T568A T568B b UTP b h gz h/g, g, g, h/g . Cx b b TV, LAN, I. Fb bg b Eh k, SAN, FTTN FTTH. DOMAIN 3.0 Objv 3.1 3.1 QUESTIONS 1. Cm A m k k k b m. Whh h g v h b ? A. B. C. D. DVI-I DVI-D VGA HDMI 2. Cm B g g F Eh k Ggb Eh. I hkg xg b, h k h hv v h m h C 5, m h C 5, m h C 6. Whh h g h h h g ? A. R b h C 6. B. K h m b. C. R C 5 h C 5 C 6. D. R b h C 5. 3. Cm C h h m m h hv USB 3.0 USB-C . I h USB-C v x SSD v. Wh b m ? A. A USB-C SSD v vb? B. H h USB-C ? C. C h USB-C k h h m ? D. I USB-C g 10 Gb? 4. Cm D x b h HDTV. Whh h g b h h m ? A. RG-6 B. STP C 5 C. STP C 6 D. RG-59 5. Cm E h SS USB v . Hv, h v b h USB v mb. Whh h g USB v h m ? A. USB 3.1 G 2 B. USB 3.0 C. USB 1.1 D. USB 2.0 139 140 Mk M’ CmTIA A+ C 1 Cf P 3.1 ANSWERS 1. D HDMI HD HD v g. 2. C C 5 C 6 Ggb Eh h C 5. 3. B USB-C USB 2.0, USB 3.0/USB 3.1 G 1, USB 3.1 G 2 . 4. A RG-6 h HD v. 5. B USB 3.0 (k USB 3.1 G 1) h v mb SS USB. Objective 3.2 Given a scenario, install the appropriate RAM M m mk bv h gm h h v. Th h , b v h h v ’ k h h CPU. I, gm m b - mm h CPU h h h q . Th mm b vg h h CPU random access memory, RAM. Lhg h m h h v RAM, h h CPU h h gm. NOTE Technically, you can use a hard drive or flash drive as virtual memory to expand the available RAM, but these devices are not nearly as fast as RAM, and it isn’t quite the same as running a program from where it is stored on a hard drive. RAM mm, v m g h . Th , ’ v xv m RAM, h b g ggh m. Th ’ m j gb RAM; ’v g mh h mhb h h gh RAM, g h gh . M hv RAM m h m (mm packages) hg v h . Th k h RAM Objv 3.2 h CmTIA A+ C 1 (220-1101) xm. RAM Packages F h A+ C 1 xm, ’ m h m, , h , g, kgg h v RAM hg. Rmmb h h A+ xm g kg . Th RAM h k h xm h g b. DOMAIN 3.0 Objv 3.2 FIGURE 3.2-1 A DIMM (bottom) and a SO-DIMM (top) Dual Inline Memory Modules Th mm m v k m inline memory module m. U 2000, single inline memory module, SIMM, h . Th hg vv dual inline memory module, DIMM. A DIMM b hh m RAM g m . Th DIMM m h m m g mm m, , v. Th DIMM, b h m h 133.35-mm (mm) m k m h g v h 67.6-mm m m, SO-DIMM, m. Fg 3.2-1 h xm h DIMM. Memory Architectures Sv mm h m. Dm RAM (DRAM) h m b mm h. Fg 3.2-2 h DRAM h m h mm . RAM DRAM DDR SDRAM DDR1 FIGURE 3.2-2 DDR2 DDR3 SRAM SDRAM DDR4 DRAM is the root of most RAM architectures. DDR5 141 142 Mk M’ CmTIA A+ C 1 Cf P Th g h mm h x h A+ C 1 xm: • • Dynamic RAM (DRAM) DRAM m b h (hg) v m . I m b h v h b h h v, . Synchronous DRAM (SDRAM) M DRAM h, mg h ’ hz h m k. SDRAM hz h m k, hh m h hgh h b DRAM. Y m h xm, b SDRAM h DRAM mm h h h h Db D R (DDR) mm . Double Data Rate Memory B, b (DDR) mm’ m m m h h h g (SDR) mm, SDRAM. Th “b” DDR h 2 b g k m mm I/O g, “2-b h.” DDR mm h vv m g 2000 hgh v v ’ DDR5. Eh h v h z, , bh h h . Th g b b DDR3 hgh DDR5 (DDR1 DDR2 h xm): NOTE Prefetching decreases transfer times by buffering or caching a resource (such as a set of bits) before it is required. • • • DDR3 DDR3 b hgh , m h, 30 m h DDR2. Dk DDR3 240- DIMM. DDR3 b h z h h b m 4 b 8 b, gvg bh hg b h g g . M DDR3 m - -h mm g. T z DDR3 DIMM k g m 1 GB 8 GB. DDR4 DDR4 v hgh , m h, 20 m h DDR3. Dk DDR4 288- DIMM h h gh v bh mhb . T z DDR4 DIMM k g m 4 GB 64 GB. DDR5 I 2021, DDR5 h mv h , mgm, m mb h h m- h mgg m m. DDR5 v m h bh DDR4 50 m . T z DDR5 DIMM k g m 8 GB 128 GB. DOMAIN 3.0 Objv 3.2 TABLE 3.2-1 Comparison of DDR Memory Versions DDR Standard Connection Pins Prefetch Bits Max Memory Size (GB) Max Data Rate (Gbps) Bandwidth (Gbps) Voltage(V) DDR3 DDR4 DDR5 240 288 288 8 8 16 8 32 128 1.6 3.2 6.4 17 25.6 32 1.3/1.5 1.2 1.1 Tb 3.2-1 Fg 3.2-3 v v m DDR3, DDR4, DDR5 DIMM. NOTE Both DDR4 and DDR5 have 288 pins on their edge connectors, but each uses a different pin arrangement. EXAM TIP You should be familiar with the various RAM sizes and speeds for DDR3, DDR4, and DDR5. ADDITIONAL RESOURCES To familiarize yourself with the many RAM standards and specifications for both desktops and laptops, visit www.crucial.com, paying attention to the characteristics, such as module size, package, and features. FIGURE 3.2-3 DDR3 (top), DDR4 (center), and DDR5 (bottom) DIMMs compared (images courtesy of Micron Technologies, Inc.) 143 144 Mk M’ CmTIA A+ C 1 Cf P Handling and Installing DIMM P RAM hg v mg m. Th v h h k RAM h . RAM xm v hg (ESD). Th, k h g, hg, g . A RAM bg v h ’ m, k b h h , z, h . W g b kg h RAM. D’ k RAM k bg b . A, b h RAM b h g h m v hg . T DIMM, h m g m h AC . DIMM k h k v. Eh h mm /k h mhb hv g b h hh h g h h DIMM mh h DIMM , Fg 3.2-4, v m bg h g . Mk h h RAM h h k h m . H h RAM k b h g, bv h RAM k, gh h h g ( Fg 3.2-5). Wh h RAM , h h h h h k. S h m , ’ . Bg ESD, g g. Th m hg k m g. I h ’ gg , RAM k ’ m. DDR3 k bh . DDR4 k x g h h , DDR5 k DDR5 DDR5 mhb. I, , h DDR k ’ , ’ h gh ’ h g mm. FIGURE 3.2-4 Match the guide slot on the DIMM with the guide bar in the memory socket. DOMAIN 3.0 Objv 3.2 FIGURE 3.2-5 Properly seating a DIMM T mv DIMM, h h () h k . Th v j h k h h h . Laptop RAM L, bk, m -- m, h m m PC DDR RAM, j k . Hv, h m h v, RAM, g DDR RAM, kg small outline dual inline memory modules (SO-DIMMs, h Fg 3.2-6). Ahgh h b bv, h k h DIMM SO-DIMM hgb. Th m h SO-DIMM h m m DIMM h h m hg. Th m Tb 3.2-1 bh DIMM SO-DIMM. A SO-DIMM h m DIMM k g . Th k hg h h gm h h h m h mg . Th SO-DIMM h h DDR v, g DDR5. Th -vg v h DDR3 SO-DIMM, DDR3L m. Th -vg v h vg v ’ mb, b k h hh ’ kg. A DDR5 SO-DIMM q 1.1 V (v), hh 0.1 V h h h DDR4. • DDR3 SO-DIMM DDR3 SO-DIMM kg 204- m, h h h Fg 3.2-6. N h m DDR3 SO-DIMM -vg DDR3 mm. Th m DDR3L SO-DIMM. Chk h v m vg (DDR3) -vg (DDR3L) mm. 145 146 Mk M’ CmTIA A+ C 1 Cf P FIGURE 3.2-6 • • DDR3 (top), DDR4 (center), and DDR5 (bottom) SO-DIMMs compared (images courtesy of Micron Technologies, Inc.) DDR4 SO-DIMM DDR4 SO-DIMM kg 260- m, h h h Fg 3.2-6. A DDR4 SO-DIMM gh h v SO-DIMM . DDR5 SO-DIMM Th m 262- SO-DIMM h I/O h bh, h -b g, z b b. Fg 3.2-6 h mg DDR5 SO-DIMM. EXAM TIP You should be able to differentiate the DIMM and SO-DIMM form factors and the number of pins in the edge connectors of each for the A+ Core 1 exam. Handling and Installing SO-DIMM Sticks J k h k, h b v b mvg h SO-DIMM b g ESD v hq. Wh b, mvg g mvb b. I h b- b, h m’ hk h k . DOMAIN 3.0 Objv 3.2 FIGURE 3.2-7 Removing a RAM panel NOTE Some portables have both built-in and removable batteries. O k k , m h k RAM b hkg h m’ b m. Nx, hk h xg RAM g m h b. T g m 4 GB 8 GB, k h b h 4-GB m 2-GB m. Nx, h RAM . Th’ bh h bm h b, h Fg 3.2-7, b mm h’ . Th h g , h RAM k ( Fg 3.2-8). G mv h k RAM h b vg h . FIGURE 3.2-8 Releasing the RAM 147 148 Mk M’ CmTIA A+ C 1 Cf P FIGURE 3.2-9 Confirming RAM installation by checking total memory in UEFI BIOS Utility Conrming RAM Installation O ’v RAM, m h h m gz b bg hkg h RAM mg b kg h UEFI/BIOS ( Fg 3.2-9). M m m h RAM z g h m g. Y g h RAM g. Y v h m RAM m h h g m— xm, v W, m h windows pause k bg h Sm P . Performance Congurations for Desktop and Laptop C k mhb mh mm g mm m. Wh 64-b b, DIMM v 64 b m single memory channel. A dual-channel mm h b h mb b m 64 128, hh b h vb bh. S mm m 64-b v, mm m q b hv DOMAIN 3.0 Objv 3.2 -h h. A triple-channel mm h q h mm m b ( mm h m ) 192-b b. T hv quad-channel mm h— g — mm m 256-b mm b. U RAM k bk mh mm m. A hk h mhb m m . Eh h m-h mm h q mm h mb h. D-h mm h m, -h q-h g q mm h h h, v. Mhb h mh m -h m, b h b m v b h hgh m h mhb . EXAM TIP Know the differences and configurations of single-, dual-, triple-, and quad-channel memory. Error-Correcting Memory Hgh-, m- m error-correction code (ECC) RAM h . ECC RAM h b hm h h g m . ECC RAM mm m-h k v. Virtual Memory I m m k vhg b v m h . O v m vb “v” m h OS, hh hm. V mm virtual RAM v h h ’ h m’ m mm (RAM). I, ’ g, h k, g mm. V mm b mm mgm (MMU) h g m. Th v mm mm swap space swap file b ’ m - g mm mm v . Th m v mm g m v h h g m, h g h mh, h . Y hv mh v mm, hh h MMU thrashing, mvg g mm m v mm. Cmm h v mm b mm hhg, bh hh b b h m mm h . 149 150 Mk M’ CmTIA A+ C 1 Cf P REVIEW Objective 3.2: Given a scenario, install the appropriate RAM • • • • • • • • • • • Dk RAM h DIMM m , hh vb DDR3, DDR4, DDR5 m. DIMM b g h m h h RAM g h DIMM k . L, bk, h m m m h SO-DIMM m RAM. I vb h m m DIMM. SO-DIMM b g h m h h RAM g, hg h m h , vg h h m k . Sg-h mm g DIMM h. D-h mm DIMM h g bh. T-h mm h DIMM h v g bh. Q-h mm DIMM h g bh. DIMM mh m gv bk h m . U RAM k bk mh mm m. E- (ECC) RAM h b hm h h g m . V mm g v bk h MMU. 3.2 QUESTIONS 1. H m m DDR4 DIMM RAM ? A. 108 B. 186 C. 205 D. 288 2. Wh RAM? A. C g gm B. Pgm h ’ g C. Nhg D. H m DOMAIN 3.0 Objv 3.3 3. H m DIMM q hv 256- h? A. O B. T C. Th D. F 4. Y g RAM -h m h h 4-GB m g 8 GB. Whh h g m b b m RAM? A. Th k’ b RAM B. Th k’ RAM C. Th k’ RAM D. A h bv 5. Y hg 288- RAM g m gz. Wh RAM hg? A. DDR5 SO-DIMM B. DDR4 SO-DIMM C. DDR4 DIMM D. DDR5 DIMM 3.2 ANSWERS 1. D 2. DDR4 DIMM mm 288- . A RAM h k b gm h g. Pgm h g k g v. 3. D Q-h mm h DIMM 256-b mm h. 4. D T h m -h m b , h m m b h , h m b mh. 5. D S DDR5 DIMM hv 288 . A DDR5 SO-DIMM h 262 . Objective 3.3 T Given a scenario, select and install storage devices h g-vm g mv m, h h mm g m hg g mg m. Nvh, h x mg, -, , h m k h, m h bjv. 151 152 Mk M’ CmTIA A+ C 1 Cf P Hard Drives T hard disk drives (HDDs) mg g , g -mvg m h / h h b v m ( Fg 3.3-1). Th m h z, g , , h z, . M m HDD 2.5 3.5 h hv g m ggb (GB, b b), b (TB, b), b (PB, 1024 b). Th 2.5-h HDD m x USB Thb g h. Th 3.5-h HDD mm k v m x AC g h. C, 2.5-h HDD hv g 4 TB, 3.5-h v 20 TB. EXAM TIP Know the HDD 2.5- and 3.5-inch form factors and spindle speeds as well as the drive categories represented. FIGURE 3.3-1 Inside a hard drive DOMAIN 3.0 Objv 3.3 TABLE 3.3-1 Typical HDD Spindle Speeds Spindle Speed Typical Purpose Drive Interface 5400 RPM S b m 7200 RPM 10,000 RPM S k m Eh v m 15,000 RPM E v S ATA (SATA), Ig Dvm Evm (IDE) SATA, IDE Sm Cm Sm I (SCSI), S Ah SCSI (SAS) SAS H k v h hgh k, , , b g , h m m g hgh h . Tb 3.3-1 h mm HDD h . Ch z, m mgb (MB), h v’ hgh. Solid-State Drives S- v (SSD) h mm h . SSD gh , hv mvg , k , hv hgh hgh, m , h, hv b hk , g h HDD. Th h HDD hv h vg . M m SSD SATA 2.5-h h v m M.2 h v m. A M.2 SSD m m SSD h b g: serial ATA (SATA) Non-Volatile Memory Express (NVMe). Th g m SSD SATA 2.5 h. Fg 3.3-2 m SATA 2.5-h v h M.2 v. FIGURE 3.3-2 SATA (top) and M.2 (bottom) SSDs 153 154 Mk M’ CmTIA A+ C 1 Cf P NOTE Confused by all the xxD acronyms yet? Hard drive and hard disk were traditional synonyms, but in this book, we use hard drive as an umbrella term, including HDD and SSD. NVMe Non-Volatile Memory Express (NVMe) h h PCI Ex (PCI) b m SSD v. NVM b SATA M.2 SSD. NVM v 2.5 3 m h SATA M.2 SSD. SATA Th serial ATA (SATA) h m g HDD g v m. SATA v h g ATA (PATA) , bh hh IDE v, hh hv h v h v. SATA v SATA SSD, M.2 SSD, mSATA SSD, v h. EXAM TIP The M.2 form factor supports both NVMe and SATA SSDs. You might encounter a question that asks about the differences, so keep in mind that NVMe is faster but doesn’t work in all M.2 slots. mSATA Th m mSATA mini-SATA, hh v b h SATA I Ogz -h, - g v. Th m mSATA m h h m SATA SSD. D m z, mSATA v 1 TB. Fg 3.3-3 h xm mSATA v. FIGURE 3.3-3 An mSATA drive (image courtesy of Micron Technologies, Inc.) DOMAIN 3.0 Objv 3.3 FIGURE 3.3-4 M.2 modules: M.2 NVMe (top) and M.2 SATA (bottom) (image courtesy of Samsung) M.2 SSD A M.2 SSD v m h mSATA SSD, hh mk b m -h bk h k. A M.2 SSD m h 2 TB b g mg h h B k k M k k. Th m vb M.2 SATA M.2 NVM ( Fg 3.3-4). Flash Memory Fh mm, hh - hg k h SSD, g h g hg. F h xm, k h h mm m: h v (k, hmb v) mm . Flash Drives Fh v m hgh USB . Fh v mm hv v g: h v hv v m h g mvb g, h k, CD-RW, h k. G, h v mg v hgh h USB T-A T-C. Th h v h v h mm, h h v hvg g 2 TB. Memory Cards Memory card g m m mm b v, h bk, m, b, h m mb v. Mm v , g , m . Th m mm m h mg qm S Dg (SD), mSD, CFx. 155 156 Mk M’ CmTIA A+ C 1 Cf P FIGURE 3.3-5 Assortment of SD memory cards SD Card Ahgh ’ hv b b mm , SD (xm hh h Fg 3.3-5) m v mg. Sm m v, h mSD mSD, h g m, hgh h m m q v h g SD . SD hv g 2 TB. ADDITIONAL RESOURCES To learn more about the different form factors, speeds, and capacities of SD and CF cards, see www.sdcard.org and https://compactflash.org/. EXAM TIP Be familiar with the differences between USB flash drives and memory cards, including capacities and uses. Installing Storage Devices Th g v m: IDE, SATA, M.2. Th x h v h h . Installing SATA Drives Th b h h g SATA v; h , j h , g h b ( Fg 3.3-6), h OS m h v. Th kg SATA b mk mb . DOMAIN 3.0 Objv 3.3 FIGURE 3.3-6 Properly connected SATA cables S mhb m h m SATA , h h m h gh h v b ? Th’ h h BIOS/UEFI g m . B , b v b SATA ID: SATA 0 C:, SATA 1 D:, . EXAM TIP BIOS/UEFI setup utilities enable you to change boot order easily, which is great for multi-OS computers. Wh g v, mgh mv bk h m v. Th SATA k h m h SATA v. Installing IDE Drives I IDE v, h v h b (hh v) m b g v jm bk, hh m h gh ( m) g bk g . 157 158 Mk M’ CmTIA A+ C 1 Cf P MA or single drive SL Jumper blocks Cable select Configuration pins 7 5 3 1 8 6 4 2 Pin numbers FIGURE 3.3-7 Power connector The jumper settings for an IDE device Th g bk IDE v x h Mx h bk h v. A Fg 3.3-7, h hh h jm bk ( jumpering) h h v. A v 80- b CS (b ). Wh IDE v g 40- b, v jm MA h h SL. Th jmg g v 40- b v, h h v’ m g. Installing M.2 Drives Wh M.2 v, g SSD, NVM SSD, h M.2 v , h hv h : 1. S v h h . 2. S h v h mg . A M.2 22 mm , h gh vg m 30 mm mh 110 mm. Th m mm z, hv, 2280 (22 mm , 80 mm g), Fg 3.3-8. FIGURE 3.3-8 An M.2 2280 SSD installed and secured into an M.2 slot DOMAIN 3.0 Objv 3.3 RAID A redundant array of independent ( inexpensive) disks (RAID) m h v m . Mhb h b- RAID m hv BIOS/UEFI g b b RAID ( Fg 3.3-9). Th g b h h RAID v h k h C 1 xm. EXAM TIP A RAID array collects two or more hard drives into a logical unit. CompTIA expects you to know RAID levels 0, 1, 5, and 10. • • RAID 0: Disk striping Dk g q v. I m b g k v m v, b v . I v , . RAID 1: Disk mirroring/duplexing RAID 1 q h v, hgh h k h v mb v. RAID 1 mirrors m v, vg h g ( ; 2-TB v 2 TB ). FIGURE 3.3-9 BIOS/UEFI settings for RAID 159 160 Mk M’ CmTIA A+ C 1 Cf P • • RAID 5: Disk striping with distributed parity RAID 5 b m v v. Th h v . RAID 5 v v’ h , qg mmm h v. I RAID 5, h 2-TB v v 4 TB, h 2-TB v v 6 GB. RAID 10: Nested, striped mirrors RAID 10 k m v hm gh. Th h x , hgh k v mmm. RAID 10 h g RAID v b mm . RAID 10 mb RAID v 0 1 RAID g h m -v (RAID 0+1) m-v (RAID 1+0 RAID 10). A h mb g RAID multiple RAID nested RAID. EXAM TIP Be sure you know and understand the RAID 0, 1, 5, and 10 (1+0) configurations for the A+ Core 1 exam, especially the minimum number of disks required for each and the basic method(s) each implements, such as mirroring, striping, redundancy, and so on. You will encounter at least one of these on the test. Optical Drives Compact disc (CD), digital versatile disc (DVD), Blu-ray Disc (BD) v ( mm b) optical discs. Th v hv b bk hv . I v h SATA x v USB . A h h m vb h : -(R), - (W), b (RW). O combo drives h m . Hv, h hk mb, h v. NOTE Optical discs use a unique Compact Disc File System (CDFS), more accurately called the ISO 9660 file system. CD hv h 650 MB 700 MB. DVD B- m hv v mb m h g g, hh g . Tb 3.3-2 h DVD B- D . DOMAIN 3.0 Objv 3.3 TABLE 3.3-2 Common DVD/Blu-ray Disc Capacities in DVD-Industry Gigabytes Sg- DVD Db- DVD B- D M B- D Single Layer Dual Layer 4.7 GB 9.4 GB 25 GB 7.8 GB 8.5 GB 17.1 GB 50 GB 15.6 GB REVIEW Objective 3.3: Given a scenario, select and install storage devices • • • • • • • • • • • • SATA HDD, SSD, v g SATA b SATA b. M.2 v vb v (SATA SSD ) NVM (2.5 3 m ) . HDD vb 2.5-h 3.5-h m . HDD hv 5400 RPM, 7200 RPM, 10,000 RPM, 15,000 RPM. 3.5-h v AC- k v. 2.5-h v USB- . NVM h PCI b SSD v. mSATA m-SATA ( -h, - g v). Th m mSATA m h h m SATA SSD. Th m mm m h mm SD, g mSD h v mSD. RAID 0 h h RAID b v; h . RAID 1 m h v h h; RAID 5 h v b v () m v; RAID 10 RAID 1+0 mb g mg, hh q v. O vb CD, DVD, BD (B-) . 3.3 QUESTIONS 1. Y g 500-GB h k h m z SSD. Amg mb, hh h g v h b m? A. NVM 2.5-h B. NVM M.2 C. SATA M.2 D. SATA 2.5-h 161 162 Mk M’ CmTIA A+ C 1 Cf P 2. Whh h g g v m? A. B. C. D. IDE SATA M.2 S 3. Y NVM v h k m b m, b h M.2 h m ’ NVM v. Whh h g b ? A. SATA B. PCI C. SATA D. ISO 9660 4. Y h RAID h x b. Whh h g h b mh h qm? A. RAID 10 B. RAID 1 C. RAID 5 D. RAID 0 5. Y h mSD h g m SD . Whh h g h b h ? A. C h m xg h . B. R h h h . C. U h h . D. B m h mSD . 3.3 ANSWERS 1. B 2. Th NVM M.2 SSD h SSD. D IDE, SATA, M.2 g v . S m. 3. B NVM v vb PCI ; NVM h PCI b x v SATA. 4. A RAID 10 mb mg g . 5. C SD mSD v mm b h mSD . DOMAIN 3.0 Objv 3.4 Objective 3.4 Given a scenario, install and congure motherboards, central processing units (CPUs), and add-on cards C m PC g g h’ b g -h-h m m v kg m. I h bjv, h h, , g mb mhb, CPU, - . Motherboard Form Factor A form factor h mhb’ z, h, , h ’ m h m , h b k x , m. E, h m mhb m h m m. I hh m mb b h mhb g h qm, h z h h , x h h m. Th m mm m PC mhb ATX ITX, hh Advanced Technology eXtended Information Technology eXtended, v. Eh h m h v, h v . F h m , m hgb, ATX ITX. Th m g h mhb b mb g m . Th m h, xm, ATX mhb ATX , ITX mhb ITX . ATX Th ATX mhb m ( Fg 3.4-1) v h g AT m . Th ATX m g h m x , CPU, RAM h m. Th ATX g g bm h AT mhb h m g x h CPU. Th ATX hv hg h vm hg, g v , , h g. Th ATX mhb g b I/O port cluster h b h bk ATX . Fg 3.4-2 ATX mhb . 163 164 Mk M’ CmTIA A+ C 1 Cf P CPU RAM Power I/O ports Expansion slots FIGURE 3.4-1 ATX motherboard USB 2.0 ports VGA video port PS/2 mouse/keyboard combo port FIGURE 3.4-2 USB 3.0 Gigabit (USB 3.1 Gen 1) ports Ethernet port Surround audio ports DVI-D video port USB Type-C port USB 3.1 Gen 2 port HDMI A/V port Typical ATX port cluster Th ATX m h v v, g h g , hh h h Fg 3.4-3: • Standard (full-sized) ATX Th -z ATX (m h ATX m ) 12 h b 9.6 h. I h v gh , v v x , -z ATX . DOMAIN 3.0 Objv 3.4 Standard-ATX FIGURE 3.4-3 • Mico-ATX Mini-ITX Nano-ITX Pico-ITX Examples of ATX and ITX form factor motherboards (image courtesy of VIA Labs, Inc.) Micro-ATX A mATX, h m-ATX mhb 9.6 h b 9.6 h q h m b mhb h -z ATX. Th m-ATX m m . Wh ATX mhb ’ m-ATX, h m m b ATX . EXAM TIP Know the differences between the ATX and the ITX motherboard/ system board form factors. ITX Th ITX m h m mm h small form factor (SFF) mhb. Og, h ITX m -z mhb, b v k h. Hv, m v h m hv mh b, h m-, -, -ITX m , h h gh Fg 3.4-3. O h h ITX v, h mini-ITX ( mITX) h g 6.7 h q. Th m-ITX m h h g m-ATX. Th nano-ITX mhb, 4.7 h q, h pico-ITX mhb, 3.8 h b 2.8 h, m . Th mh m mhb m mb m z v h . Motherboard Connector Types A mhb m h g b hh RAM CPU . Sg, v, I/O, h v mhb. I h b h , b h v h m mhb h h g h , jk, , h h mhb’ g m v k expansion bus. 165 166 Mk M’ CmTIA A+ C 1 Cf P Expansion Bus Architectures Wh v m mm h h v h m, “k b.” I h x m hg, bus mm b mhb h v mm. A b h b mb g hh v b . Ex mhb hgh x b. Th x b mhb h h m vg z g v m. Th x b h mhb ( hgh , h m) b mz h qm h . Ov h , m x b h hv b , m , , g h g: • • • Ph Cm I (PCI) PCI Ex (PCI) Sm Cm Sm I (SCSI) Ahgh h hv b h h z mm , v, gh, m, h A+ C 1 xm’ h PCI PCI h. PCI Th Peripheral Component Interconnect (PCI) x b h h b m h 1990 b h I C h h g mhb m h g. Cm h x b h , PCI 32 b, 33 MHz, m xb. PCI gg, h h Pg P (PP) . Th k h x hg m PCI h b . PCIe PCI Express (PCIe) v PCI. Hv, PCI -- PCI’ h mm. Th vh hgh h m h v. A PCI v’ -- () h hbg m h h h h h v. A PCIe lane g hh v. Hv, PCI v 1, 2, 4, 8, 12, 16, 32 h g ×1 (b ), ×4 (b ), ×8 (b gh), . Eh h h PCI v h x , h PCI v, h mhb. I h PCI v b , h v . DOMAIN 3.0 Objv 3.4 TABLE 3.4-1 Data Transfer Speeds of the PCIe Versions PCIe Version Bus Transfer Rate (Giga-Transfers per Second, GTps) Throughput Speed (GBps) PCI 1.0 PCI 2.0 PCI 3.0 PCI 4.0 PCI 5.0 PCI 6.0 2.5 5 8 16 32 64 ×1 0.25 0.50 1.0 2.0 4.0 8.0 ×4 1.0 2.0 4.0 8.0 16.0 32.0 ×8 2.0 4.0 8.0 16.0 32.0 63.0 ×16 4.0 8.0 16.0 32.0 63.0 126.0 Sm PCI g hv : • • • PCIe ×32 B g z h h h ’ m v vb h , h PCI v . PCIe ×12 Th PCI v m-mk PC b mm v mhb. PCIe ×2 Th PCI v b x . Tb 3.4-1 h h v PCI v. NOTE A lot of laptop computers offer an internal PCIe expansion slot called PCI Express Mini Card, or Mini PCIe. It works like any PCIe expansion slot, although it’s not compatible with full-sized cards. Th m mm PCI h 16- (×16) v m v , h ×1 ×4 h m mm g- PCI . Th PCI mhb g PCI ×16 v PCI . Fg 3.4-4 m PCI PCI -m mhb. FIGURE 3.4-4 PCIe ×16 (bottom), PCI (middle), and PCIe ×1 (top) slots 167 168 Mk M’ CmTIA A+ C 1 Cf P SATA SATA SATA FIGURE 3.4-5 Front-mounted and top-mounted SATA ports on a typical motherboard EXAM TIP Given a scenario, be able to identify the various PCI and PCIe slots. SATA SATA mhb mgh b g h g . Sm mhb bh ( Fg 3.4-5). eSATA SATA x (h’ h h e ) SATA v h m h USB 3.0 g x g v. SATA SATA b m m hg g v, hh b SATA k v, SATA h v, v USB 3.0 h v. Hv, SATA, b ’ , gvg h SATA ( v SATA h SATA/USB hb ) ( Fg 3.4-6). Motherboard Headers A header k mhb h m m. Th m h mm PC mhb DOMAIN 3.0 Objv 3.4 FIGURE 3.4-6 An eSATAp + USB port 1394 (F) USB, hh -mb. F xm, USB - b PC v b h mhb g h USB h, k h h Fg 3.4-7. A mhb m v h h, g , gm , k , . M.2 Interface Og h Nx G Fm F (NGFF), h M.2 v vm h m h mSATA SFF v, h SSD. Th M.2 b m m kg. M.2 bh FIGURE 3.4-7 USB headers on a motherboard 169 170 Mk M’ CmTIA A+ C 1 Cf P FIGURE 3.4-8 An M.2 interface connector SATA PCI b b m. Fg 3.4-8 h h M.2 . Motherboard Compatibility Ag m h CPU, mm, g v mhb mb h h m h . Th g b h m m’ mb h mhb. NOTE A motherboard is also referred to as a system board in the product literature of some components. CPU Compatibility Y h h g h mg hh CPU mb h mhb: • • • Manufacturer Th m CPU m I Av M Dv (AMD). Th CPU h m q mhb mb h h. CPU socket type Eh CPU k g m CPU CPU. Th CPU k m b mb h h CPU b m mhb. F xm, Fg 3.4-9 h AMD A4 CPU k. Memory compatibility Th mg h mb b mhb h mm m b : DOMAIN 3.0 Objv 3.4 FIGURE 3.4-9 • • An AMD A4 CPU socket Form factor Wh mm vb (DIMM SO-DIMM)? Wh DDR g ? O mhb DDR3, mhb DDR4 DDR5. Capacity Th m h m mm m m m b h CPU. F xm, mhb h 128 GB m b m 4 GB b 32-b . Th, b mh h mm h mhb CPU. NOTE To find the memory capacity on a Windows PC, enter the command wmic memphysical get maxcapacity at a command prompt and divide the result by 1,048,576. The result is the maximum memory capacity in gigabytes. • • Chipset D CPU h. Sm h vkg h ’. A -m h h hgh-m CPU, h m b m CPU. Chk h h CPU m m h b mhb’ h h CPU. BIOS/UEFI F m , h mhb, CPU, h, h m BIOS m b mb. Th mhb m’ b h h mb m h mhb h BIOS. A mhb h b g g, b CPU g m q BIOS —b h CPU. 171 172 Mk M’ CmTIA A+ C 1 Cf P • Fit Sm RAM m q g h k h m b h m, h h CPU g v. Chk h h hgh h mm m h z h CPU g v b gh . System Compatibility Issues Dg h m, v q mb m x. Sv, k, mb PC hv v h ’ mg h mb mhb h m. Servers Lk m, mhb v m m b b g h m b . Hv, h m v mhb h h h h mb h CPU mm m. Th h h v h mhb. A, , h mhb, CPU, mm m b mh h h h k h v. Desktops Th mb k m h b h , b k m, h k h b . Th mhb, CPU, mm m b z g h h h m. A gg k q m b h m v. Mobile L bk h mb v h b mj g, b h m b v gg h mhb, CPU, mm. Th g h m m m h h v k m. Chk h m’ g gg mb v h mb h v h b g. Multisocket Motherboards Mhb h m CPU g b hgh- m. D- mhb vb m h mj mhb m, b hg b h (h , h, , m ) mm m b mz. Fg 3.4-10 h xm k mhb. O m-CPU m, b m-k mhb, bm v, h h h , hh mk h m m DOMAIN 3.0 Objv 3.4 FIGURE 3.4-10 A dual-socket motherboard (image courtesy of ASUSTeK Computer Inc.) . Cmb m vv h CPU h h. Th m m b mh hv m m h m. S h mhb m m h m mb . BIOS/UEFI Settings Th g h m ROM b g m m g CMOS. Th g CPU , b q, mgm, v h, hh b x. CMOS complementary metal-oxide semiconductor, hh h m mk h h. CMOS h v m m g hh h g g m , q h h, hh v b b h mhb. Th m CMOS m mm h h h h h m. NOTE CMOS is an algorithm commonly associated with BIOS and the system configuration of a computer. BIOS/UEFI Th Basic Input/Output System (BIOS) read-only memory (ROM) h, hh h BIOS m g . Th BIOS xm m. Th m ROM b h h BIOS mk’ m b 173 174 Mk M’ CmTIA A+ C 1 Cf P FIGURE 3.4-11 The inset shows a magnification of the M_BIOS and B_BIOS chips. b h ( h) h mhb. Sm mhb hv BIOS h: M_BIOS B_BIOS ( Fg 3.4-11). A M_BIOS h m m BIOS h, ’ g m . Th B_BIOS bk v h M_BIOS, v h M_BIOS h h bm . Th’ bg b m ROM h RAM: RAM volatile b h ’ . ROM nonvolatile v h h m ’ . Ex g h CMOS b (b h x ) , m ROM q m. Th m m m h Unified Extensible Firmware Interface (UEFI). H h : • UEFI hgh gh m . M , bk, k PC hv x-m bh BIOS UEFI. • • UEFI bg g h 2.2 TB. Th UEFI b m h h OS, hh mhg h b h BIOS. UEFI S B h v b g . • NOTE Although it may sound as if BIOS and UEFI are perhaps mutually exclusive, most of the currently available operating systems versions support BIOS and UEFI together. DOMAIN 3.0 Objv 3.4 FIGURE 3.4-12 The main menu of a text-based BIOS configuration utility The BIOS Setup Utility A , h BIOS CMOS g b v g OS. Ag h BIOS g m b h bgg h m b . Dg h v m h BIOS , h mh v. A m, m k hh k h BIOS . Hv, m m g . Th g h BIOS g b h m h mhb. Fg 3.4-12 h xm h m (g) b BIOS g . Th m b h h g h h h m. M h g b hg h CMOS m m h . T, m g gh m-, k h h h Fg 3.4-13, h h h x-m m vg h kb, k h h h bm Fg 3.4-13. I h , bh h x h GUI m h g vv CPU, RAM, h v, v g, g h h m h b hh g g b , v, m. Navigating the CMOS Setup Utility Ahgh h m h m m x-b h b GUI m b x h m m v v, h g g h g v h m. 175 176 Mk M’ CmTIA A+ C 1 Cf P FIGURE 3.4-13 System information screen in graphical (top) and text-mode (bottom) setup utilities Wh ’ g kg h h g , h vg k m b x m g , hg h g: • Save & Exit Setup T v , only h h mk hg ’ h h b. T, g h bg m m h “A mk h hg? Y/N.” DOMAIN 3.0 Objv 3.4 • Exit Without Saving Th hg. Chg h bg h “A ? Y/N” m m. P y k v CMOS h g mg. NOTE There’s enough variety in how tabs, menus, and options are labeled in different setup utilities that you’ll inevitably find yourself hunting for what you need. Boot Options Th b ( Fg 3.4-14 xm) h h m q hg g h : h b q. Th g hh v m m b m h . Oh ’ k h hh h m b m USB v k , POST (- -) m, h k mb h h , . FIGURE 3.4-14 Boot tab in graphical setup utility 177 178 Mk M’ CmTIA A+ C 1 Cf P EXAM TIP The boot sequence is the first place to check if you have a computer that attempts to boot to an incorrect device or gives an “invalid boot device” error. If you have a USB thumb drive inserted and this setting has removable devices ahead of hard drives in the boot order, the computer will dutifully try to boot from the thumb drive. USB Permissions I v , m b b USB v h mg v h m hgh h hz m . Th b b USB : • • Disabling USB ports in BIOS USB b b g m. O h BIOS, h Ig Ph b, hg h h USB Db. I h b h USB , j hg h g Eb. Disabling USB ports in the Device Manager Y h Dv Mg b h USB W v b g h Uv S B C h W Dv Mg, gh-kg h USB v b, hg Db Dv m h - , h Fg 3.4-15. Ah h v m h Dv Mg m. FIGURE 3.4-15 Disabling a USB device on the Device Manager DOMAIN 3.0 Objv 3.4 • • Disconnecting the USB Th h b , m b USB m. Wh ’ b h USB v h , mv USB m b ggg m h mhb. Locking USB ports with Registry entries Y b USB g h g hg g h W Rg. I h h g , vg HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CCS\ Sv\USBSTOR. F h k, b-k h S h gh . I h S bx, hg h v 4 (Db). A v 3 b h . Sv h x g. Trusted Platform Module Th Trusted Platform Module (TPM) mh h - v h-b . TPM m mg . TPM , , gh k, v v h g b- RSA k, mg m m mm. Dg h b , TPM “m” h m OS h mm. Th TPM mm bhmk h h m v h TPM-g k h b . TPM k v , g h g: • • • Attack mitigation TPM b g h h TPM k vb TPM, hh b mg m hhg k. Authorization TPM b g q h/hz b h TPM k b . T m b g g h TPM k. Confidentiality TPM b g b . CmTIA k b h mgh h BIOS/ UEFI , hh g b ( Fg 3.4-16) b h m: • Passwords Wh ’ BIOS/UEFI , h m ’ b h h . A m’ BIOS/UEFI h BIOS/UEFI . EXAM TIP Remember that BIOS/UEFI configuration settings—including passwords—can be wiped by using the CMOS clear jumper or button or by removing and replacing the CMOS battery. 179 180 Mk M’ CmTIA A+ C 1 Cf P FIGURE 3.4-16 • Security tab in text-mode setup utility Secure Boot Th UEFI h m m m -v m h x b g v OS h h’ b g b . S B q I CPU, UEFI BIOS, g m g . Cross-Reference More information on TPM is included later in this objective in the section “Encryption.” Fan Controls Th h b h jm h g m m h b h CPU, mhb, h h m PC. Th g PC’ g m () h mm h m b v . Th h h g m: • • Manufacturer-supplied software Q g m m CPU m h v b h m h h v m. S v b, h h mb bm m . BIOS/UEFI settings V BIOS UEFI m v h h b v , g m m g, h g. DOMAIN 3.0 Objv 3.4 FIGURE 3.4-17 • The main page of the NoteBook FanControl software Third-party software Th- m mg , g mg , b g g PC h m g m. Sv h- g m mg kg vb , m, . Fg 3.4-17 h h b h NBk FC . ADDITIONAL RESOURCES For more information on the popular fan control and monitoring software packages available, navigate to the article “The Ultimate Guide to CPU Temperature” by Miodrag Matović (https://www.thetechlounge .com/cpu-temperature/). Secure Boot S B h h v h m h h v g m m hv v. U h S B , h h v , m v h g h h m vv h b —g UEFI O ROM m v, h g m, Exb Fm I (EFI) v— v b g h g m m h . Th h v S B W m: • • Secure Boot PC h bh UEFI m TPM b g b . Trusted boot A W PC’ m v h v h h m b g . 181 182 Mk M’ CmTIA A+ C 1 Cf P • Measured boot A h b g, gg. Th g h m b h b v bjv h PC’ hh. Boot Password A boot password, mm BIOS password, h g, h h CMOS- m b h CPU m. I , b v h j h g h m, hh m hgh b v m. Th gg b m’ BIOS h gg m b, hh b h. Sm h vb, hgh: h BIOS v x bk BIOS , hh m q h h m b h mm gg . A, - b mm b b mvg h CMOS b b g h . Encryption E, encryption h v b x gb, b, hb . Th h v h h hz , , h h h . O , h m, b b mh. E , m, , , . Th k x g ghm k hx. Chx q k b b v . Th b hx: mm (v k), hh h m k , mm (b k), hh v () k h b k ( ) . Using TPM Th TPM, ISO/IEC 11889, mv h g PC. O m, TPM k v h h g m m v hv b mg m h. E, TPM b g m g h v h h PC. W, Lx, mOS mm TPM h . TPM h PC mhb, gg h mhb g m , g h m AMD I CPU. Th v TPM 2.0, b TPM h b vb PC 2005. A PC m 2016 k hv TPM m. DOMAIN 3.0 Objv 3.4 FIGURE 3.4-18 A rackmount HSM NOTE You can check to see if a Windows 10 PC has TPM. If there is a Security Processor section on the Settings | Update and Security | Windows Security | Device Security page, TPM is available on the system. If Security Processor information is not displayed, check your motherboard or CPU manufacturer’s website for information. A TPM h h h m PC v h / . Eh m g m, TPM k b h h ’ bm . Hv, h, h , , h m k vv m. Th TPM h g k v h. Hardware Security Module A h m (HSM) b h m TPM. Hv, h v hv mj : HSM x h v ( Fg 3.4-18) h h mhb. HSM - m-. Th mk hm x h g g k h b b hz . A HSM m h k h v k. HSM g k g m. HSM b , b m bkg, hh, h m. CPU Features CPU hv v h gh hm m h h, g h , mb , h vz, , mhg, h h , h hh b x h g b. 183 184 Mk M’ CmTIA A+ C 1 Cf P x64 and x86 Architectures Ahgh h m x86 x64 b m b m , b h, h hg g m CPU, h , , instruction set architectures (ISAs). Th x h m ISA v. Bh ISA v b h I C CPU. x64 Architecture Th x64 ISA, x86-64 h x86-based 64-bit ISA, m ISA m . Sv m hv v 64-b ISA. I AMD I 64 AMD 64, v. Th x64 ISA h v 256 bb (TB, h b v qv b) v g mm. H’ m h m h x64 ISA: • • A 64-b g b h v g xm m 9 q, ± 263 A xm 256-TB v NOTE A virtual address space (VAS), also known as a logical address space, is a range of virtual memory addresses allocated to a process by the operating system. It represents areas of physical memory and their addresses that are referenced in a relative way by a process. • • A v g mg ’ A g h RAM 256 TB A h x64 ISA h g: • • • • • Mb Sm C g m V gm Vz hg x86 Architecture Th x86 ISA h mg x v m g m gm. Th x86 ISA b I’ 8086 8088 m g m 16-b ( h 16-b ) 32-b . Th x86 ISA b h complex instruction set computing (CISC) h. DOMAIN 3.0 Objv 3.4 Cmx x m k m h m. Th x86 ISA h b b v m m b mb h PC Sm. Th g m h m h x86 ISA: • • • • U CISC mg h Omz m m g h h U m g mm Dg mx Sm h x86 ISA : • • • • Mb v PC Gmg Wk g g-v (v k) C mg gm Advanced RISC Machine A reduced instruction set computer (RISC) m, mz , CISC. O h , RISC h m b m h CPU. Hv, h -, 32-b RISC CPU h b mb m, g g (DSP), b mm v, h Advanced RISC Machine (ARM) v. ARM orthogonal, mg h m h m g hm b g , hh RISC CPU. ARM mm mh, b, h hh mg mm v. Single Core and Multicore Og, CPU h . I , ’ v . Hv, h CPU k h h m gh 4 GHz, CPU mb m CPU () g multicore CPU. Th m mb CPU m g (IC) dual-core h. Wh mb m m, h h . EXAM TIP For the A+ Core 1 exam, know the basic differences between a singlecore CPU and a multicore CPU. 185 186 Mk M’ CmTIA A+ C 1 Cf P ADDITIONAL RESOURCES To access information on the microprocessor (and much more) in a computer, you can use the CPU-Z utility (https://www.cpuid.com/ softwares/cpu-z.html). Multithreading V h m CPU m h, hh multithreading (h x m h h m). A h b , g gm h hv m h. Th b h x: • • Concurrent execution Th h m h mh h, . Parallel execution Th h . Mh h h: • • • Many to many M h h q mb h. Many to one M h k g h. One to one Wh h h, h k j h h. Hardware Virtualization I AMD hv b- hardware virtualization: I’ V Thg Ex (VT-X) AMD’ AMD-V S V Mh (SVM). Ahgh CPU, h x k h m. Hardware virtualization ( hardware-assisted virtualization native virtualization) b b x h I AMD . Th v g g v vm m. H vz b hgh BIOS/UEFI m. Enabling Hardware Virtualization I h vz b PC, bh h g mg : • • Th PC ’ hv h VT-x AMD-V h , vb h m. Th m ’ hv VT-x/AMD-V b. DOMAIN 3.0 Objv 3.4 Sh h m mg , v m h h h vz hg vb ( h hk h x), h g (hhv ) b h vz: • • • B h PC BIOS UEFI g . L h Vz g ( Sm Cg). Eb h H Vz h v x. Verifying Hardware Virtualization Is Enabled on a Windows System O W m, hk h vz b g v mh. H W m: • • systeminfo A mm m, h mm systeminfo. T h bm h m , h b “H-V Rqm” ( Fg 3.4-19). I h “Vz Eb Fm:” “N,” h BIOS/UEFI g b h . Task Manager O h Tk Mg m P U m ctrl-alt-del h Tk Mg. Ck h Pm b. I h -gh h Pm , h Vz h. Verifying Hardware Virtualization Is Enabled on a Linux System T hk h h vz Lx m, h g mm h mm m: 1. I h -hk : $ sudo apt-get update $ sudo apt-get install cpu-checker 2. Chk h h vz : $ kvm-ok FIGURE 3.4-19 The Hyper-V Requirements section of a systeminfo command’s output 187 188 Mk M’ CmTIA A+ C 1 Cf P I h PC h h vz b, mg h h x b . Cross-Reference For a comprehensive overview of virtualization, see Domain 4.0 in this book. Expansion Cards Ahgh m mhb m m b- , h m h b m mv hm v h vb. F xm, /v mm g h x . Th A+ C 1 xm x W m, hgh x b mOS Lx m . Video Cards A video card ( display adapter) h h v h h mg v b g m m h CPU g h . I g h m hh b graphics processing unit (GPU) h h CPU x . Onboard A onboard v GPU mm g CPU. Am hk h k b gh . Dk m h b GPU hv m v vb, h Fg 3.4-2. Add-on Card A v/gh h PCI h CmTIA add-on card. V q v h h x v. A mg PCI v 6- PCI mm h - g h (h g m h bk). Hgh- 8- v , m , PCI b. Fg 3.4-20 PCI v h 6- 6/8- PCI b. Th m v h v RAM v . Th v k m m h v RAM h h m. E v m h m b h CPU v RAM, b m v h v ( Fg 3.4-21). Wh g v W m, m v v v h Dv Mg m h k. Th x g h v h D C P g - h h . DOMAIN 3.0 Objv 3.4 FIGURE 3.4-20 Connecting a PCIe power cable to a PCIe video card FIGURE 3.4-21 Video card with a cooling fan Sound Cards F h m , m h b h mhb h ’ h hgh hg q. I , mb v m hv b hm bzz b x m h v h mhb, h h hgh hh. A h 189 190 Mk M’ CmTIA A+ C 1 Cf P FIGURE 3.4-22 Klipsch 2.1 speaker set hgh q q m mv h k k h h Fg 3.4-22. NOTE The numbers used to describe speaker sets, such as 2.1, 5.1, and 7.1, define the number of satellite speakers and a subwoofer. A 2.1 system, for example, means two satellites and a subwoofer. A 5.1 set, in contrast, has two front satellites, two rear satellites (for surround sound), a center channel speaker, and a subwoofer. A 7.1 set adds two additional rear satellites for sound effects to the speaker configuration used for 5.1 surround sound. I k x . Pg b h , h h k . I ’ b g , hk h S h W C P m h h v kg, , h h h bk h v h v. Th 3.4-mm h mhb bk ’ h . Th mgh S/PDIF (S/Ph Dg I) g , HDMI (Hgh-D Mm I), DP HD v , hh HD . Capture Card A capture card h x h v h () h mg h m hm bk vm DOMAIN 3.0 Objv 3.4 FIGURE 3.4-23 A PCIe capture card (top) and a Thunderbolt video capture device (bottom) hgh- v . C v, h h , h m , v. A mm h v m v gm m v m mg. Ex m hgh USB USB-C Thb. A x m PCI . Fg 3.4-23 h xm v. Network Interface Card Th network interface card (NIC), network adapter, k v k . V PC k-b v hv b k . Hv, m v, h b h hh v, h v h Eh k. Nbk k m h k , b h , h b k. A W m m g NIC. O m W m Lx mOS m, m g x NIC, g h m’ . Cross-Reference To learn more about NIC configuration, see Domain 2.0, Objective 2.2. 191 192 Mk M’ CmTIA A+ C 1 Cf P FIGURE 3.4-24 An Ethernet RJ-45 port with LED status lights Th, mg v k-b v ’ mm h h k. Th k v h h NIC, h NIC k mg h k mm. T h mg, h vg h NIC. Eh NIC hv LED status indicators ( link lights) h h k m . M NIC hv LED, b m hv h: k gh, v gh, b gh h h LED h NIC, h g : • • • Link light Th hh k h b bh b h NIC h k. I h k gh hg g, . Hv, h LED , h bm. Activity light Th LED b h NIC h k b kg hg m. I h hg , h b bm h h mhg h k. Speed light I , h gh h m h . Th LED m 10/100 Mb Eh NIC. A, m NIC - h- LED (g, , mb) mb h gh h g (m PCMCIA) h hv LED . M h LED g h RJ-45 , h Fg 3.4-24. Th ’ h, b LED h , gh hg bgh k m h’ h . T b , h mhb NIC m. Cooling Mechanism CPU hv mvg , h k , b v , h g b m h. Exm h bg bm CPU m h PC’ m. Exv h m b, k, v CPU. F h m , CPU kg m m hgh-h hm DOMAIN 3.0 Objv 3.4 FIGURE 3.4-25 Top of retail heat sink (left) and bottom of fan assembly (right) for an Intel CPU m h h, b g m h active cooling. Av g h v m, b h m mm mb heat sink and fan assembly ( Fg 3.4-25) liquid cooling system. Heat Sink and Cooling Fans Uk h CPU k, mg h k mb k m h ’ x! A m h v h. EXAM TIP Some systems are fanless or use passive cooling. Smartphones and tablets are the passively cooled devices you’re most likely familiar with. Passive CPU heat sinks may still rely on other fans to create good airflow in the case. H k mb CPU m ; , h h h h k b g bh h CPU. Ag, CPU, k g, h k q , b h CPU mhb m b mvg g v m g hm h CPU mhb. Ph h m m m m PC h h mk h g m CPU. Th b h CPU g mb h k, g , m h h mb gh. L’ k h h m. Heat Sinks A heat sink h g v h CPU h m h m h g m h CPU. Tb 3.4-2 m h v g m AMD I CPU. F h h CPU h b, h g m g v h h m h CPU gh hv . Th mxmm m h hh b hh h CPU b mg. 193 194 Mk M’ CmTIA A+ C 1 Cf P TABLE 3.4-2 Comparison of CPU Temperatures CPU Running Temperature Maximum Temperature AMD A6 AMD A10 I 5 I 7 122–145° F 120–140° F 113–149° F 104–140° F 158° F 162° F 212° F 162° F NOTE The temperatures for any give CPU version can vary based on its build and included technologies. The values shown in Table 3.4-2 are averages for the CPU families given. A CPU hk g g mm bk h h v h m h CPU h g h . Fg 3.4-26 h mg v CPU hk. I h h hk h h g, h h g b hm. Th h m hk h CPU, h h m vg vg, g h h h : • Active heatsink Th hk h b . Th mb h Fg 3.4-25 xm v hk. FIGURE 3.4-26 Heatsinks are available in a variety of designs, shapes, and sizes. DOMAIN 3.0 Objv 3.4 • • Passive heatsink Th hk h mvg v h. Th m h Fg 3.4-26 v hk. Hybrid heatsink A mgh g, hb hk mb h b v v hk. O ’ PC, hk b v g v CPU, m b mb h g . Av hk b , b v hb hk m b mb h h h h bb. Hv, h hk h hgh h hm , hh h hm hm . Thermal Conductors Th m hm mv g b h hk h g . T hm m : hm v hm g , hh v hm v hm m, v. Conductivity h h, impedance h h hh h h . Thm m g g gh thermal interface material (TIM). Thermal Pads O k thermal gap pads, thermal pads m h b h hk h g g. Th bg mm, h hk b 0.01 0.2 h. Thm ’ q hv hm . I bg CPU g mb, hm b h m h h m m h mhb, Fg 3.4-27. M v hk, hh h hk g , hm b h ’ h h . FIGURE 3.4-27 A CPU heatsink with a thermal pad 195 196 Mk M’ CmTIA A+ C 1 Cf P NOTE Thermal pads are definitely one-time use. Thermal Paste O thermal conductive paste, thermal paste h m hm , b b b q, k . Thm v m h h xm m g, m z, b CPU gh g (GPU) g mb. Th h hm v , hh h, m bg g h v h g m. Thm -, m-, m-b. Thm m j ( Fg 3.4-28) h b b h mb. Th b qh g v bg h h CPU GPU. F mb, m hm h h b h g v. Th m h b b h z g . Ahg m m gg h mhb. F h qh mb, h m v mh m m hm h b h g mb bg g v h v h b h . I h , b h h h b h h CPU v v. Th hmb h h h b v h b . FIGURE 3.4-28 A small amount of thermal paste applied to a CPU cooling assembly DOMAIN 3.0 Objv 3.4 A h TIM vb g h CPU g m, g hm g, hm hv, hm g , hm , h-hg m, q m. Eh h m h vg vg, b h h m hm hm . Liquid Cooling System A , h mxmm m h CPU h b m b mg b h h. M m mm h thermal throttling, hh m h m v xv vhg. A v g mh h h v bh h mg h m liquid cooling. Y h q g m, h m k h m. A q hgh hk h h CPU. Th q g hgh h hk, bb h h, h h q . Th h h m h q h , h g h q, hh h bk hgh h m. T q g m PC: -- (AIO) m . AIO g m h m mm h h m k h A+ C 1 xm. A AIO m bk h h m h h h CPU. Fm h mb, b h h h h q. Fg 3.4-29 h mj q g m PC. Radiator Fan Tubes Heatsink and pump FIGURE 3.4-29 The components of a PC liquid cooling system (image courtesy of Intel Corporation) 197 198 Mk M’ CmTIA A+ C 1 Cf P REVIEW Objective 3.4: Given a scenario, install and configure motherboards, central processing units (CPUs), and add-on cards • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • Mhb hv h USB , jk, k , h b- . PCI hv b h m b PCI h ×1 ×16 . I AMD CPU hgb. M h v v SATA . A mhb h mhb k g . Th M.2 bh SATA PCI b b m. CPU/mhb mb m m, CPU k , mm mb , m , h. D- mhb g b hgh- m. Th BIOS/UEFI m, h g g CMOS. USB m b b v m. TPM , , k mg m m. S B v h m . A b CMOS- m. E v x hb hz . HSM h v g g k. Th x64 x86 ISA 64- 32-b PC h, v. A RISC mz , ARM h z . I VT-x AMD-V v h vz . V RAM h mhb, m hv g . M v q x m PCI . S b h . HDMI DP g . NIC hv gh . USB x h b b m USB . A hk g v mm h h m CPU. Th hm hm v hm g . Lq g q CPU. DOMAIN 3.0 Objv 3.4 3.4 QUESTIONS 1. Y hv b k h vg mhb m j. Th mb- qm h h mhb b m b. Whh h mhb h m? A. M-ATX B. M-ITX C. ITX D. ATX 2. Y h PCI v 3.0 gh h h gz’ v g k. Hv, h m PCI v 2.0. Whh h g m ? A. Th PCI 3.0 . B. Th mhb m b h PCI 3.0–mb v. C. Th b . D. Th PCI 2.0 . 3. Y gg m h USB 3.0 (USB 3.1 G 1) v b hv x . Y m . Whh h g v h ? A. USB 2.0 h b B. USB-C h b C. USB 3.0 h b D. SATA--USB v b 4. Y g m h h h g h UEFI m m. Whh h g m h b h m b ? A. SATA v b g h-b. B. USB b b. C. Th b q b hg. D. Y x UEFI/BIOS h vg hg. 5. Whh h g m CPU g m? A. Thm B. Thm C. Lq m D. Thm m 199 200 Mk M’ CmTIA A+ C 1 Cf P 3.4 ANSWERS 1. B Th M-ITX (mITX) h m mhb . 2. D Wh PCI v ( ), h v . 3. C A USB 3.0 h b v USB 3.0 ; hv, mhb h USB 3.0 hv h. 4. A SATA v h-b h g AHCI h UEFI/BIOS m. 5. D Thm , hm , q m m h b g CPU g m. Thm m v h . Objective 3.5 Given a scenario, install or replace the appropriate power supply P (PSU) v h h b m . PSU mm PC , h g vv m gm. A - h h v b (USB) v bm m m CPU GPU q m , PSU h g g g m m. Input: 110–120 VAC vs. 220–240 VAC A k m PSU ( Fg 3.5-1) h v hgh-vg AC (alternating current) h -vg DC (direct current) h m’ mhb v. I h h m v. Wh g , h v gg h h qm h . Th AC vg h U.S., C, Mx, 34 h b 110 v (V) 120 V, hh mm h U.S. ~115 v AC (VAC). I h mg 175 h , h AC vg g m 220 VAC 240 VAC. B h h vg, m h b -vg h h vg . Th h h bk h PSU h Fg 3.5-1 -vg . DOMAIN 3.0 Objv 3.5 Dual-voltage switch FIGURE 3.5-1 An ATX 500-watt power supply CAUTION Even if the plug pattern and the outlet are compatible, plugging a 110-V device into a 220-V outlet would cause the device to run up to about twice its designed operations and burn out fairly quickly. On the other hand, if you were to plug a 220-V device into a 110-V outlet, the device may run for a while but will eventually stop. EXAM TIP For the A+ Core 1 exam, you should know that a PSU can be switched between the two primary electrical voltage range services. PSU Terminology Th mg b h b PC PSU b g. A PSU b x , hg -, x , m vg v. T, k m fixed input/fixed output PSU. Th m h h g vg h ’ hg— x h vg. Lk h h Fg 3.5-1, PSU h b h b vg k switched input v. Hv, b g h h PSU b x PSU, b g vg v , h PSU x v. 201 202 Mk M’ CmTIA A+ C 1 Cf P M auto-switching, mg h h h mg vg g hmv g. Y -hg h h , m h 110–120 VAC N Yk C h 220–240 VAC Hg Kg. Th m h b m! CAUTION If you are using a fixed input power supply connected to a 220–240 VAC power line, don’t turn it on if the voltage selector switch is set to 115 VAC. That’s a sure way to kill the power supply and possibly other components as well! EXAM TIP The power connector for the AC plug on the back of a power supply is called an IEC-320 connector, and you should expect to see a question on the CompTIA A+ Core 1 exam that refers to the power supply unit as a PSU. Output: +3.3 V, +5 V, and +12 V PC PSU v h , , h mb +12-V rails . A power supply rail h PSU’ b (PCB). A PSU AC m x m DC h b v. I v PSU, h +3.3 V, +5 V, +12 V. Th vg b PC h v q h m . F xm, h USB 5 V, DDR4 RAM q b +1.2 +1.35 V, h +12 V, h CPU. Th jb h PSU v h v q b h h PC’ m. Rg hh h mg 120 VAC 220 VAC, m b v bh (DC) , , +12 V, hh h vg h hh PSU k. Th v m b h AC/DC converter h PSU. A h +12-V +3.3-V +5-V v, mg h v h AC h h h PSU. E m h DDR RAM +1.2 V +1.35 V , b h vg b h PSU +3.3 V. T h h, m mhb, h m, hv g v h h h m m hm. Th +12-V h h CPU b h GPU. I’ mm PSU h h +12-V v m h mg (m) h . A single-rail gh vg k m, b hgh- m m q multi-rail . I , v g m v m- . DOMAIN 3.0 Objv 3.5 EXAM TIP Make sure you know the voltage ranges of input (110–120 VAC and 220–240 VAC) and output (+3.3 V, +5 V, and +12 V) supported by power supplies. ADDITIONAL RESOURCES To learn more about the internal components and the operations of a PSU, read the article “Anatomy of a Power Supply Unit (PSU)” at https://www.techspot.com/article/1967-anatomy-psu/. Output: +5 V and +12 V Connectors A b , PSU v hgh-vg AC -vg DC v h v h m h v v (+12 V) b (+5 V) v h v b h g h PSU. Th v b mm m PSU serial ATA (SATA) Molex, h Fg 3.5-2. Hgh- hv 6- 8- PCIe PCI Ex v ( Fg 3.5-3). P h mhb h h 20- 24- P1 h m h 4- P4 8- EPS12V h CPU ( Fg 3.5-4). Th EPS12V 4- (P4) mhb h 4- ATX12V bh mhb h 8- EPS12V . FIGURE 3.5-2 Molex (left) and SATA (right) power connectors FIGURE 3.5-3 PCIe power connector 203 204 Mk M’ CmTIA A+ C 1 Cf P FIGURE 3.5-4 EPS12V/ATX12V connectors (left) and P1 connector (right) EXAM TIP The +5-V orange (sometimes gray) wire on the P1 connector is called power good and is used in the initial boot sequence. M m ATX mhb 8- CPU , v EPS12V, EATX12V, ATX12V 2×4. H h b -mb h h P4 ; h h h m b v . O m, hk h mhb’ m h h 8 . F bk mb, m v 8- h 4- , hh h P4 ( Fg 3.5-4). Ahgh h k m, h 8- CPU mb h h 8- PCI . Tb 3.5-1 TABLE 3.5-1 Power Connectors and Voltages Connector Voltages Mx 5 V (), 12 V () SATA PCI P1 (20-) P1 (24-) P4 8- CPU AUX G Common Use Lg g v, m PCI v mhb, 5 V, 12 V (3.3 V g ) SATA v 12 V PCI v 3.3 V, 5 V, 12 V Pm ATX mhb 3.3 V, 5 V, 12 V Pm ATX mhb 12 V S ATX mhb 3.3 V, 5 V, 12 V Ax mhb Bk U b DOMAIN 3.0 Objv 3.5 h mm h ATX12V —h —h h vg . CAUTION Power connectors are keyed so that you can’t easily plug them in backward, but some older designs can be forced. Reversing the power on a device will fry it. Don’t force a power connector. 24-Pin Motherboard Adapter T b h m m k h 20- ATX mhb m mhb h 24- , m v v 24- mhb . Redundant Power Supplies Th m redundant power supply m m k h v ’ , hh b j h . A g vv g v, m k-m v, h h PSU. Th PSU bh b g h v. I m , h h v q h v. I m , h v hg h vg h , b m PSU b h gg. Fg 3.5-5 h -PSU . Sg h h PSU, h PSU , h h PSU v m. Th v m h v. FIGURE 3.5-5 A redundant power supply unit (image courtesy of Hewlett-Packard Enterprises) 205 206 Mk M’ CmTIA A+ C 1 Cf P FIGURE 3.5-6 A fully modular power supply with two examples of its cabling (image courtesy of Micro-Star International) Modular Power Supply A ( ATX) PSU m hv x b hgg b h m . A h b g h PSU b m h mgg hm. A m m h bm b vg h . P, h h vg g m , hh ’ g . Th m PSU h m h m-m . E, h b hm h v b h g h m b mv. A m PSU, k h h Fg 3.5-6, h , g b h vg, hh b b gg v. Wh h m PSU h m h b. m-m PSU h g b h v h mm v PC, h 24- ATX, 4/8- CPU, mb PCI h mhb, CPU, mm. Oh b m m b PC, h b h SATA, PCI, Mx . Wattage Rating Y m q h A+ C 1 xm gg h mg v, m, . Th, h hv m g h h h h. T h , h b h m: • • • Volts Vg (V) m h h hg mm. I’ mhg k h h. Amps Amg (A) m h m g hgh h mm. Skg h h h xm, m k h g m (gm) h h h. Watts Wg (W) m h m v. W A × V = W. T m h g, m h h q b. DOMAIN 3.0 Objv 3.5 P v wattage h h mhb, v, . Th’ h . P harmonics (h hm h h h ), hh bm h h h v h . EXAM TIP Wattage is the amount of amperage flowing at a specific voltage, usually written as W = V × A. A m q g . Ev v h m q g . F xm, mg h v 15 W h (SSD ), h q- I 9-9900K CPU hg 162 W k g—h vg g 92 W. Th mb g v h mmm h v. I h ’ h g b m, h m ’ k . B m v h m q mxmm g h g, h m g gh h k k m. Th x h mv h v g h m g. T’ m q 500-- . G m m h active power factor correction (active PFC), hh x h v hgh-vg AC b g h m , h mg hm. Av h h . Number of Devices/Types of Devices to Be Powered I’ k h mb v h q h b g PC. P v h mb Mx, SATA, m (Bg) v. I , m PSU g PCI . Mx g v b h h ’ h mhb. Mx b SATA v v h m (Bg) . Av g m v h b . Ch h h vh, v h b-q m. Power Supply Installation Notes B h k h m. H’ h: ATX v . I ATX AC , h PSU 5 VDC h mhb. Ig , h, mm m mhb 207 208 Mk M’ CmTIA A+ C 1 Cf P FIGURE 3.5-7 Power supply secured in the case h g mg h m. Rmmb g h b b k h m h m! B h , ’ m h h ( Fg 3.5-7). Th x m m . REVIEW Objective 3.5: Given a scenario, install or replace the appropriate power supply • • • • • • • P 110–120 VAC 220–240 VAC, h hgh g h h -hg. Th IEC-320 h AC g h h . P g v +3.3-V, +5-V, +12-V h v h SATA Mx . PCI v +12-V PCI . P1 v h mhb g 24- () 20- () k . R v m m h PSU . F m PSU hv g bg v g v , m-m PSU hv h b b, h mhb CPU, h . O mhb h P4 4- 12-V v h CPU (h b h mhb); mhb h EPS12V 8- h jb. DOMAIN 3.0 Objv 3.5 • • • Hgh g g h h b v h x h h . Av PFC h m hm b-q . P m g h h hgh h . 3.5 QUESTIONS 1. Y ’ 20- ATX h . Whh h g b b m b m? A. ATX12V B. 24- mhb C. EPS12V D. Ax 2. Y v h m hv m h m b. Wh g h b h v g h ? A. Sm-m PSU B. F m PSU C. R PSU D. Hgh g PSU 3. Wh h m mm vg g h PC PSU? A. I: 110–120 VAC / O: ±12 V B. I: 220–240 VAC / O: 110–120 VAC C. I: 110–120 VAC / O: +3.3 V, +5 V, +12 V D. I: 110–120 VAC / O: +3.3 V +5 V 4. Y hv v hm m gm h h h PCI v ’ g h g PCI b h . Whh h g h b ? A. Lk 8- PCI . B. U h 8- EPSV12 . C. C m b h. D. P h bk b h ’ b . 209 210 Mk M’ CmTIA A+ C 1 Cf P 5. P h mhb h hh h g ? (Ch h .) A. B. C. D. E. F. A 20- P1 A 24- P1 4- P4 8- EPS12V 4- ATX12V A h bv 3.5 ANSWERS 1. B A 24- mhb b m 24- k h m g h b hgh g. 2. C A PSU g v m h PSU . 3. C PC PSU mm 110–120 VAC v +3.3 VDC, +5 VDC, +12 VDC. 4. A M (b ) hv bh 6- 8- PCI . 5. F A h PSU mhb. Objective 3.6 Given a scenario, deploy and congure multifunction devices/printers and settings O h m mm v A+ C Sv Th m g m v (MFD) . Objv 3.6 h A+ C 1 xm h q g h v. A MFD, m m, m , hh b- v g, xg, g, g, , m m, g h h Wb. I v m h h , MFD mb hm g m v. EXAM TIP Make sure you know the steps required to install printers and their drivers. DOMAIN 3.0 Objv 3.6 K m h MFD , b m . Th, h h m printer h h bjv, mmb h m h m MFD. Unboxing, Placing, and Conguring an MFD NOTE The following discussion on the initial setup and the configuration of an MFD is based on the installation guide of a Xerox MFD. The installation guide books that ship with most devices are proprietary, but, for the most part, the tasks and objectives are the same. Obv h k bg h g multifunction device (MFD) mv m m h bx kgg. I’ b k h v h b . Th v h v h b m. T, g g kg h h v, g h m, , m, g, h qk vv h h b h MFD. Initial Configuration M h b MFD g out of the box (OOTB). Hv, m g q z v h h v. Th g g h k m ( h q) h g MFD: 1. C h MFD h AC vb. I h AC h hz, h v mv h k. 2. C h ’ k h k mm q k. 3. Cm h h gz b h k. Th h b g h k b h Dm H Cg P (DHCP) b b mm v h k. T h, h m h v h IP g. I h IP m , h , b h m m b b h b k (NIC). 4. I mm h h k, - () h . M MFD /g z m h g hgh h g . Th mm , m z, m, mm . 211 212 Mk M’ CmTIA A+ C 1 Cf P 5. F h h m h h mm (k j, , ) g. 6. I v , mm h v’ g g. 7. T h h mb h : a. Fm b, m h h IP g h . b. I vb, m -m h m. c. I vb, m -m h m. d. Th x vb m MDF, b ’ bgg . I ’ , h h h . e. B h h g m v h h b h m. F h h ’ m m h g. Device Drivers B h b m k h m, h v v() h v’ ’ g m m b g. Windows M MFD g-- v W m, bh, W m h v. I h m ’ h v, h h v v m. Y hv vb W m. O g h Dv P h C P A Dv . Th g h P & S h Sg ( Fg 3.6-1). Y h h g v h h v. macOS Th mOS m h AP-mb . O h mb , mOS h v v m. I h v USB, v h h mOS h h v vb. I g W-F mOS, AP-mb W-F g m, b mb m b v USB m g. DOMAIN 3.0 Objv 3.6 FIGURE 3.6-1 The Printers & Scanners page in the Windows Settings app Linux Lx v h h g m h v vb. M HP Bh m-v Lx v. T h g Lx gh (GUI), h P Sm | P k vm h v v h h GUI. Th Cmm Ux P Sv (CUPS) g v; g Lx b’ kg mg. PostScript and PCL Th CmTIA A+ C 1 xm bjv PostScript (PS PS) Printer Control Language (PCL) h bjv “U v gv OS.” Hv, h h “v” v b h m’ : PS b Ab Sm PCL b H Pk. Eh h v g gg h v g mg x b v m g. PostScript PostScript g v b Ab k bhg m gmmg gg. M PS-mb hv h, k v gmmg gg, h PS mm h x 213 214 Mk M’ CmTIA A+ C 1 Cf P FIGURE 3.6-2 An example of PostScript page commands () h h g . Fg 3.6-2 h xm PS mm, Fg 3.6-3 h h g m h . NOTE Some printers refer to PostScript interpreters as raster image processors (RIPs). PS mm hgh- gh x h m g. PS 3 h , , m k v PS. Ab h h Pb Dm F (PDF) m bm h m gh bhg . PS mg mm b v Encapsulated PostScript (.eps) . FIGURE 3.6-3 The results printed from the PostScript example in Figure 3.6-2 DOMAIN 3.0 Objv 3.6 Printer Control Language P Control Lgg (PCL) h P Command Lgg, hh h Pg D Lgg, hh g PCL. Th PCL k b (h , h P C Lgg) v b H-Pk kj . Hv, h b m h , g hm m. Th v PCL v 6, hh h b h h m 1990. PCL 6 h : • • • PCL 6 Enhanced A k PCL XL, h v g m GUI-b m h W. PCL 6 Standard Th h bk-mb qv PCL 5. Font synthesis Th b g b -. Th b b PS PCL h h m g gg v k bhg h g gg v . A g gg b h h g b . I h v v? Th , b h v mm . EXAM TIP PCL is commonly used for basic office document and letter printing, whereas PostScript is more often used for detailed graphics printing. Device Connectivity Th v m, b h b m h mh vb h . Th m mm PC h USB . Oh mh h , -- hg, , v m , . O LAN, h h k. W-b gg bg PAN h LAN, Hv, , k , q b h g PC. Th , h g W m h USB , Plug and Play (PnP), hh m W bh h g h kg. Hv, g h , g m (W, mOS, Lx), v v m b q m v h h . W mOS v v . 215 216 Mk M’ CmTIA A+ C 1 Cf P FIGURE 3.6-4 A Type-B (left) to Type-AB (right) USB printer cable USB Connections V PC-mb v USB b, b h USB g. A USB-b mm h T-B v RJ-45 , . Th b h h T-B , g h v hh h bg , T-AB ( Fg 3.6-4) h v T-C . Ethernet Connections I PC, k, Eh, hg . Hv, h b Eh k, m g h PC. M h mj m, h HP, Zb, C, Lxmk, h, v h m h g b h g hgh h . Hv, m q g h k h PC. Cg k-b Eh k v m . Ph, k b h , h, hb h v k. O h , b- g m g h h k g h hgh -b- . Hv, g h -k h g m. EXAM TIP Both Ethernet and wireless are listed separately in Objective 3.6 for Domain 3 of the A+ Core 1 exam. You may assume that should the exam reference Ethernet, it’s referring to a wired network. This is probably a safe assumption, but be careful with that. DOMAIN 3.0 Objv 3.6 Add an Ethernet Printer to a Windows System Th g k m W 10/11 m, m h v v, h g : 1. O h S m, h Sg P & S m h Dv ( bk Fg 3.6-1). 2. Ck h g . 3. W h k () vb b . 4. S h v b k A Dv hv h m h v h m. 5. I h , h mg “Th I ’ ” . Ck h mg A P g bx h g g m. Add an Ethernet Printer to a macOS System Th v mOS h b h m k , mh k W 10/11. A jm h m g h b m b h P & Fx h Sm P . Add an Ethernet Printer to a Linux System Th m Lx v k , mh k W mOS. O GUI k h GNOME KDE, h h Sg A Sg h g . Ck h P h v h m k h . I , h Common Unix Printing System (CUPS), hh b-b mgg hg g. Wireless Printers Th m mm k, g bg , v h k h b h b hz k h k. Obv, k, b v, hh m h b- k . F h m , h g b b m. O ( W-F) g LAN, h bg h k h m h g . Th m , h h x g h g. 217 218 Mk M’ CmTIA A+ C 1 Cf P Device Sharing U m m q, h’ h hv v . Th m h , h h k h . Wired Th m b g h g m b h h . Th g h h m mm mh hg mg v: • • • U USB hb h b b m. Th mh m h h m b k. O k, h b h, v h h m g File and Print Sharing Services v. Ah h hg k bh h b Eh k . Wireless M ’ m m k. H h m mm v v : • • A h Bluetooth m mb v g Bh. Th v m b g (~10 m), h v m bh g, b g m b h mb v. I’ mm hv Wi-Fi (802.11x) b, hh j k g IP b g. Ph h h g k g h g (SSID, , k) g h ’ . Public and Shared Printers A public printer k hh g g . F xm, b g b m q g h k b h , m q . Ah xm b b m h’ k h v -m m b . I h k, b vb h b. Hv, h “b” m b b h k. A shared printer v h b gg m . Fg 3.6-5 h h W 11 C P’ Nk DOMAIN 3.0 Objv 3.6 FIGURE 3.6-5 The Windows Change Sharing Options for Different Network Profiles dialog box Shg C’ Chg Shg O D Nk P g bx hh h g h hghgh b h . Print Server Ahgh ’ hv m b h h h , m k g . A m mh b h m g mgm k h b print server. Th mj b k v k. A k-b b k b h h h m b m . A v k m k jb, , , m integrated print servers. A v b h m: - k h v, b , g k v, h v. Fg 3.6-6 h h m. A h-b v ( k external print server) mg v vg q mgm , m h v, bg h . A k v v (mm internal print server) h q mgm . Th- g k v h mg q, bg, v k. NOTE functions. Some external print server devices don’t provide support for all MFD 219 220 Mk M’ CmTIA A+ C 1 Cf P Local Area Network Internal Print Server External Print Server FIGURE 3.6-6 An illustration of external and internal print servers Cloud Printing A v cloud printing , h Gg’ C P, M’ Uv P, UP’ IC, v h h b m m m v h I vb. A g m h -b v. Th v h g. C g m v, g mb v, k. A g v b v I- b h . C g v h v v, mg mb, q h LAN-b g. Remote Printing Remote printing mhg k g, b h h . E, m g x mh g m m k g v h m k, g hh ’ LAN, WAN, h I. Rm g v m h h b v m m m h m h m . Conguration Settings A hv m, h x v b m g, hh m h h m. O W m, h h Dv P h C P P & S Sg h gh-k Pg P. T g mOS, h P g bx, h , k Sh D, h h . T g Lx, h m GUI . DOMAIN 3.0 Objv 3.6 O v b v , b h h k h A+ C 1 xm: • • • Duplex Th x g hh h h g. Sm xg h bk h h q, b v h bg gv g g bk . Collate Ebg h mg m b g h x . Wh h b, h g b mvg h x g. Quality Th q g b mg h b q , k , mm : • • • Th m bv h, resolution, h DPI h m h b . • Sm m h m m q h mz g gh x h m g v g. • Sm m hv g h k , m vm . Orientation V mm SOHO vm hv h b g g h (8.5" b 11") (11" b 8.5"). P, m v mz g z, h A3. O g m, mgh h g. Tray settings G, h g h z h , hh v () h h m h , h h (h m hk m), h h hk h g. NOTE The names and descriptions of settings that influence quality might discuss quality itself, ink or toner use, environmental friendliness, or even cost savings. As a result, quality-reducing settings may be scattered around multiple menus. EXAM TIP Make sure you know the configuration settings for printers covered in this section. Device Sharing U m m q, h’ hv v m. Th v h , h . 221 222 Mk M’ CmTIA A+ C 1 Cf P Wired Th h b , hh v m g g v, h m v hg, : • • U USB h h b b m h h kg; h m k, h h g h h m g. (D’ g hg v!) U h Ethernet g h k. I hv IP . Wireless M h m k. • • • • A h Bluetooth m mb v h Bh g (j mk hv b g h mb v). A h Wi-Fi b (802.11 , b, g, , , x) j k, hv IP , b v jb g. Th h h m b g h SSID k g h ’ . Infrastructure g m h h m W-F k k: v v, g h , SSID (AP) . Ad hoc, h h h, b W-F v h gg hgh AP. W h , b v mh g h . Security Pg g h hz b hgh- . P ’ b m k, b h v h h . Sm h — h h b ’ k hm h A+ C 1 xm— h g . User Authentication A v m g , k h h, h v g . Th, g b mk h m ’ kg . Wh m k , h m h DOMAIN 3.0 Objv 3.6 h v g h jb b h jb . Th b h h h ’ bk b g v h v. Badging Sm k , , h hh m b , v, hz . F xm, m m m hv 3D k b h m h q . Th b hgh badging, hh g h h m. Ahgh h g , h m h . Audit Logs I ’ g h bgg g hv h m g, h h . Th m g m b b v v h h b m . Th v . O W m, h h v g b v g h Event Viewer, m hh h Fg 3.6-7. O mOS m, h m g b g h V Sm Lg h Console . Lx m g h /v/g/ b v g h aureport mm . FIGURE 3.6-7 The Event Viewer is used to analyze the Windows audit logs. 223 224 Mk M’ CmTIA A+ C 1 Cf P Secure Print M h m h b v , v, m m bg . Th h g h q - -g b b h m b . Eh m h h b , b h h m hm. Oh m g , h hgh MFD, h g: • • • Image overwrite I , m mg k h ’ g b g h. Data encryption D m m h b g SSL/TLS IPS. Unauthorized remote access D h v g h h bg . Sm m bgg m v . Network Scan Services P MFD h v network scanning gv h b m v h mg h h. Th m, , v m h g mg m . Sm k g m q h - m h h h m b . F mm h k v h v MFD m h g: • Server Message Block (SMB)/Common Internet File System (CIFS) file share Th h v k. • HTTP/FTP file share Sm SMB h, h h v m v HTTP FTP. Scan to e-mail A g m b -m mg m m. Cloud services O hg m g mmb ggh , g m , g h h m , h g v. • • DOMAIN 3.0 Objv 3.6 Automatic Document Feeder A m m (ADF) m m m j h h m MFD (, , , h g, x). Th ADF pages per minute (ppm). A ADF v v m g m g MFD. Hv, m b mj bk h . A k ADF h b () h - m h, duplexing, ADF . Th ADF xg Reversing ADF (RADF) Duplexing ADF (DADF). A m m, RADF m h v () h m h . A DAFD bh m , hh q , mkg bv h m xv h mh. Bh xg mh images per minute (ipm). REVIEW Objective 3.6: Given a scenario, deploy and configure multifunction devices/printers and settings • • • • • • • • • • • • • M MFD g b m q z v v g. W mOS m h v v m. PS PCL v g mg x b . A MFD b g v, h, b . Nk b k. A v b x, , mb v. P MFD xg, , g , q g. P b h g USB hb, Eh h, . W v v Bh IEEE 802.11x m. P b h hgh h, bgg, g, mg h mh h m . Th v , v, m m bg . Nk g v h b m v h mg hv h. M MFD m m b . 225 226 Mk M’ CmTIA A+ C 1 Cf P 3.6 QUESTIONS 1. T Sm h h MFD b LAN. Whh h g h MFD h k? A. B. C. D. E. F. USB S RJ-45 IEEE 802.11 A h bv N h bv 2. Y h m g hz k m , vg h v. Whh h g h g W m? A. F Ex B. M Eg C. Ev V D. Tm Lg O 3. Y h b m h, , h b k. Whh h g h b ? A. USB v B. KVM C. A h D. USB h 4. A m b Bh , v hgh Bh b h h m. Whh h g h m bb ? A. Th Bh v . B. Th’ Bh . C. Th Bh b . D. Th . 5. A m MFD , m g m. Th xm hh h g ? (Ch .) A. S g B. Rm g C. Bgg D. Nk g DOMAIN 3.0 Objv 3.7 3.6 ANSWERS 1. E A h (A hgh D) b . Hv, RJ-45 IEEE 802.11 h m mm m k g. 2. C Th Ev V h vg, g, g m, , v W m. 3. D A USB h b h USB v (h MFD ) b h h kg. 4. A A Bh ( h Bh v) m b h m mb v b b . 5. A C Bh g bgg m h, hh q g h MFD h . Objective 3.7 Given a scenario, install and replace printer consumables U h m hgh h h m mm h gh v . Th mb “” . Hv, , , h mb v . A ’ mb, h h x , q h mhm. Sm h hg m h mg; h k bb, x, bm. Rg h h , , , vv mb m. I h bjv, k v h m, , h mb h q. B b g h h , ’ k b b b. EXAM TIP The A+ Core 1 exam’s objectives cover the gamut of printer technologies, but its coverage focuses primarily on laser printers and inkjet printers. Calibration Ev h m m b . Th bg h h x mg gb, gm, , , h h ’ b v h. 227 228 Mk M’ CmTIA A+ C 1 Cf P C , g h , h b b g h m’ b mh ( h m) h bx hv mj m m. L 3-D h hv b h vv m gm. M hm m hv b g b h g m. Laser Printers Th hg m h mb q b h . Th h m : 1. A m h mg j b hv. 2. T h hg h m (h hg b h ). 3. Th , h h h . N v h h mb m (h h , h ), b bv h h h . Laser Printer Imaging Process Th mgg vv v h, h hh h g g mg v : • • • Processing Wh h mm , k, , h m mg b gg h PS PCL, hh v b mg bm mg h m h h b . Charging A k h conditioning . A vg h mg h b , h ’ hg h hv mgg m h AC hg m m hg hg m v mg. A DC hg h m h mgg m vg h mg. Exposing A h mgg m hg, v hg h h m h h mg h b . A mhm h m, hh k (h bk). Sm , MFD , m hv m, h , mg, , bk (CMYK). Th ’ h mgg m, b bm h m v m m. DOMAIN 3.0 Objv 3.7 • • • • Developing Wh h mg h m , h m b j , hh hg m v. Th vg h -hg h mgg m hv hg h b h , h m h hgh vg. Th gv hg h v. A h , h h k gv hg (hh k k v hg) v h h mg b . Transferring A h mg h mgg m, h h mgg b h b, , . A v hg ’ h h hg h m. A h mv v h m, h mg h . Fusing A h h , h hgh xm h g h m h h h h h () h m h g. Th h mv h . Cleaning Th h h “g hgg” h. B h h x g b , mv m h mgg m b hg g b h h h m. A hgg h m gv hg h mgg m mv gg hg ( mg) m . Th h . EXAM TIP For sure, know the seven phases of the laser imaging process for the A+ Core 1 exam. Laser Printer Components Th mj m h m g m m, h m m . I h m v x h g , h h mb h k b b h g . Th m h mgg m, mb, b, , k , , h xg mb. A hv m kg h h , h h , h h h v g h A+ C 1 xm. Fg 3.7-1 h mj m . EXAM TIP For the A+ Core 1 exam and the questions on Domain 3.0, know the key printer components described in this section. 229 230 Mk M’ CmTIA A+ C 1 Cf P System board Toner cartridge Printer memory Gearbox/motors FIGURE 3.7-1 • • Fuser assembly Sub-logic board High-voltage power supply Paper tray Primary power supply Components inside a laser printer Imaging drum Th mgg m g h g hv m. Wh gh, m , h h , h hg “” hgh h g . I’ mm m m h h g mb h mgg m (g h h m h mgg ), hh bm b h m h . Fg 3.7-2 h xm g. Fuser assembly Th mb h bm (b h) h g h ( h ) FIGURE 3.7-2 A laser printer toner cartridge may contain the imaging drum. DOMAIN 3.0 Objv 3.7 • • • • m h h . Th h h k g h T v m kg. Transfer belt Th b g g b . I k k v b h mgg . Th b h h CMYK v h m h mg. O g- , h b h CMYK h g h m m. Transfer roller O mhm , m v h b . Th v hg h , hh h h gv hg mgg m h b h g. A hg m h mv h hg k h m g h m. Pickup roller and separation pad Th m k m h h . Th bb k h gh h h m h . Th , hh h g, h k gb h. I bg hvg jm q, h m h g b h bm. Duplexing assembly M SOHO MFD mx ( g) . M hgh- x ( ) g. I bh h, q duplexing assembly. A h h mgg , h xg mb h h h bk h h g h mgg h v . EXAM TIP Be familiar with the general purpose and function of each of the laser printer components discussed. Laser Printer Maintenance M ’ m . M vv m h g, g, bg. H q m m v , b g gg g mg h h m h b m. M h mj b v mm m k ( v k) h h h m . M k ’ g vb hm m m h g , , m v. M k, h xg h , ’ v h g h . I, h h x h gv h ; h vm g . 231 232 Mk M’ CmTIA A+ C 1 Cf P EXAM TIP Know the contents of a maintenance kit and the elements of a maintenance program: replacing the toner or toner cartridge, applying a maintenance kit, calibrating the imaging components, and cleaning the printer. Maintenance Kit Contents Th m’ m k v h m, b g h mm h g m mb: • • • • • • T, k, Fg mb S T , b, Fg Cg Th m k m m g m m. Cleaning a Laser Printer A x m mg, jm, m . Hv, g g b v m h h . Cleaning Supplies Th vb h mk. Hv, m h m h h h ’ . Th h h g: • • Protective gear Y h b gv (bb m-m ) v mk. A b , , h h-g h ’ bh g k. Toner vacuum A g vm , mg h ’ h h k, h’ b qm, h h m h mgg m g , m . O, vm g g m h zz; , h vm m xh b b h . DOMAIN 3.0 Objv 3.7 • Activated toner cloths Th b (g-) h h m h - hg h h b vm. • Alcohol Nv, , never bbg h g hgh m h . S gh h b h . Th g CD, v, h m h 99 g . Brushes and swabs S-b bh, k m g bh bh, b h m. H b bh g b m h h m. • Cleaning Steps B bgg h g , h h h . T v m h h b k b h g (1) g g h (2) gvg mkg . Ab h b bgg h , h , g h m h , h m bh m . A gg h v , h gv mk h kg h g. Y ’ hzm ; j h g. T , h g g : 1. Open the printer. R h m b h mh h g. 2. Identify and extract removable components. Ag, h ’ m mv h h m h . Th h g, v (k, , b), h m. Tk h h h h m. P h hv m k . 3. Clean the toner cartridge. S h g v h h h mv x m . S h g , v b v - h. 4. Use the toner vacuum to clean the printer. Ug vm, g mv h m hv b h h . B v h vm h . 5. Brush excess toner from hard-to-reach areas. U bh b mv m h k h h h vm mv m h . 233 234 Mk M’ CmTIA A+ C 1 Cf P 6. Clean the transfer rollers and charge rollers. W b h h g h bh h bm . 7. Clean the feed rollers. Ug m b h, h h mv h m hv b . 8. Reassemble the printer. Ug h ’ m, h m mv g h m mv hm. 9. Clean the outside of the case. I , h h ’ g v h m h. 10. Restart the printer. R h , , b- v h mb . EXAM TIP It’s doubtful that you will encounter a question that requires you to sequence the maintenance and cleaning steps for a laser printer. However, you should have a general understanding of the actions performed and why each step is included. Inkjet Printers Wh mm hgh- hgh-vm g , inkjet printers h m mm v, hm m . Amg h m vg kj h v h k mhm - g h h k g. Ah vg, hh m b b, h kj mh xv h . Inkjet Printing and Components A kj , hh h m g- SOHO , m mg b g k h h 300 h (). I m , kj mg - 600 hgh. I h’ gh, kj b h m m v h mk , v x m, x mg. Th h mg b kj m m h h g h mv m. Hv, b k h kj , ’ v h m h kj h h g m. EXAM TIP For the Core 1 exam, be sure you know the components of an inkjet printer and the role each plays in the printing process. DOMAIN 3.0 Objv 3.7 FIGURE 3.7-3 Inkjet ink cartridges vary in size and shape. Ink Cartridge A kj ’ ink cartridge m h j h k v. Th k g kj ( mhm) m ( CMYK) k v m h mm h h ’ h m ( ) k h h, hh b h k g . Th z h kj k g. A kj k g’ m q h kj , h m , , , h m. Fg 3.7-3 h kj k g m v kj m, h m m. Print Head Th print head m kj m h k g. F h, h h m gh. Rg , kj ’ 235 236 Mk M’ CmTIA A+ C 1 Cf P h m h m , hh g k v m m h, mb, mg. Uk m , hh v , kj h ’ h m. Wh m k bb m m v bh, kj h m k g. Hv, h h g g kj h, v hgh h m h m v , kj h v h hg . Ikj h mh— z hm— g k mm ’ m k h b hm h C 1 xm. Piezo Print Heads Th z mh (hh g m m h z g hg) vv v h m h v hg. Th hg h m b, hh k hmb j h h zz. Th m hg m h m x, hh m h m k h m h zz h h mm. A piezo print head h 720 zz h h . Hgh-q g q m h , hh h b mv h . Thermal Print Heads Thm kj h h m mm kj h. A thermal print head, m gg, h -b k mg m. I m z, hh hg h h h k m h zz, hm h h k h hmb bh zz bg b. Th bg k bbb k v, hh hgh h h zz, g b h k h mm. Th hmb h v qk h h mm, . Print Head Stepper Motor Rg h h hg kj , h h ( k g) m b mv hz h mm, bh . Th m b stepper motor, hh v h -- h m v , . Sm kj m k h h h h . Trays, Rollers, and Feeders Th g g m kj paper tray h - (mvb) b- (mvb) m. I h , h mm h b rollers, hh v h , b h , h h m g mv h x . Sm kj hv feeder . O kj , h h bk h ’ h. A ’ h m h , b b z h m b b . Fg 3.7-4 h kj h bh . DOMAIN 3.0 Objv 3.7 FIGURE 3.7-4 An inkjet printer featuring both a paper tray and a document feeder Carriage Belt Th kj ’ h mv -- h h g m. Th h mb h h g b, hh , hgh h, h m. A h m v v, mv h g b g, hh h h h h mv. Duplexing Assembly A x h , xg mb b bh h mm. I g , h xg mb b h m h b bk h h b . Inkjet Print Process Summarized Ikj hm --m h m k m g v m hmb zz. Th h h z hm h k hgh zz h h h . Th k m k g, h k h b h h. Th k g q h m m h , b h : z hm. Inkjet Printer Maintenance and Cleaning Th q h g kj h m h h g , h : bg h mvg 237 238 Mk M’ CmTIA A+ C 1 Cf P kj. Hv, h bg h z h h -b k, h k g g h kj . Wh g kj , h h (hh m b h k g), h k g, jm b m jm, h ’ b, hh v x. Th kj v gh h h m h . B g kj , v h ’ m, kg , g, hz. U h m b g , h h : 1. Remove the ink cartridge. I m kj , h k g ( g) m h mv g bz g b. G, m, mv h g h m h b, h ’ m mv h h h . Wh h , h , mv h m h , mv h k g. 2. Clean the print head and cartridges. Wh h k g mv, h hv h h, h h g v h h k g . I h , h, g , h b g h h mv k g h h. I h h mvb h, m mv hm hm h m . W h k h k g mv x k. 3. Clean the ink cartridge caddy. U b mv k m h k g . 4. Check the ribbon cables and ink reservoirs. Ik m h g b h . Ug , b, -b bh, mv k/ b m h . 5. Clean the exterior. Ug g h h, h x h ’ . 6. Reassemble and test. R- h k g h, , h . I vb, h h h mb. Y h k h m b h ’ gm. EXAM TIP Be sure that you are familiar with the inkjet printer components described in this section as well as the areas and procedures listed in the maintenance process. DOMAIN 3.0 Objv 3.7 Thermal Printers A thermal printer, k kj , ’ k h mg . I , ’ h x h h mg h h . Th hm , bh hh hm “ h” h h h m, hm hm. A hm h h m : h hm h/hg m, mb h mv h mm h h, h k h mm h h . Thermal Print Head/Heating Element A hm h, heating element, m g g h mg mm. Th mg h b mg m g hm hg h mm. Thm g hm hh x, h, mg “” m h-v hm hm . A thermal transfer printer h bb h x m m h g mm. Th m m bb b h mm, hh mh h m v. Th mm bb h m m, h mg bm b . Direct thermal printing, hh thermal printing, h x, h, mg hm hmhm , hh , bv gh, thermal paper. Thm v v hm g h-v m b m b. Thm g v mg , g , T-h, , h h m. Fg 3.7-5 h hm . Thermal Printer Feed Assembly O h m vg hm h ’ v q, hh h h mm b, , h. T q , h mhm h hm m b q. Th mb hm bbz h g h hm h hm h hgh h h. Print head/heat element Ribbon with wax/ink Ink transferred FIGURE 3.7-5 Paper/material Thermal transfer printers heat the material on a ribbon to transfer it to a medium. 239 240 Mk M’ CmTIA A+ C 1 Cf P Thermal Paper Uk hm g, hm ’ vv hg h h h hm . (I h , bb, , k, x m hm h hm .) A h hm h h, h h hm hm g h h m h h mg bg . B h hm m v h gh, hm g ’ b. Ev, h mg h k h bg x h gh gh m. Ahgh m - hm vb, h mj hm g mhm (h bk mb). Thermal Printer Cleaning Th g h h g hm h : 1. A h b , h g , h g v h, h , mv m h , h . 2. O m hm , h h hg m h hgh h v h h, h bb, b (g h hm ), h h . 3. L h v h h h bb. Mv h bb h x h h. 4. Ug v h h - h m h h, m h h, g gh m mv b- m h bb. L h h h h . 5. R h bb h h h h v bk k . 6. C h . R mk vhg bk h h b. Impact Printers Th : m -m. S , h bjv ’v v -m —h h ’ mk h h mm. Th b b m -m h b bv—h m, h h k. Wh m hm m g m , h kj, m v , h h m- - m . DOMAIN 3.0 Objv 3.7 Im vv m h m v—, , h k— hv b h m b hm. Ov h , m xm hm m . Hv, h q, , -m hv hm g . EXAM TIP Know the components (print head, ribbon, and tractor feed devices) and maintenance processes for impact printers. Impact printer g m m h x h b kg m h k bb h g h , h, mb h g. Exm m (bh h ) m ( m-mx) , bk , -h , , h . Impact Print Heads Th h m h . A m h h m, m h m h gh h . Th m mm h m , h h m b kg , g g v m. Fg 3.7-6 xm m . I h xm, h h h h , m m, E. I h xm, x m m h mg h . Th h h h k h h h m h h h x m h gh. N h h m m, h , h x m h gh, h , m, bm k. Th h h m k m h m h h. Th h h Fg 3.7-6 h h h k h h, - m b - m, gh. Wh h xm , h m h m 24 . A m hmm bk ( -h) h mx h m . Lk h mh, m h v m , gh, b g v m , hz h h h . Wh h m h h h bg , m h k h h m. A h h v gh, h hmm h h h h k. Th hmm bk h m h k g m . Eh h hmm h h’ hmm bk h b g h h hmm k h bb h 241 242 Mk M’ CmTIA A+ C 1 Cf P FIGURE 3.7-6 The print wires of an impact printer form a character with a series of columns. b bk , . Fg 3.7-7 h b m h. Eh ( b mb) g k g h hmm h . NOTE A line impact printer is the faster of the two impact print methods. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 FIGURE 3.7-7 A line impact printer creates characters one row at a time. DOMAIN 3.0 Objv 3.7 FIGURE 3.7-8 Examples of impact draft mode (top) and near letter quality (NLQ) bottom Th q h b m v . I m ( Fg 3.7-8), h b h vb. N q (NLQ) m, h Fg 3.7-8, b g h b . T NLQ , m hgh hmm , hh m h h hmm gh, h v gh h h’ . Impact Components A m h m mvg h -m , mj k m. H h mj m, m hh ’v : • Platen or tractor feed Th m bb- h h m h h , h m, h m g h x h h h. A g k h h g k h - h k h h k. Fg 3.7-9 m . • Print head A , m 9, 18, 24 h h b z mhm vg v m h gh. Print ribbon Wh h h , h k k bb h . Im bb g h h . Rbb g h h , h h bb h , ’ m h g. Sm g m bb, b h xm . • FIGURE 3.7-9 An illustration of a tractor feed unit on an impact printer printing a continuous form 243 244 Mk M’ CmTIA A+ C 1 Cf P FIGURE 3.7-10 An example of an impact printer cartridge ribbon Impact Maintenance F h A+ C 1 xm, h k b mg m b h m, : • • • Replacing the ribbon M m g bb, k h h Fg 3.7-10. A bb m v m : v h k h g h k b , b h h’ , hh hm m m mg. Replacing the paper P jm b bm m , h m m bg -. B h , v h g h m m h(). Replacing the print head O v mm h hv m mg h h’ , hh bm b bk. Th h mg h. Th x h h. 3-D Printers Additive manufacturing, hh h gg m h-m (3-D) g, h bj b g g . Th 3-D g v hh v v . A 3-D k v m kj , h m h bj mh h m kj k g. Hv, k, 3-D “” m hm hm gh h hv UV gh. Fg 3.7-11 h 3-D g m bj. DOMAIN 3.0 Objv 3.7 FIGURE 3.7-11 A 3-D printer (image courtesy of LiteWorld, LLC) 3-D Printing Filaments A 3-D ’ k m m k k v. I, m h , hh h m h m. “P” 3-D g b thermoplastic material, hh m h m h h h . Th 3-D b (ABS), (PLA), , b , h hh g (PETG). ABS h m mk LEGO bk, PLA mm mk m b , PETG h m mk jg. Th hm m m , h hg m 3-D , h hgh zz ( extruder) h bj bg . 3-D Printer Bed A bj b h b h . P b m m m h . I , h m m h b h h b. Th h b, h h bg h h bj , v 245 246 Mk M’ CmTIA A+ C 1 Cf P hv h ( h h ’ k h x) v h hg g h bj h . M b h g mm, m h. EXAM TIP For the A+ Core 1 exam, understand how 3-D printers convert filaments and resins into objects on their print beds. REVIEW Objective 3.7: Given a scenario, install and replace printer consumables • • • • • • • • • • • • • P h, hg, k bb, m h mg mm. A hg m x mg . Th mgg h v h: g, hgg, xg, vg, g, g, g. Th mj m h mgg m, mb, b, , k , , xg mb. Ikj x mg g k g. A hm hm hm. A m m h. A m h h m. A m h m h gh b g . Th m mm m h hv h 9 24 . Th mj m m mhm, h h, bb. A 3-D v mg bj b g v hm m v m. Cbg h h x mg gb gm , , h ’ v. 3.7 QUESTIONS 1. Whh h g h v h h mgg ? A. Chgg B. Fg C. Cg D. Cg DOMAIN 3.0 Objv 3.7 2. Whh h g h g g ? (Ch h .) A. B. C. D. E. F. Mg C Og Bk Y G 3. Th h hg b kj h mm hh h g? (Ch .) A. Pz B. Thm C. Ph-v D. Im 4. H h m hm . Wh h m h h h hm g? A. D bm B. Wx C. Thm D. Ikj 5. Wh h m h gg h x, gh, ? A. L B. Ex C. Cbg D. Dxg 3.7 ANSWERS 1. D Ahgh b m h , h mgg . 2. A B D E Th m g g , mg, , bk (CMYK). 3. A B Th hg vz h k h hgh h zz h . 4. B D hm h mg hm . 5. C Cbg h . 247 This page intentionally left blank Virtualization and Cloud Computing M A I 4.0 Domain Objectives • 4.1 Summarize cloud-computing concepts. • 4.2 Summarize aspects of client-side virtualization. 249 N D O 250 Mk My’ CoTIA A+ Co 1 Cfo Po Objective 4.1 Summarize cloud-computing concepts C ou oug h bo o, o o og v - ov o g bu . I h o, you bou h y o ou v how o hoo h o o ou o o h wok you o ogzo o o. Common Cloud Models I w’ h vy og go h h “ou” w’ uh o h w y -og v, uh ODv, Dobox, Goog Dv. Toy, h ou o vuy y v u qu o uu o. Th ou o v y o o- oug ou v o ov uh Azo, Moo, Goog, Cbo, IBM, y oh, o h o I. Cloud Deployment Models Th ou ouy hyy u o y o ovg o. So o o how h ou o ov, oh by h y o v o o o. Th o gou o wo g go: oy o v o. Fo h A+ Co 1 x, you o kow wh h o h vou o u h v ov. L’ wh h oy o. I , ou oy o who h o h ou ouo. Th A+ Co 1 objv ou o ou y ou oy o: ub, v, ouy, hyb. Public Cloud O h o, ub I, o y v yo who u h ou vb h public cloud. Wh w k bou h ou g , w o ky g o h ub ou. Th ou vb h ub ou ow by h ov o o h ub, whou o, o, o uhozo. Sh g, , oo o x o ub ou. Private Cloud A private cloud, whh o o internal cloud, h oo o ub ou. Wh h ub ou o o , v ou o o h ub o o oy h b o gou. Th gou yy oy, hoo, o o o ogzo, o oh y o bh gou o ogzo. Pv ou o oo, uy, zo, whh yy ub ou. DOMAIN 4.0 Objv 4.1 Community Cloud A ouy b u o h u o hoo , z o go, h b o xuv ogzo, h bu hb o o, ooo h uy, h k. A community cloud o o v ou, o by ouy, h ow b o h oo ou. A ouy ou b k o ouy bu bo o ou. Hybrid Cloud A hyb yhg u o , uuy h b , o . A hyb ou ogoo o uu, , o o ub v ou ( ouy ou y hyb ou o bg wh). A hybrid cloud u o g ou o ub ou, v ou, o ou o uo vo. EXAM TIP You need to understand who can access each type of cloud deployment model and who controls them. Cloud Service Models Wh h ou w by h No Iu o S Thoogy (NIST) 2011, h h v vy o: Iuu Sv (IS), Sow Sv (SS), Po Sv (PS). S h, h h b xoo o “S” v , h wh ow o h h . EXAM TIP You need to know the common cloud model acronyms—IaaS, SaaS, and PaaS—and associated delivery models for the CompTIA A+ 220-1101 exam. Infrastructure as a Service Poou “y---,” IaaS ou v h ov v ubb wh obo o vuzo, oo g o ow, h by o o o k . Cloud service providers (CSPs) b yo o vu o g uo ooo o uh w vu v ug gv og y (OS), o , vy ow o. CSP ov xb vuz vo h b o vg ou, ox wb o, vo vo, uoz oo, ug u og, b v, hg, hog, o, b by ug. IS ubb o gg hw og vo. 251 252 Mk My’ CoTIA A+ Co 1 Cfo Po Software as a Service SaaS, whh oou “,” h g o ow o o o ou-b vy o o h g ub by vo ov. A o SS og b (wh go), ubb o v -b g, ubb o o y--you-go b, o u o bh kg. Th b o h u o ubb h h ov h h oby o g ug SS og, og wh uyg hw, o, oo, hu vg h u o h ob. Ex o SS o ow o u wo og, o, h, -, owhg, uo/vo og. SS og vb ywh h I oo. Howv, o o h jo o o ug SS o h you y o gv u oo o you o h SS ov u uy. Platform as a Service PaaS, oou “,” ou v o h ov ubb wh o uoz bu o hw ow ou ov h I. O o h o oo u o PS v o ow vo g. A PS vo gv ow vo h oo o vog, oyg, g, g o oh ow ou. Th PS CSP ou uu, whh ou b IS, bu platform. Th o v b o oy g y. A PS ubo v h u quo o w h o o u, oguo, (ooy h x o xby). Cloud Characteristics Cou oug y wy o h -hg o h y y o oug. T-hg ow o o “” o z ou o vo h x o uhg oug qu, whh h w y . I y wy, h ou oy o “” v o v ov ov h I, h h ov -u bo, o hv o bg o h qu hw ow, o, -hou. Th oowg o ov o o o o h u h o ou oug. Shared Resources O o h b o ou oug how h h o o shared resources. A wok u h ou, uh og v o o h LAN. Wh ou oug, h oh ou o h I. DOMAIN 4.0 Objv 4.1 Wh you o h v oy uu CSP y hv oz, o hu o hou, o ubb o v, ovg o ou u b o h b. Dg o h v o o, hw, ow, og, oh v u b vg o ov h o h v ubb wh h ou h v v g (SLA). To oh h, h CSP u vuz vo. Sy, wok, og vuzo o ou hg ou oug. O h ubb , h CSP’ vuz vo , h vu o oo ubb o “” h ov o h ou qu o h . Metered Utilization A metered utilization o u vy ho h o CSP u o k h v o ubb o ou v. Th how h ou o ou ug, o u o u, ov h CSP wh b o oog, oog, hog (g), g, , o ou, bg h ubb o h ug. Th v g bw h CSP h ubb h u o h vou u o (u), ou (MB o GB), by (v v), og (MB/GB), oh ou u. Fo x, hou oy x v ug h wok wk oy, ubb o h u o IS v y o h , y, o u. Th oy vo uhg hy v h y y 30 o h . M uzo v o kow u v o “y--u” v. Rou oo bg h wo y o CSP u metering. Mg u ubb’ u o h ou, uh bwh o og, hy ou. Th u h b u o y, uzo, g o hog, bg. Scaling h xo o uo o h ug hho o ou o ubb v b o , ug, o o v. Fo x, ubb oy o ov h ubb k og , hy g o g h k og o w hgh v. Th o ou o y hou h ubb o u h ou qu. Sby o ou o b by o - v h o h y. Throttling ’ xy h oo o g, bu g o o b xo, h hog oo. Howv, hog b o g-o u h ou ug. A ubb’ u ug u g h hog u, whh yy h u o ou’ ug. Thog oy u o v u u o ou h o hgh . Billing b o h u uzo o ou by ubb. Th ug u o g h bg, whh ooy ohy. 253 254 Mk My’ CoTIA A+ Co 1 Cfo Po Elasticity/Scalability O o h o ough- h o h ou xby, whh x elasticity h A+ Co 1 objv scalability y v o. Exg h b o -hou y k o h uuy vb o o h hou. A ou v uh IS o PS ov ubb wh h by o xg ou hy bo qu. Th y b ou, wh h ubb uw o h hg, o h ubb b o o ov bo h v . Fxby ov h ubb wh h by o g ou ou v on demand, whh ow h ubb o u o ow y o g k o u ou . Th kow rapid elasticity. EXAM TIP Rapid elasticity allows a customer to use more, or fewer, cloud resources, as needed. On demand means that a customer can access cloud resources 24/7, as needed. High Availability So o ogzo u hv o h y (o vy y ) , 24/7 365. Eug h by b xy xv og h qu o qu. Subbg o ou v h o h v o uo, high availability, vov g boh h oby u o CSP. D o h ou, g o bg y ou o v o o bku, h u gy b y vb wh . Th v uy u o CSP og og u ov o h hgh vby, oy, gy o ubb. Hgh vby ub h by h o SLA bw h CSP h ubb. Suo h ubb o b y vb oy hou y, uh 7 a.m. o 10 p.m., Moy hough Fy, bu o h 99.9 o h ug ho hou. Th, h, h hgh vby qu by h ubb. A o hog wb h uo - og ou h ok, v y wk 52 wk y, ou qu h g o hgh vby (99.9 ), whh u uh hgh o o h CSP. I og h wo x, w h h o qu o o h CSP h, ug h o hou, h SS h ubb’ o b uvb o y o h o u y o. I h o x, h CSP o o ug h v o b uvb o h 8.78 u y. Tb 4.1-1 ov h u o ow h “v-” h o hgh vby o. DOMAIN 4.0 Objv 4.1 TABLE 4.1-1 Downtime Limits by Time Period in the Five-Nines Schedule Downtime Limit Availability Year Month Week Day 99.0% (wo ) 99.9% (h ) 99.99% (ou ) 99.999% (v ) 87.6 hou 8.7 hou 52.6 u 5.3 u 7.3 hou 43.8 u 4.4 u 26.3 o 1.7 hou 10.1 u 1.0 u 6.0 o 14.4 u 1.44 u 8.6 o < 1 o EXAM TIP You don’t need to memorize the information in Table 4.1-1. It’s provided only as an illustration for high availability. However, the five-nines approach is commonly used to define availability terms in SLAs. File Synchronization File synchronization uy o o bku, wh o obj o o o o og . F yhozo o ju kg oy oy h ’ g o k o o obj oo, g o h oo. A bku oy o ho k o . U bku by ho o h , h . A yhoz o o ou, g h y hg o h ou uoy (o ) o h yhoz w. Bku oy o o u o v o u oo. A o yhoz b o o h v o v o y o og o h v, h o wok, o v h ou. Tyy, hough, yhoz o o v uuy . A o yhoz y hv o o ko PC, ob PC, ho, h oh v w. O h v, h y b o h k, USB v, o h Uv Fh Sog (UFS) o ho. I oo o y o o ’ o, yhozo o o v w oow u g o y h oo o oh vo o h , g o o whh v h hg w o whh v h yhoz o o. Th oguo g o h yhozo ow o: o x, o o u o y hg; o o u oy oy; yhoz o h oy—u vy o oh yhozo o. 255 256 Mk My’ CoTIA A+ Co 1 Cfo Po F yhozo b o-wy o wo-wy o. One-way synchronization o o mirroring ( RAID). Wh hg o b oy o , o o h v o g oo og. Oy hg o h b o. Two-way synchronization, whh uy wh yhozo , y oo o o o , o by oyg h o h yhoz o. Desktop Virtualization Virtualization, h ox o oug, o h u hw h x oy o o h vuzo ow. Ahough vu, h u hw b o uo w u v. Vu v b ou, wok , wokg v, y oh, ug wh you’ ky o h A+ Co 1 x: vu ko. Virtual desktops o o wo o: ho ko uu (HDI) vuzo o vu ko uu (VDI). Th hosted desktop o vuz h ko y o hy hw, o wh “b .” C vuzo, o VDI, ko vo o h , o o woko o o wok, o h ou. Desktop virtualization ( y , o) u u u ko, ug o g ou. Th host v, h ou o whh h vuzo ow ( hypervisor) ug, ou b hy ou ogzo o vu ou h ou. Mo o h vuzo y persistent vu ko, whh h h y v h vu ko’ vo o h u o h o ou xy h o wh w o. A nonpersistent vu ko o b v oy w h ’ . Vuzo y uo h y o ko vuzo: • • • Virtual desktop infrastructure (VDI) I h y o ko vuzo, h hyvo vu h (VM), h wh ow ko g, o o ou v. U h vu ko oy o o v. VDI VM h ow uqu og vo. Remote desktop services (RDS) Ug RDS, u o ko h h hw ou w y o ow. Desktop as a Service (DaaS) DS (oou “”) vy uh k VDI, wh h jo xo h h u’ ogzo o’ uy h hw o ow o whh h vu ko g, oy h o v u o h DS v h ou. DOMAIN 4.0 Objv 4.1 REVIEW Objective 4.1: Summarize cloud-computing concepts • • • • • • • • • • • Th jo y o ou v Iuu Sv (IS), Sow Sv (SS), Po Sv (PS). Th ub ou ov ou v o yo. A v ou o uhoz u. A ouy ou v ou wh o gou o ogzo o vu. A hyb ou b u o ub v ou ou. Rou uh VM, ou og, oh b h v LAN (y) o ou oug (xy). M uzo k oug ou ug v u o bwh, , /o y o bg y uo. Th by o o o ou v (o- -v) b ogzo o hv y. Pou ou-b v u -, og, yhozo. Vu ko uu (VDI) vu vo h b oy o o h ou o, , o w o o ko g. F yhozo u o k u o o o obj y, ooy o v v. 4.1 QUESTIONS 1. Coy A u v SS ou uh G Goog Do, og wh uoz v ou o oy . Whh o h oowg b b Coy A’ ou oug gy? A. Pub ou B. Hyb ou C. Couy ou D. VMM 2. Coy B o ou-h-ok - oo h uo boh ho o o. Wh o , h voy u o vo ov. Wh o h oy’ SLA wh CSP ov h qu o h o oo? A. Bwh B. Bku hv C. Hgh vby D. M uzo 257 258 Mk My’ CoTIA A+ Co 1 Cfo Po 3. You oy gog o u ou v o vo ow, h ow w h b vb ou v. Whh g uy wh v w b u, h o o? A. B. C. D. IS, PS PS, SS SS, IS SS, PS 4. Wh h o h by o ou v o x o o ou, qu, o v ubb’ ? A. DS B. Syhozo C. R y D. M uzo 5. You oy o u ou o uo o- wg ou qu bu w o y oy o h ou uy u. Wh v g you oy ookg o? A. VDI B. IS C. Hyb ou D. M uzo 4.1 ANSWERS 1. B A hyb ou ob ub ou ( h , SS) v ou ouo. 2. C Hgh vby o Coy B’ oo. 3. B Po Sv (PS) h u o o ou-b ow vo vo. Sow Sv (SS) k h ow vb o u v h ou. 4. C R y ou vo h by o o o ou, , o ubb’ og o og qu. 5. D M uzo ov u o ou o y-o-whyou-u b. DOMAIN 4.0 Objv 4.2 Objective 4.2 Summarize aspects of client-side virtualization V irtualization b g hy ho ou ug z ow o vu h (v ), o kow guests, whh oh ou, h wh ow og y, g, , . C- vuzo o ug vu h (VM) o you o y ( o o VM u wh) g o whh h VM gh b o oy o o v v h wok. Th ow u o g VM kow hypervisor. Purpose of Virtual Machines I you ’ wh vuzo, h o . Why wou you o u OS OS? H w o h bgg b: • • • Gog vu b o o ob u v oo w h h o oug. Th o ou vg o hw uh, y u, h u o oug. Bu VM oy g o wo, hk y y b wh ho ( bku) k o h oy wokg VM. Th y uu o gg v bk u quky. Lkw, h ub k y o u VM. Th by o u y og y o g hy h k uo g h h h wh o u. Sandboxing Sandboxing vuzo o whh wy vo o uou og b xu o o vuz ou. Th og ug h box h h ou o oy u h ’ ug ouo vo whou y o h k h gh . Aoh vu o h xo o box h container. Sbox y h z wh h ou, whh o o h wh’ uy o uo. A o box h o k. Aoh, h kow, bou box h vu h y box, whh ohg you hou kow. 259 260 Mk My’ CoTIA A+ Co 1 Cfo Po EXAM TIP You should know about sandboxes, containers, and VMs for the A+ Core 1 exam. Test-Driven Development Test-driven development (o test development) o vo (RAD) hqu ooy o o VM, whh y vo o h vo g o . I vo, bok o ogg g vo h u h ob o b ov o objv o b hv. Th ho vo o h vo o go ohg k h: , w og, h og, h ogg, h . Application Virtualization Application virtualization h b o o h jo uo u o vuzo g. Ao vuzo b h o o h wok ug o vo o VM. Th vu vo hog h vu o ou b o o o hy o vu v. Ao vuzo b o ovo y vo o o o h. Vu o oz o u vu ko vo o o h o h ou. A vu o uy u o v bu o b ug o h VM. Aoh o o o vuzo application streaming. I h ho, oy oo o o, o, oguo, v o h VM h oy wh hy . Ao vuzo g h u o vuz o. Fo x, h Moo Ao Vuzo (A-V) o Wow ou g h vy o vu o o u vo. Th vu o o o v v ug h - ho b . O h vu ko, u h vu o h wy oy o. NOTE Other available virtual application managers include Citrix Virtual Apps, Parallels Remote Application Server, and the Microsoft Azure Virtual Desktop. My o ogzo g o o, “gy” ow (o ky wh h h ’ wokg, h’ o o o ), h h h hw ow vo o whh w ogy vo o u y o og b vb. Cross-platform virtualization, whh ow-b y uo, ow h y o u o vu h ogu o ov h qu vo. DOMAIN 4.0 Objv 4.2 Vuzo ov h by o gy og y o o ou o b u u w ow b vo o h o bough u o . EXAM TIP For the A+ Core 1 exam, know and understand the purpose and use of VMs and their relationships with virtual apps, including sandboxes, application and test development, and VDI. Resource Requirements Th vo o Wow, Lux, OS w uo hyvo o vu h g (VMM). Howv, hyvo o VMM u b o ou wh hw vuzo uo. I you ou’ CPU BIOS UEFI u hw vuzo, b b o b h y u uy ( Fgu 4.2-1). Cross-Reference Hardware virtualization is also covered in Domain 3.0, Objective 3.4. NOTE AMD and Intel include hardware virtualization to provide better performance when the CPU is supporting multiple VMs and operating systems. AMD’s hardware virtualization features are Secure Virtual Machine (SVM) mode and AMD-V. Intel provides VT-x and Intel VT-d. VT-d is separate from VT-x and provides directed I/O (input/ output) virtualization for better performance. I o o hw vuzo, wo oh hw qu o vuzo uo RAM og . Eh VM qu ju uh RAM h hy h ’ ug. Ev hough h RAM g o VM o , h ho h y u RAM o u h hyvo , o , h ho og y h oh ow. Ju how uh RAM o yy qu b o h. A VM o k u o o og . A VM’ ou ob ou o og bu hy u vyhg o h VM, whh FIGURE 4.2-1 UEFI firmware settings for CPU virtualization support on AMD (top) and Intel (bottom) CPUs 261 262 Mk My’ CoTIA A+ Co 1 Cfo Po ou o ywh o w gby o uh oz o ggby. O uo b u o h you u h qu o ogug VM vy o hyvo o VMM. ADDITIONAL RESOURCES One virtualization calculator you could use is the “Virtualization Calculator” provided by WintelGuy.com at https://wintelguy.com/ vmcalc.pl. Emulator Requirements I h vuz wo, o hw u o vuz. O uo vuzo ou hough o b h hg. Ahough hy hv y , uo vuzo hv o how hy o. Wh y h o o oh, ug h y. Fo x, uo you hv o g uh Duke Nukem h you’ k o y g. Wow 11 wo’ u h ow, bu you OS uo, k OWok.o, h u Wow 95 vo hough you bow o you y h g. You y Wow 11, bu you’ ug bow h ug uo o wb o. Euo o by ow ug o v vo h oh vo. Th by h vuzo u o h b y wh uo u o h b y. Hyvo u hw o ow gu OS o b b o u h hw v vb o ho y. Ohw, h hyvo wou o u v v o y v gu OS uo. Eug g vo o v v ow h gu og y y o u o u h vu hw. Th y o hw bg u yy ho h wy uo ho o whh h gu OS u v. I h uo o by hyvo, h o gv o h vu ko hw v ov o h o o u by h hy v. EXAM TIP Understand that emulating another platform (using a laptop to run Sony PlayStation 5 games, for example) requires hardware several times more powerful than the platform being emulated. Security Requirements A vu h hou b k u hy ou. A , wh wok I oo o o y VM, b u (o u) h wy hy ou. D u wh v o hou b u o VM h w b u by u u. Sog wo hou b . DOMAIN 4.0 Objv 4.2 Avu -w hou b oy k u. OS u hou b o . EXAM TIP Virtualized operating systems use the same security features as real ones. You still need to keep track of user names, passwords, permissions, and so on, just like on a normal system. Network Requirements Th wy o wok ou h w b hog o o o VM wh h w Eh uo. I you w w oo, you ou u w NIC h u PCI o. Ug USB wok o o bu o h uo h USB v hv o o VM ow. Hypervisor A hypervisor, o kow virtual machine manager (VMM), , u, g VM. Th wo y o hyvo: Ty 1 Ty 2. EXAM TIP Be sure to know the differences between Type 1 and Type 2 hypervisors. A Ty 1 hyvo uh Hy-V, VMw ESX, o Cx Hyvo (oy kow Cx XSv) u y o ou hw o og y. A Ty 1 hyvo o kow “b-” hyvo bu h’ o oh ow bw h hw. VM ug v og y u o Ty 1 hyvo. A Ty 2 hyvo uh O VM VuBox o VMw Woko u o og y (Lux, Wow, o OS). Thu, Ty 2 hyvo hv o y o ow o o Ty 1 hyvo ( Fgu 4.2-2 o x). Mo y o - vuzo u Ty 2 hyvo. NOTE Although you install Hyper-V after installing Windows Server or enable it after installing a Windows 10 or Windows 11 edition that includes it, it is considered a Type 1 hypervisor. Here’s why: after Hyper-V is installed/enabled, it turns the Windows edition that was installed first into a VM running under Hyper-V, and additional VMs can be created. To learn more about the differences between Hyper-V running on Windows versus Hyper-V running on Windows Server, see https://docs.microsoft.com and search for “Hyper-V.” 263 264 Mk My’ CoTIA A+ Co 1 Cfo Po App OS App App Type 1 hypervisor VMM (hypervisor) App OS App App App OS App App App OS App App Type 2 hypervisor OS FIGURE 4.2-2 VMM (hypervisor) App OS App App App OS App App Type 1 hypervisor (top) compared to Type 2 hypervisor (bottom) Installing a Hypervisor and Creating a Virtual Machine Ig h-y hyvo k g y oh ow—owo xu h hyvo ow oow u wz. O Wow y h u Hy-V, you b h Wow Fu og box ( Fgu 4.2-3), whh you h v Coo P | Pog Fu | Tu Wow Fu O o O. A bg Hy-V, boo h y. A you’v you hyvo o ho, you’ hv vu h g h h y o , , o, v, gu vu h. O y uh y VMM, you w VM by kg Nw | Vu Mh og h wz h o ( Fgu 4.2-4). Mo hyvo hv o u you gu OS h h vu hw . Installing the Guest Operating System O you’v h w gu VM, ’ o gu og y. Wou you k o u Moo Wow you vu h? No ob, bu kow h Wow ( y oh ow you ) qu v . I you o’ y hv o , o VMM ju y ISO (uh h o you’ u o k you ow o ) h vu h’ o v. I h VMM ogz you o ( Fgu 4.2-5), y ogu h vu hw g (ou o RAM, vu h v z, o o) uoy; ohw, you o b vu o h (you hg h h VM ). Nx, h z o h vu v ( Fgu 4.2-6). DOMAIN 4.0 Objv 4.2 FIGURE 4.2-3 Enabling Hyper-V in Windows FIGURE 4.2-4 Creating a new VM in Oracle VirtualBox 265 266 Mk My’ CoTIA A+ Co 1 Cfo Po FIGURE 4.2-5 Installer recognizing selected installation media FIGURE 4.2-6 Setting the virtual drive size DOMAIN 4.0 Objv 4.2 EXAM TIP After you have set up a VM, installing an operating system into it is just like installing an OS on a normal computer. You’ o b o o h VM wh o o . I you o , you’ o hv o o bu wh h OS . A oguo o, you o, , u, o h VM, o ov vu hw, o ju wh h OS oh ow . NOTE Use descriptive names for virtual machines, such as “64-Win10-Mark.” This will save you a lot of confusion when you have multiple VMs on a single host. Ug VM o xy k ug y, x ’ o wow o hoky . VMw Woko, o x, ctrl-alt-delete wh ctrl-alt-insert by u (o you u ctrl-alt-delete o you ko). Th, you you virtual desktop o hgg whou o h o: goo hyvo ov vu h v, vu wok , vu RAM, o o. K h USB v uo v bw hyvo y qu g o hv uo o USB 3.0 vo. REVIEW Objective 4.2: Summarize aspects of client-side virtualization • • • • • • • • Vuzo b o o u w v o o k, ov o bku, b uo g o g ou. Vu h (VM) ov o box vo g vo. I AMD oo uo hw vuzo wh VT-x AMD-v, whh b o b BIOS/UEFI u. Vuzo qu u RAM k o h VM w o h ho OS o hyvo. Hyvo u w g o hw whou v. VM qu xy h v o uy (wo, u, o o) h hy ou hy . Ao vuzo ov uo o gy o o-o ob. Ty 1 hyvo (.k.. b- hyvo) y o h hw yy u o VM ouo o. 267 268 Mk My’ CoTIA A+ Co 1 Cfo Po • • Ty 2 hyvo o og y yy u o xg uo uo. Hy-V Ty 1 hyvo vb o Wow 10 h b hough h Tu Wow Fu O o O oo h Pog Fu Coo P . 4.2 QUESTIONS 1. Wh h o vu h (VM) vo u o ou w og o wy o v ou? A. Ty 1 vuzo B. Sbox C. VMM D. Ty 2 vuzo 2. Whh o h oowg u? A. A vu h ou h w o o h hy ou o whh h vu h ug. B. Vu h ov h by o ug u h , h wh ow og y. C. Th ow o vu h hoog h hvg ou y h o v o ovh. D. A B. E. A o h bov. 3. Coy D h u vuzo o v -o I AMD y ug hgh-o oo ug h o g h hyvo o h VM, bu h VM ug vy owy. Whh o h oowg h o ky u? A. Hw vuzo uo o b h UEFI w. B. VM ug oo uh RAM. C. Hw vuzo uo o b h OS. D. VM ug oo uh k . 4. Cuo E ug Wow 10 Po w o Lux-b VM Hy-V. Whh o h oowg u h uo o o h o wok? (Choo wo.) A. Tu o Hy-V Wow Fu. B. Ru Wow U. C. S h ho y o vu. D. R h y. DOMAIN 4.0 Objv 4.2 5. Wh og y b VM gu OS? A. Wow 10 B. C. D. E. Lux o Wow 11 OS A o h bov 4.2 ANSWERS 1. D Ty 2 vuzo u wh og y y qu o h hw o h ho og y, wh Ty 1 vuzo y wh h ou’ hw. 2. E A VM gg o h hy ou, b o o y ug o hy ou wh ow OS, g o oo ovh. 3. A Hgh- I AMD oo hv uo o hw vuzo. Howv, o b h w, vuzo wou u vy owy. 4. A D Fo h o wok, hw vuzo uo u b b h UEFI/BIOS. So, Hy-V o b u o Wow Fu. Fy, bg Hy-V qu h y o b . 5. E Ay o h OS b VM. 269 This page intentionally left blank M A I 5.0 Hardware and Network Troubleshooting Domain Objectives • 5.1 Given a scenario, apply the best practice methodology to resolve problems. • 5.2 Given a scenario, troubleshoot problems related to motherboards, RAM, CPU, and power. • 5.3 Given a scenario, troubleshoot and diagnose problems with storage drives and RAID arrays. • 5.4 Given a scenario, troubleshoot video, projector, and display issues. • 5.5 Given a scenario, troubleshoot common issues with mobile devices. • 5.6 Given a scenario, troubleshoot and resolve printer issues. • 5.7 Given a scenario, troubleshoot problems with wired and wireless networks. 271 N D O 272 M My’ CTIA A+ C 1 C P Objective 5.1 Given a scenario, apply the best practice methodology to resolve problems. T h CTIA best practice methodology, w h troubleshooting methodology, v y wh y y, v, y hgy b. A y y h hgy y y--y w ( h CTIA A+ 220-1101 x), b wy , , b g hg. The CompTIA Troubleshooting Methodology Th hgy h x , hw h wg b. N h h h b h CTIA bjv wh w w. Step # Description Details, Tips, and Notes 1 Iy h b. • • Gh h , y hg, , b, b b g hg. Iq gg v hg. C, h, v by (hw, w, w), b . C vw wh y b. 2 Ebh hy bb (q h bv). • I y, x h b y. Ch v h-y wb , y h , h . C b , g wh h vg h bv. DOMAIN 5.0 Objv 5.1 Step # Description Details, Tips, and Notes 3 T h hy . • • O h hy , h x v b. I hy , bh w hy . Chg h h v. I h v ’ w, v g hg h h h . I y wg by , y v h x-v h w-. 4 Ebh v h b h . 5 Vy y y , b, vv . 6 D h g, , . • R h v’ g Th h h y. Y gh h wg . R h v’ g. Mg h y w h , b h . Pvv h gz g v b y. Rg y, , h z b b, h w h wh h , h h bhg hy v. EXAM TIP It is likely you will encounter exam questions directly related to the best practice troubleshooting methodology. Know it well! REVIEW Objective 5.1: Given a scenario, apply the best practice methodology to resolve problems U h x- CTIA b hgy bh v hgy b: 1. Iy h b. 2. Ebh hy bb (q h bv). 273 274 M My’ CTIA A+ C 1 C P 3. T h hy . 4. Ebh v h b h . 5. Vy y y , b, vv . 6. D h g, , . 5.1 QUESTIONS 1. A y bh , wh h y x? A. T h hy. B. Vy y y. C. D g. D. Ebh hy bb . 2. Wh h y q h bv? A. B. C. D. Wh yg h b Wh g g Wh g h hy Wh bhg hy 3. Dg h bhg b, y h h v , hw y h, hw y h h y vv. Whh h wg y ? A. Dg g B. Ebhg hy bb C. Vyg y y D. Tg h hy 4. Whh h bhg hgy b 1? A. B. C. D. Iy h b. Ebh hy bb . T h hy . Vy y y , b, vv . 5. Wh h y wy b g hg? A. C x h b y. B. I vv . C. C , , . D. Ebh w hy . DOMAIN 5.0 Objv 5.2 5.1 ANSWERS 1. B Ebhg 4, vyg y y 5. 2. D Qg h bv bhg hy bby ( 2). 3. A Dg h g, whh h h bhg hgy, g h hw hy w . 4. A Iyg h b 1. 5. C Awy , , b g hg. Objective 5.2 Given a scenario, troubleshoot problems related to motherboards, RAM, CPU, and power M hb, RAM, CPU, w h y . Tbhg gg b h by g h by. Troubleshooting Common Symptoms Tbhg b wh hb, RAM, CPU, w b b h hv b y h hv . I h bjv, y w b h y, y , g . Th wg gz PC by y y y h A+ C 1 x (220-1101). Th y h C 1 x bjv h x, b w v h v x (220-1001) b y gh h h x. I v h y y h y () () h y. Power-On Self-Test Beep Codes Th vy hg wh w - , whh h g h BIOS UEFI. Th h h bv w- -, ’ y , h POST. My y w y y hy , b j y POST b , whh j wh hy ( ). T y b g h POST, b . Th b b , , h 275 276 M My’ CTIA A+ C 1 C P TABLE 5.2-1 Examples of POST Beep Codes from Different BIOS Publishers Beep Signals Provider BIOS ROM CPU RAM Video card AMI BIOS AST BIOS D IBM B 9 h 9 h 1 h 2 h 5 h 1 h 7 h 1 g + 1 h 1 h 1 g + 5 h 4 h 1 g + 2 h 1 g + 2 h 6 h 1 g + 2 3 h gh h b by wh b h POST . Th b h h h b v . O g- g h POST b h h h. Eh BIOS bh w q h. S, g y h BIOS y , h’ b b. Tb 5.2-1 x h y BIOS-b POST b h. Th b y y h w h h wg b: Suspected Issue(s) Possible Solution(s) C ’ b POST b . POST vy wh h BIOS v; h BIOS h by h . Pw w h y h v . T h y . I h b , h v . Pw w h y h RAM. R b RAM w RAM, h y, . POST b , g b v . POST b , g b g RAM. EXAM TIP You don’t need to memorize the beep code patterns, just know what they are and why you’d hear them. Also be familiar with the beep code symptoms. Proprietary Crash Screens Th w y h y h h hw w h h g y wh b b, y h blue screen of death, h BSoD, Ww g y, h DOMAIN 5.0 Objv 5.2 v-g g wh, y w h spinning pinwheel of death, h SPoD, bh Ww OS (hgh ’ OS). Th BSD yy w g y b: v v / hw b. Ah, g wh vg g. A SPD h OS h h g. Ah y h b b-, whh ’ y hv g y. Th h wg b h b. Suspected Issue(s) Possible Solution(s) B b y b- T h y. Ch h ’ w . BSD: L h STOP h . I h y b b y h STOP , “I Shw” . OS SPD: v Sh w h y RAM ( b). Th h y. F h OS y v hv 10 . I v, . . B v v U F Q (option-command-esc) v . I h y w g POST b h OS , h OS S M v v. No Power Th b h by g. I h hv w, h hg h h h w w . Hwv, h h , h wg b. Suspected Issue(s) Possible Solution(s) Pw y h. Pw wh w y . Pw y wh vg wh h vg g. Rh h w . T h w y wh. T h w y wh; hg h wh h vg. 277 278 M My’ CTIA A+ C 1 C P Sluggish Performance Th y Ww y w, g , j g, g y g h , y v g, g Rgy, h w bg . Th wg b b g ggh by PC. Suspected Issue(s) Possible Solution(s) Ovh CPU J S h x , “Ovhg.” Ty , h, I h, w b Ry B qy y g g, whh b gy y hv h v y ( x, gg ). U h Ww Disk Cleanup v . Mw v w y b g h bg. S h y wh v/w w. Mw Overheating H b h y . T h h CPU; h w . Ev h gh h, b h wg , y gh. Th wg b y h b g vhg. Suspected Issue(s) Possible Solution(s) Pw y h . I h g, h h y h w y. C h v h wh - v. I h g, h h y h h h hb. I h , h v h . C h . U h PC Hh Hw M h BIOS/UEFI w h . R h y y h g h BIOS/UEFI w; h CPU v, h g. Av h CPU y. Av h CPU h . A gg. C CPU g wy. Sy v. DOMAIN 5.0 Objv 5.2 Burning Smell and Smoke I y hg bg bb g y , ’ b g hg, b y b b y y h. F , ’ g b. I h , b wh h g g. Th, h b y b hg . Th wg b b b h wh y PC. Suspected Issue(s) Possible Solution(s) Th’ b . Ch w v h hb h g. R b g/ . O h v h . I h , h v. Ch bw, b, . R g h b . Pw w h y h h h v, hb, h . M h w bw. Ph v g. Th’ by . Th’ by vg v. Intermittent Shutdowns Wh , h y h h Pw G (PG) h. Th w y (PSU) h h vg , yg h vg, whh h PSU wg y, h hb Pw G g +5 V h b . Th wg b v b w h h y b g PC h w y. Suspected Issue(s) Pw G w y . Possible Solution(s) Pw G (PG) h w 8 (y gy). N vg +5 VDC. I h PG vg w, h y w b. CPU vh. S “Ovhg,” h bjv. Sy v. S “Ovhg,” h bjv. Mb v by y. T wh w-g by by h y by. Ww g y T b h BSD , b BSD . SystemPropertiesAdvanced.exe Sg S Rvy, h Ay R. Sg y. T wh w-g by h . 279 280 M My’ CTIA A+ C 1 C P Application Crashes I , h gh wy, z “h” wh g, b wy h , y y hv . Th wg b w h h b g h b v h . Suspected Issue(s) Possible Solution(s) Ww hg g. Eb Ww S -. Rq vb. T y g h bg; y jb. U b U v v. wh xg v v. Fy v g I/O . T v h w g wh h y v. C y g R h Sy F Ch (DISM.x) h . h. Grinding Noise Oh h h h h , h h b , y gg , g y . Th yy y j hg h b g h b: h w y hb g, x h wg b. Suspected Issue(s) Possible Solution(s) S bg h PC R h b g . Sh h w y hb h b h hb, h hv . hb. I h g h w y, h b y. Capacitor Swelling Ay h hb h b h, g , b b y b , x h wg b. Suspected Issue(s) Possible Solution(s) Swg hb R wh (q g/ g), b , h hb, . DOMAIN 5.0 Objv 5.2 Inaccurate System Date/Time Th bw h y ( by h y ) h y h w-gh h Ww GUI. I h y h y, h CMOS by. A h wg b, h b y b h hb by. Suspected Issue(s) Possible Solution(s) B by hb Pw w h y h CMOS by (y CR2032). T h y, BIOS/ UEFI w , / g, v hg, h y. Other Symptoms Th wg v h v A+ C 1 x (220-1001), b y y h h (220-1101) x. Attempts to Boot to Incorrect Device Suspected Issue(s) Possible Solution(s) Nbb USB h v I b q g Rv bb vb h y. E BIOS/UEFI w , h b q bb v, h y. R h b v g OS . Ww h OS b v System Lockups Suspected Issue(s) Possible Solution(s) Ovhg y C Ww S “Ovhg,” h bjv. R Sy F Ch (.x) . D h \T (Ww). Pw w h y, v RAM, /b, h y. I h y ’ , w RAM. I /b h b, . C y B RAM 281 282 M My’ CTIA A+ C 1 C P Intermittent Device Failures Suspected Issue(s) Possible Solution(s) USB v: w y g v gh w I v: v w w I x v: w y vg R h w y wh hgh- . C USB v h w hb. R w . R h w y w b b . U w y , h PC Hh/Sy Dg ww BIOS/UEFI, h w y w v. R h w y wh hgh- w v . Fans Spin, No Power to Other Devices Suspected Issue(s) Possible Solution(s) Sy w hb (4/8-) Pw w h y, g h , h w h y. Indicator Lights Suspected Issue(s) Possible Solution(s) I gh wg Pw w h y, h h h hb, y . Pw h y. Log Entries and Error Messages Suspected Issue(s) Possible Solution(s) E g (BSD h) y OS y g. O v g g OS (Ev Vw Ww, x) h b . Ch g b h h . EXAM TIP Given a scenario, be prepared to identify and troubleshoot the common systems covered in this objective and listed in the following “Review” section. DOMAIN 5.0 Objv 5.2 REVIEW Objective 5.2: Given a scenario, troubleshoot problems related to motherboards, RAM, CPU, and power C y b hb, RAM, CPU, w h wg: • • • • • • • • • • • • Pw- - (POST) b Py h N w Sggh Ovhg Bg I hw A h Gg C wg I y / Oh y: • A b v • Sy • I v • F b w h v • I gh • Lg g K h h h y y h . 5.2 QUESTIONS 1. Whh h wg vhg b h y BIOS/UEFI g? A. Cgg B. Pw y C. C CPU w D. GPU vg 283 284 M My’ CTIA A+ C 1 C P 2. Wh h w y 230 VAC y 115 VAC h ? A. B. C. D. Ovvg . C . Sg gh b . S . 3. Y hv h w y h y bg, h Pw G h vg v OK. Wh h y h? A. Whh Ww g y b STOP B. Whh Ww wy b y STOP C. Whh h ctrl-alt-del y h yb D. Whh h w wh h w y 4. Wh h y ’ h BIOS/UEFI g y vy h w ? A. R h b q . B. Ch g g. C. P . D. R h CMOS by. 5. A h h bg v. Whh h wg w y y h ? (Ch w.) A. Chg h b h BIOS/UEFI. B. Rv y bb USB h v. C. R Sy F Ch (.x). D. Ch . 5.2 ANSWERS 1. C Th BIOS/UEFI , y PC Hh Hw M, y w y . 2. B Th b h w y vg v w wh bg v. 3. A Ww b g h y y h v STOP ; b g h STOP , h y S M hg h g Sy . 4. D Pw w y h CMOS by (y CR2032). T h y, BIOS/UEFI , BIOS/UEFI g, v y hg, h y. 5. A B E BIOS/UEFI , h b q h bb v, . Rv bb vb h y. DOMAIN 5.0 Objv 5.3 Objective 5.3 Given a scenario, troubleshoot and diagnose problems with storage drives and RAID arrays H v RAID y wh g . Svg b wh h by g w v . Troubleshooting Common Symptoms Th h bjv y g b, g wh h y g . Light-Emitting Diode (LED) Status Indicators H v gh wy . R h y y by vg h w . Grinding Noises F g whg Sy vhg; h g y. Mg y: Ug AC w. P Pw b 15 h BIOS/UEFI g. • • N b v vb B v Clicking Sounds HDD ; g . B h v, h v, h b. Bootable Device Not Found/Failure to Boot Dv bb Dg b Nbb USB vb v Chg h b . R h b wh OS . Rv bb hg h b . 285 286 M My’ CTIA A+ C 1 C P Data Loss or Corruption <> gz gz. R y, h SFC CHKDSK, b. RAID Failure RAID b B b L w b O v y Rb h RAID h BIOS/UEFI w - . Sh w h y, h b, w h y. R h b h b . Sh w h y, h w b, w h y. I g RAID 1, RAID 5, RAID 10 wh v, h v b h y h vvg v. I g RAID 0 wh v, h v b (y ). S.M.A.R.T. Failure H v v . B h v, h v, h w v h b. Extended Read/Write Times and Read/Write Failure L b B b Dv I g SATA v BIOS/UEFI w Cb b SATA 6 Gb B b Sh w h y ( v), h h b, w h y. Sh w h y ( v), h b, w h y. B h v, h v, h b. Ch h v vy h SATA v y/ g BIOS/UEFI w . Sh w h y, h SATA b wh SATA 6-Gb b, y. Sh w h y ( v), h b, w h y. DOMAIN 5.0 Objv 5.3 L RAM g hhg (v y) Lg w wh g R b Fw / (IOP) A RAM h y. Ty g h v . T wh wg v by . Ayz wh g, y g, gy h. Missing Drives in OS Pw b (). I SATA g. USB Thb b . USB ’ v gh w h v. F y gz by h g y. Dv g OS. Sh w h y, w / b, w h y. Chg h SATA g -RAID (AHCI y). R h b h v h y. Pg h v h hb h y -w hb. Ww v wh y y by Lx OS. Ch BIOS/UEFI g, h v, h hw . Ch D Mg Ww y z. Other Symptoms OS Not Found Wg b v B Chg h b . R h b wh OS . EXAM TIP Be sure to know the symptoms, meanings, and solutions covered in this objective and listed in the following “Review” section. 287 288 M My’ CTIA A+ C 1 C P REVIEW Objective 5.3: Given a scenario, troubleshoot and diagnose problems with storage drives and RAID arrays H v RAID y hv vy b, y whh h wg: • • • • • • • • • • LED Gg Cg Bb v D / RAID S-g, Ay, Rg Thgy (S.M.A.R.T.) Ex /w Mg v OS OS K h y h y hv h b . 5.3 QUESTIONS 1. A v RAID 0 y wg. A y h v v, hw y v h ? A. Rb h y h wg v. B. R h b h y. C. U D Mg b h y. D. R bh v; h h v w bby gh wy w. 2. A 1-TB USB b v w g Ww b w w wh gg Ww by w. Wh h y ? A. Dv b b gz by h . B. Dv g b by h . C. L USB vg gh w h v. D. L v Ww. DOMAIN 5.0 Objv 5.3 3. A b Ww . Th w v bb USB v. Whh h wg h y y g h b? A. B. C. D. R h bb USB v. R h . S h USB v v. D h USB v h . 4. A ’ y “RAID ” b. Wh y bh h ? A. F h y v hv 10 . B. Rb h RAID h BIOS/UEFI w - . C. R h b wh OS . D. A RAM h y. 5. Whh h wg v ? (Ch h b w.) A. S.M.A.R.T. B. BSD/ wh C. L g D. Ev Vw 5.3 ANSWERS 1. B RAID 0, h , y y; h bh v v , h h g v w h y’ . 2. C S USB v h w v x h v wh g by w; w, v Y-b w , h v b gg w USB hb. 3. D S y g hv USB v h bb v b g g y ; by g h v, y h y h x bb v h BIOS/UEFI w. 4. B F “RAID ” , y h b h RAID h BIOS - . Y y g g w b y b b. 5. A S.M.A.R.T. h v v . 289 290 M My’ CTIA A+ C 1 C P Objective 5.4 D Given a scenario, troubleshoot video, projector, and display issues wh h y h wh h yb g v. Gg y b x qy hgh y. Troubleshooting Video, Projector, and Display Issues Th h bjv v y v, j, y , g wh h y . Incorrect Data Source Rq g C v gh D b wh x C y g g g . Cg Ww M Py w h y. V gh v h v, SD , USB v, b b w, y h, h yb v. U v v y h VLC y Ww M Py h . U v v h . Physical Cabling Issues L v b Pw w h y h y, h v b, h y y. Burned-Out Bulb B- bb j R h bb. Fuzzy or Distorted Image C v (GPU) v R h v. DOMAIN 5.0 Objv 5.4 Display Burn-In Sy g v “gh” bh y. D’ y . Py - hw w h v b-. Dead Pixels Px g Px “ ” R h y ’ wy. Gy g x wh . Flashing Screen/Flickering Image Fhg g CCFL bgh g Ch h , v v, gh . R h bgh y. Incorrect Color Display Ovhg v (GPU) Ch h h v h v. I h v, . Audio Issues N A wg g A y A v g Ch h v . R h Ww Pyg A bh. Ch h . Ch h g v v T Mg. Dim Image Bgh Iv Dy bgh w R h y. R h v y. I bgh. 291 292 M My’ CTIA A+ C 1 C P Intermittent Projector Shutdowns I hw Pj vhg Fhg h Pj vh gg v Pj GPU (v ) R h . C h v. Ch h . T h j, v h v, h , , . R h j. R h v . Other Symptoms Artifacts Ovhg v (GPU) Ch h h v h v. I h v, . Ovhg Ch h h CPU h h v. C h . Distorted Geometry Ovhg v (GPU) Ch h h v h v. I h v, . Oversized Images and Icons Sy g VGA (640 × 480) SVGA (800 × 600) C v v Dy g hgh R h y h v. R h v v. R h g 100 g h Dy Sg EXAM TIP Make sure you are familiar with the symptoms, explanations, and solutions covered in this objective and listed in the following “Review” section. DOMAIN 5.0 Objv 5.4 REVIEW Objective 5.4: Given a scenario, troubleshoot video, projector, and display issues C y v, j, y , h wg: • • • • • • • • • • • • I Phy bg B- bb Fzzy g Dy b- D x Fhg I y A D g I j hw Oh y: • A • D gy • Ovz g K h y h y hv — . 5.4 QUESTIONS 1. A h h w h y g h g h . Hwv, h y w gh . Whh h wg w y hv h h ? A. L w y B. Pg fn y g b y y C. L v b D. L w b 2. A Ww vy g x h . I h y g h wh gh b h , h h w “ g” g . Whh h wg h y ? A. Sy b S M. B. V GPU h . C. CPU h . D. Sy b STOP . 293 294 M My’ CTIA A+ C 1 C P 3. Y yg 3-D g h hv b xg wh gg b y v , w y . A hg h y v g ’ wg y, wh h y x? A. Eb v ggg. B. Db vg. C. Eb S M. D. Eb A . 4. Hw w y v x y ? (Ch w.) A. R h h v . B. R h y wy. C. Gy g h x wh . D. C h . 5. A xg g y. Y bv h v . Whh h wg y x h? A. I h v v. B. R h GPU. C. I h y . D. R h v. 5.4 ANSWERS 1. C Mvg h h v b b , g h . 2. A S v Ww y b S M h y ’ b y h v b ; S M w , g g x. 3. B Ovg v h vhg, whh . 4. B C Px y b g bg “ ” . R h y wy gy g h x wh . 5. A A g v (GPU) v. Y h h v v. DOMAIN 5.0 Objv 5.5 Objective 5.5 Given a scenario, troubleshoot common issues with mobile devices M b v h , h, b y’ -h-g w. Wh hy wg, wg. Th bjv h y y b v b . Troubleshooting Mobile Devices Th h bjv v y b v , g wh y . Poor Battery Health/Short Battery Life Device Type Cause Solution L, h, b L, h, b U g. C hb . By hg Fw h ’ y. gg hgg hgg h by. L, h, b By v. Rv h by b; hv h v . Device Type Cause Solution L, h, b Ovhg by (Pv) D h hg h by y hg. Swollen Battery L L, h, b Chg vg hgh Dv by (S) R h by y h by y. Ch h hg vg ; h hg . R h by y h by y. 295 296 M My’ CTIA A+ C 1 C P Broken Screen Device Type Cause Solution L LCD wh . L Sy x y. L Iv h . L Sh, b L L, h, b Bgh h . Bgh h . Iv bgh h . Sy . F h wh hv h v. U h y whg y h yb hg y. R h v ( LCD wh CCFL bgh y). R h bgh LCD . R h v. U x y h b v. T h yb, b, h w h y. L, h, b S b. Ch wh , h, h b . L Iv g. L, h, b Dy bgh w. R h v ( LCD wh CCFL bgh y). I h y bgh. L Ixv y wh LED bgh h y wh . I h y bgh h y wh hghqy LED-b LCD y. Improper Charging Device Type Cause Solution L, h, b L, h, b L, h, b B AC F by Dg hgg b R h AC y. R h by v. R h hgg b hg. L, h, b I hgg Ch y b, hg, , . DOMAIN 5.0 Objv 5.5 Poor/No Connectivity No Wireless Connectivity Device Type Cause Solution L, h, b W-F . L, h, b L A . W-F W-F . T h W-F ; g h v, h gh b by x wh by OS g. T . I h w y v, h h W-F h W-F . No Bluetooth Connectivity Device Type Cause L, h, b Bh . L, h, b Solution T Bh; h v . A . T . Intermittent Wireless Device Type Cause Solution L W-F w . L W-F y . L, h, b Sg gh v by W-F w. Ch h W-F h b w h h. Ch h W-F h b . I h g w , gh h. I h g w g, h. Aj h h v USB W-F h v g . 297 298 M My’ CTIA A+ C 1 C P Liquid Damage Device Type Cause Solution Sh b Lq L Lq A h Lq Dg I (LDI). C b b. Rv x w h; v by vb v; y w y. Overheating Device Type Cause Sh C g vhg. L, b L, b L Solution Rv h v ; h h b . V / P h v h v b. y gg v. F v hv Ch hv h g wy. v v h hv ; h hy g wy. Th Hv h v v. bw CPU h h . Digitizer Issues L, h, b Th gz . Hv h v. Physically Damaged Ports Device Type Cause Solution L, h, b B g T h v h. DOMAIN 5.0 Objv 5.5 Malware Device Type Cause Solution Sh b Mw L Mw U -w w w h v E Mby Mg (EMM) v h v OS. I b w . Cursor Drift/Touch Calibration Device Type Cause Solution L Mg h L Dy h L I h L U h U h C P h g qv. Rv h yb g h h h. U h C P Sg g h h h (y 60 Hz). Aj h vy h h. Other Symptoms Sticking Keys Device Type Cause Solution L, Bh yb wh b h Db y bw bh y U bw h y; v h yb , b h yb y b g . Device Type Cause Solution L Fy h v USB, FW, Thb B AC w B AC B w j D h v y. No Power L, h, b L, h, b L Ty AC w . R h AC y. Hv h v. 299 300 M My’ CTIA A+ C 1 C P num lock Indicator Lights Device Type Cause Solution L num lock caps lock y y. T h num lock caps lock y, ; h b , h BIOS , h yb, h yb. Cannot Display to External Monitor Device Type Cause Solution L Dy gg . L g x y. Pg h y h . L U h y h x y /x y, . Touchscreen Nonresponsive Device Type Cause Solution L, h, b Th y. L, h, b Th gg . C h h h wh b h; q y h h. P h b h v g . Sh, b Sy z. U h v. Device Type Cause Solution L, h, b T y g y. A ’ y . A b wh v. C h . Apps Not Loading Sh, b L P h y h . C q (OS, RAM, , ) wh w/hw ; h h b. DOMAIN 5.0 Objv 5.5 Slow Performance Device Type Cause Solution L, h, b T y g y C h . L, h, b L, h, b N gh RAM N gh y v g Ovhg v I RAM b. F h y v g. L, h, b Sh w h v, w w, h h v. Unable to Decrypt E-mail Device Type Cause Solution L, h, b E- ’ hv w y y. I h w y y -. Device Type Cause Solution L, h, b Sy w P h b y . Ib Rv h . Frozen System L, h, b No Sound from Speakers Device Type Cause Solution L, h, b S h w y gg j Bh h wg T h , h , y. L, h, b L I h M h h ; wh h b v y. O h x h h v. 301 302 M My’ CTIA A+ C 1 C P GPS Not Functioning Device Type Cause Solution Sh, b GPS v g. GPS v . A b. T GPS. Sh, b Sh, b Chg h g GPS. T . EXAM TIP Be sure to know the symptoms, explanations, and solutions covered in this objective and listed in the following “Review” section. REVIEW Objective 5.5: Given a scenario, troubleshoot common issues with mobile devices Sy b v h wg: • • • • • • • • • • • • P by hh/h by Sw by B I hgg P/ vy • N w vy • N Bh vy • I w Lq g Ovhg Dgz Phyy g Mw C /h b Oh y Sg y N w num lock gh C y x • • • • DOMAIN 5.0 Objv 5.5 • • • • • • • Th v A g Sw Ub y - Fz y N GPS g K h y h y hv — . 5.5 QUESTIONS 1. A g h h HDTV wh b h . A g h , h g yhg h b- y. Wh h y y y g h ? A. C h h w y . B. Hv h h y() wh h x y. C. T h y . D. F h g ’ Ww . 2. A ’ w b h h . Whh h wg h y h b? A. A w y. B. Kyb . C. W-F b h g h w g h . D. C v w h h. 3. A xg xy h by b v. Wh h y ? (Ch h y.) A. C hb g h bg. B. P h h b v. C. Fw h ’ gg hgg hgg h by. D. R h bgh h y h v by . 4. A h h b h h b h . Wh h h ? A. P h b v g . B. Chg h . C. Db v . D. U h y’ v v. 303 304 M My’ CTIA A+ C 1 C P 5. Whh h wg h by b ? A. LCD wh B. C. D. E. F. G. Iv Bgh Iv bgh A h bv A C Oy D 5.5 ANSWERS 1. B M wh bw h b- y h v by g F y ( qg h h fn y). 2. A L wh b- W-F h g h y h W-F h by h ; h b y g by, W-F w b w y . 3. A C D By b v h v h v h w w. Ah b h h by bg hg y. 4. A Pg h b w g h h y’ h y. 5. E Aw A, B, C, D h b y . Objective 5.6 A Given a scenario, troubleshoot and resolve printer issues hgh gz hv gh h - , g v y z w h h. P hg vy, ’ w bh h y h y g h y v g b. DOMAIN 5.0 Objv 5.6 Troubleshooting Printing Issues Th h bjv v y g by y, g wh y . Lines Down the Printed Pages I: Hz wh b—y g h I: Ch —h g L: V wh — gg Ij: C b hgh L: S g v by g y L: R b by w g g b Dy C h h. I h b , h h. S h h g h v h y. Rv h h g. E h y g . I h b , h h. Ch h whh g by whh b. C h wh 90 hgh h, h g , v h . R h g b , g wh h g b . C wh 90 hgh h. Garbled Print B b C v Ch h b; ’ ’ b. R h v. Toner Not Fusing to Paper L: F by y L: F C h by wh 90 hgh h. R h , by wh h h h b . 305 306 M My’ CTIA A+ C 1 C P Paper Jams I y g P j wh g x b x y wg W Ch y h y g . Ch x ; y b . P w. R h g x h by vg h hy . Faded Prints I: P bb w . I: Fh bb . I: O . L: T g w. I h bb h v, v . Ohw, h bb. Aj h h g. I h h g y, h h. Th j; hv h v. Rv h h g. L: T . R h g , . L: T . P h g g g h -. I h g b, h h h g g vb h. I , h ’ w y h . R v . B g bw jb. Th g w , vy y. Aj h g h ( hg h y y ’ q h b g). DOMAIN 5.0 Objv 5.6 Incorrect Paper Size Hz g: Mg y V g: M h Aj h y h z. Rv h , , h bg ; h h . Paper Not Feeding Wg y y P P y y U h y; b. R h wh y . Rv h y, h h v , h y y. Multipage Misfeed Mg C h w’ whh b h . Multiple Prints Pending in Queue P h b jb wg h gg. P jb gg hgh h . O h P S v h h jb ( Fg 5.6-1); jb h wg, jb h hv , h b. By h y h ( Fg 5.6-2). R h P S v. Ex g . U h g b . 307 308 M My’ CTIA A+ C 1 C P FIGURE 5.6-1 Print spooler’s print queue FIGURE 5.6-2 Print spool settings Speckling on Printed Pages Sg g Ch y g b y h . DOMAIN 5.0 Objv 5.6 Double/Echo Images on the Print L: D ghg by g gg L: D ghg by v R h g h b h . Pv h: • Lw h ( 300 600 ). • Chg h g/ y. • Av 50 gy “-/ - .” • Chg h y h gy w b . • M gh gh . • P . • Aj h y RET g. • I b g h jb b h g wh ghg. • Ch h hy h j h hy h g. L: Lgh ghg by w R h g h g g g b b b , h b. Ig b v h g H- h h h b. Incorrect Color Settings P b g C v Dv Ij: Ph gg R g b. R h v. Hv h v h . R h h g y v by h v. Grinding Noise P gg wh g. U h wg : Ch . C . R g. U v v. C h h. • • • • • 309 310 M My’ CTIA A+ C 1 C P Finishing Issues S j H h Pw ; v h; j ; v y b. Ey h h b; h h v v. Incorrect Page Orientation Pg g wh . Pg g w- wh x g . Ch h Ly | O g h g h . Ch h P g h Av Sg h M O (F | M |O |Av). Chg h F g h M O g h h g . Other Symptoms No Connectivity B w b P B w g P Ch h w b b. Ch h g h . Ch h w w w g. P h b h wh h . Low Memory Errors L: T y gh g vy wy g yg g gh ( gh j g y). Ug y b. W: R , y h g (w , w gh), RET h h. DOMAIN 5.0 Objv 5.6 Access Denied Sh b . Vy h h h (h Sy b P P). S gh hv y g . Printer Will Not Print I y g OS P q b P Chg h g h h h OS g. S h “M P Pg Q” y h bjv. Ch h g h . Unable to Install Printer U P Pv h . L: Ch h b w h . Nw: Ch h w g h . No Image on Printer Display Dy z T h , g w , h b . I h y z, hv h v. EXAM TIP Make sure you are familiar with the symptoms, causes, and solutions covered in this objective and listed in the following “Review” section. Note that to solve many of these problems, you first need to correctly identify the printer type in use. 311 312 M My’ CTIA A+ C 1 C P REVIEW Objective 5.6: Given a scenario, troubleshoot and resolve printer issues C y b wh y h wg: • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • L w h g Gb T g P j F I z P g Mg M g q Sg g Db/h g h I g Gg Fhg • S j • H h I g Oh y • N vy • Lw y • A • P w • Ub • N g y 5.6 QUESTIONS 1. A g h h jb yg gh . F h , whh h wg y ? A. V B. L C. I D. Ij DOMAIN 5.0 Objv 5.6 2. A h wh h v, h v g. Whh h wg y h? A. B. C. D. Chg h g- g. Aj h . Aj h g. U RET h . 3. A j h h wh h b- g. Whh h wg y h ? A. R B. I g C. Dx D. RET 4. A g b g. Whh h wg h y y x h b? (Ch w.) A. R h h. B. By h y h . C. R g. D. A g g g -. 5. A ’ h b jb b wg h q. Whh h wg h y g h jb g g? A. Vy h h h . B. R h P S v. C. Cb h . D. R h v. 5.6 ANSWERS 1. B D gh y g . 2. C P g b y h wh ; hy w, h / w gh. 3. C Th x h h h g h v . 4. C D I b g, y h h g , . I , g g g h -. I h g b, h h h g g vb h. I , h ’ w y h h b v, . 5. B O h w g b- q, g h P S v h b . 313 314 M My’ CTIA A+ C 1 C P Objective 5.7 Given a scenario, troubleshoot problems with wired and wireless networks T y’ , h , h y y wg, h g w b hgh. Troubleshooting Network Issues M h vg w b y v by g h y v h wg . Intermittent Wireless Connectivity B w b B NIC Mg W-F g T h w g h (y wh 2.4 GHz) Lg w AP P w v R h b ’ ’ b. Pw w h y, v h NIC, h ( ’ ). R h NIC ’ b. I h v. Chg h h W-F (v h ) g w AP. Chg -w h h AP. Ch h w h 1, 6, 11. U W-F yz A OS v h w h . Mv h v h AP. Chg h ( y b- W-F). I USB W-F Bh , h USB x b v v g. DOMAIN 5.0 Objv 5.7 Slow Network Speeds W: M /x g w w w. W: N- g wg h . U g / x g. U C 5 y F Eh (100 Mb). U C 5 6 Ggb Eh (1000 Mb). U C 6 g 10-Gb Eh. W: Hb wh. Hb b v bv bwh. R y g hb wh wh. W: Lg w AP. Mv h v h AP. U h wg v . Limited Connectivity/No Connectivity APIPA IP y w LAN ; DHCP v vb. Ch h h DHCP v ( h AP h w). R h AP. O Ww ipconfig/release ipconfig/renew b w IP , h DHCP v. R h v y g h DHCP IP . W: Nw b gh b Ch h NIC wh g gh v. hy hy vy. I gh y, w h h b. U w-g w . W: NIC gh b b h Ch Dv Mg h hw g v . h NIC. I h NIC , h v. I h NIC b, b . W: NIC gh b g T h NIC wh b g. D vg g. h w b h b g. I h NIC b, . W: Cb gh b gh Ch h h w b gg b v. w ; , h h h h b wg . I bh , b h b. R h b ’ b. 315 316 M My’ CTIA A+ C 1 C P W: NIC MAC ’ hv w. W: A b. W: W-F . A h NIC’ MAC (wh) h g. I h b b MAC , v h h b, b. I h v g wh, h MAC g g h wh. T . T h W-F g h hy wh h v h w wh h OS. Jitter I y A j b, g h Eh b, g h gwy v. Poor VoIP Quality P v qy R h j g h w. Port Flapping P g L h w g v h w. High Latency Hgh y w W y Ay h wg w y: • R w . • U w w hgh-v . • Ay QS hgh-bwh q. Ly h w v AP h v x vg. DOMAIN 5.0 Objv 5.7 External Interference W: W-F v Eg (EMI) Chg h W-F h v h . Ay g, hg, gg. Other Symptoms Unavailable Resources: Internet U g g I . APIPA IP ’ w I . R h . Bb h . Ch h /g g hg y. S h “L Cvy/N Cvy” y h bjv. Sh w h . U h w. R vw h IP h v. R h g. Sh w h , w by h . U h w. R h g. Unavailable Resources: Local Resources Ub v w A h hgh h , w v. Sh, : I /w Wg/h : U h /w h y h v. I , h . Wg : Sh vb F , h wh h w g b h. Ch h . R h h y g. Sh, : I w, Ch h wg g hg, g Sy P hg . E-: I /w - Ch wh h - v vy y g h /w. Chg h g . E-: I g - Ch wh h - v vy y v g h - g (v y [SMTP, POP, IMAP], , y, ). Chg h g . 317 318 M My’ CTIA A+ C 1 C P APIPA/Link Local Address Th v h IP h g 169.254.0.1–169.254.255.254. Th DHCP v (whh v IP y) wg. Ch h v vg h DHCP v (y ) h DHCP v. R w h IP h v wh APIPA h. IP Conflict Tw v hv IP . R w h IP hy v by DHCP. I h IP y, hg h g v w IP h g. SSID Not Found/Multiple SSIDs H SSID A b M h vb SSID E h h SSID v h y y. T . I W-F , g y. S h SSID wh h g g. Sg h w w g g h g g, . EXAM TIP Be sure to know the symptoms, causes, and solutions for the network issues covered in this objective and listed in the “Review” section. REVIEW Objective 5.7: Given a scenario, troubleshoot problems with wired and wireless networks Th wg w w w b hv , , h y: • • I w vy Sw w : • L vy/ vy • J DOMAIN 5.0 Objv 5.7 • • • • • P VIP qy P g Hgh y Ex Oh y: • Uvb : I : h, , - • APIPA/ • IP • SSID / SSID 5.7 QUESTIONS 1. Whh h wg by w v w w w ? A. Mvg v w z b bw h h B. Chgg h AP h g h -vg h C. Ug h w v v h w AP D. Rvg h -w w v h h y h qy b E. Chgg h DHCP g 2. Wh h IPv4 g APIPA g? A. 169.254.0.1–169.254.255.254 B. 10.0.0.0–10.255.255.255 C. 127.0.0.1–127.255.255.255 D. 224.0.0.0–239.255.255.255 3. A w b h b b b IP . Whh h wg y h h b? (Ch h y.) A. R q . B. Ww F S. C. R w h . D. I v vb h ISP. E. A h bv b h . 4. Wh h y qy v VIP w? A. Bwh B. Thgh C. J D. T 319 320 M My’ CTIA A+ C 1 C P 5. Whh h wg h b w hgh w w? A. Ug g x g B. Ug g x C. Ugg h bg D. Rg wh wh hb 5.7 ANSWERS 1. E A h h vb vy gh v w . 2. A IP g wh “169.” g y wh IP b v DHCP v. 3. E 4. C A h b h h . J h VIP . 5. A A g x g w h y g h h w. I X A P E N About the Online Content This book comes complete with: • • • • D P TotalTester Online practice exam sotware with practice exam questions or exam 220-1101, as well as a pre-assessment test to get you started More than an hour o sample video training episodes rom Mike Meyers’ CompTIA A+ Certiication video series More than 20 sample simulations rom Total Seminars’ TotalSims or CompTIA A+ Links to a collection o Mike Meyers’ avorite tools and utilities or PC troubleshooting System Requirements The current and previous major versions o the ollowing desktop browsers are recommended and supported: Chrome, Microsot Edge, Fireox, and Saari. 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Practice Mode provides an assistance window with hints, explanations o the correct and incorrect answers, and the option to check your answer as you take the test. Exam Mode provides a simulation o the actual exam. The number o questions, the types o questions, and the time allowed are intended to be an accurate representation o the exam environment. The option to customize your quiz allows you to create custom exams rom selected domains, and you can urther customize the number o questions and time allowed. To take a test, ollow the instructions provided in the previous section to register and activate your Total Seminars Training Hub account. When you register, you will be taken to the Total Seminars Training Hub. From the Training Hub Home page, select your certiication rom the list o “Your Topics” on the Home page, and then click the TotalTester link to launch the TotalTester. Once you’ve launched your TotalTester, you can select the option to customize your quiz and begin testing yoursel in Practice Mode or Exam Mode. All exams provide an overall grade and a grade broken down by domain. Pre-Assessment In addition to the sample exam questions, the TotalTester also includes a CompTIA A+ pre-assessment test to help you assess your understanding o the topics beore reading the book. To launch the pre-assessment test, click Pre-Assessment Test or the Core 1 exam. The A+ Pre-Assessment test is 50 questions and runs in Exam Mode. When you complete the test, you can review the questions with answers and detailed explanation by clicking See Detailed Results. 323 324 Mike Meyers’ CompTIA A+ Core 1 Certifcation Passport Mike’s CompTIA A+ Video Training Sample Over an hour o training videos, starring Mike Meyers, are available or ree. Select CompTIA A+ Core 1 Passport (220-1101) Resources rom the list o “Your Topics” on the Home page. Click the TotalVideos tab. Along with access to the videos, you’ll ind an option to purchase Mike’s complete video training series rom the Total Seminars website www .totalsem.com. There are over an hour o ree videos available or study. You can purchase Mike’s complete video training series rom the Total Seminars website www.totalsem.com. TotalSims Sample for CompTIA A+ From your Total Seminars Training Hub account, select CompTIA A+ Core 1 Passport (220-1101) Resources rom the list o “Your Topics” on the Home page. Click the TotalSims tab. There are over 20 ree simulations available or reviewing topics covered in the book. You can purchase access to the ull TotalSims or A+ with over 200 simulations rom the Total Seminars website, www.totalsem.com. Mike’s Cool Tools Mike loves reeware/open-source PC troubleshooting and networking tools! Access the utilities mentioned in the text by selecting CompTIA A+ Core 1 Passport (220-1101) Resources rom the list o “Your Topics” on the Home page. Click the Book Resources tab, and then select Mike’s Cool Tools. Technical Support For questions regarding the TotalTester or operation o the Training Hub, visit www.totalsem .com or e-mail support@totalsem.com. For questions regarding book content, visit www.mheducation.com/customerservice. Index NUMBERS 1G cellular networks, 28 2-bit preetch, 142 2G cellular networks, 28 3-D printers, 244–246 3G cellular networks, 29 4G cellular networks, 29 5G cellular networks, 30 110 block, 108 A A records, 91 AAA servers, 74 AAAA records, 91 AC (alternating current), 200 access points (APs), 52 accessories headsets, 22 speakers, 22 touch pens, 22 webcams, 15, 22 AC/DC converters, 202 active cooling, 193 active heatsink, 194 active power actor correction (active PFC), 207 activity lights, 192 adapters, 137 DVI to VGA, 137 USB to Ethernet, 138 additive manuacturing, 244 See also 3-D printers add-on cards, 188, 189 Advanced RISC Machine (ARM), 185 Advanced Technology eXtended. See ATX amps, 206 antennas, connector/placement, 15 anti-spam appliances. See spam gateways APIPA addresses, 318 Apple iCloud, synchronizing to an Android device, 37–38 applications corporate, 36 crashes, 280 not loading, 300 streaming, 260 virtualization, 260–261 ATA drives, 130 attack mitigation, 179 ATX, 163–165 audio no sound rom speakers, 301 troubleshooting issues, 291 audit logs, 223 authorization, 179 automatic document eeders (ADFs), 225 automatic identiication and data capture (AIDC), 70 Automatic Private IP Addressing (APIPA), 81, 318 B badging, 223 batteries, troubleshooting, 295 beep codes, 275–276 Berg connectors, 136 best practice methodology, 272–273 billing, 253 biometrics, 10 See also security BIOS, 173 passwords, 182 setup utility, 175 325 326 Mike Meyers’ CompTIA A+ Core 1 Certifcation Passport BIOS/UEFI, 171 settings, 173–182 blue screen o death (BSoD), 276–277 Bluetooth, 21, 31–32, 66 enabling and pairing, 66–68 Blu-ray discs, 160–161 boot options, 177–178 boot passwords, 182 booting problems, 281, 285 broadcast domains, 51 broken screens, 296 burning smell, 279 buses. See expansion bus architectures C cable modems, 56–57 cable services, 100 cable strippers, 106 cable testers, 110 cables coaxial, 116, 121 common 802.3 Ethernet cable codes, 118 common Ethernet cable types, 117 copper, 116–118 direct-burial underground, 119–120 DVI-to-HDMI, 137 Ethernet cable medium standards, 122 iber optic, 116, 121–122 hard drive, 128–130 peripheral, 122 plenum-rated, 120 shielded twisted pair (STP), 118–119 troubleshooting cabling issues, 290 twisted pair (TP), 116 Type 3 (PoE++), 55 Type 4 (higher-power PoE), 55 unshielded twisted pair (UTP), 118 video, 127–128 cameras, 15, 22 capacitor swelling, 280 capacity, 171 capture cards, 190–191 CDMA, 31 CDs, 160 cellular Internet connections, 101 cellular location services, 32–34 cellular network connectivity enabling/disabling cellular communication, 27–28 See also network connectivity channels, 64–65 chipsets, 171 ciphertext, 182 See also encryption clicking sounds, 285 clients, 50 cloud computing community cloud, 251 deployment models, 250–252 desktop virtualization, 256 downtime limits, 255 elasticity/scalability, 254 ile synchronization, 255–256 high availability, 254–255 hybrid cloud, 251 metered utilization, 253 printing, 220 private clouds, 250 public clouds, 250 service models, 251–252 shared resources, 252–253 cloud service providers (CSPs), 251 CLP. See connectionless protocols CMOS, 173 setup utility, 175–177 coaxial cables, 116, 121 F-type connectors, 133 code division multiple access. See CDMA combo drives, 160 Common Unix Printing System (CUPS), 217 community cloud, 251 complex instruction set computing (CISC) architecture, 184–185 CompTIA troubleshooting methodology, 272–273 conductivity, 195 conidentiality, 179 connection methods, 18 Bluetooth, 21, 31–32 hotspots, 22 Lightning connectors, 21 micro-USB, 20 mini-USB, 20 Index near-ield communication (NFC), 21 serial interaces, 21 USB, 18–19 USB-C, 19 connectionless protocols, 46, 48 connection-oriented protocols, 45–46, 47 connectivity, troubleshooting, 297, 310, 314–316 connectors, 130–131 Berg, 136 iber optic cable connectors, 133–134 F-type, 133 Lightning connectors, 136 Lucent connector (LC), 134 Molex, 135–136 punchdown block, 134–135 registered jack (RJ), 131–133 serial, 126 straight tip (ST), 134 subscriber connector (SC), 134 Thunderbolt, 126–127 USB, 122–125 video, 127–128 and voltages, 204 consumer premises equipment (CPE), 133 cooling mechanisms, 192–197 COPs. See connection-oriented protocols copper cables, 116–118 CPUs cooling mechanisms, 192–197 eatures, 183–188 socket type, 170 crash screens, 276–277 crimpers, 106 cross-platorm virtualization, 260–261 cursor drit, 299 cyclic redundancy checks (CRCs), 59 D data loss prevention (DLP), 76 data loss troubleshooting, 286 data source, incorrect, 290 data synchronization. See synchronization DB-9 connectors, 126 DC (direct current), 200 DDR memory, 142–143 DDR SO-DIMM, 6 DDR2 SO-DIMM, 6 DDR3, 142 DDR3 SO-DIMM, 6, 7, 145 DDR3L SO-DIMM, 6 DDR4, 142 DDR4 SO-DIMM, 6, 7, 146 DDR5, 142 DDR5 SO-DIMM, 6, 7, 146 decryption, 301 Desktop as a Service (DaaS), 256 desktop virtualization, 256 desktops, compatibility, 172 device drivers, 212–215 device ailures, 282 device sharing, 218–220, 221–222 DHCP, 48, 83 IPv4 vs., 83–85 leases, 93 operations, 92–93 reservations, 86 scope, 93–94 servers, 73 digital subscriber line. See DSL digitizers, 16 troubleshooting, 298 DIMMs, 6, 141 handling and installing, 144–145 removing, 145 See also SO-DIMMs direct thermal printing. See thermal printers direct-burial underground cables, 119–120 direct-lit LED, 14 disk mirroring/duplexing, 159 disk striping, 159 with distributed parity, 160 display, 12 broken screens, 296 display panel components, 14–16 LCD, 13 LED, 13–14 troubleshooting display issues, 290–292 types o, 13–14 display adapters, 188 DKIM records, 92 DMARC records, 92 327 328 Mike Meyers’ CompTIA A+ Core 1 Certifcation Passport DNS, 90 e-mail protection in, 92 operations, 90 record types, 90–91 servers, 73 docking stations, 23 Domain Name System. See DNS Domain Naming Service. See DNS DomainKeys Identiied Mail (DKIM), 92 dotted-octet notation, 80 double data rate (DDR) memory. See DDR memory DRAM. See dynamic RAM (DRAM) drawing pads, 24 DSL, 68, 69, 101 DSL gateways, 57 DSL modems, 57 dual inline memory modules. See DIMMs dual-channel memory architecture, 148–149 duplexing, 159, 225 Duplexing ADF (DADF), 225 duplexing assembly, 231, 237 DVDs, 160–161 DVI to HDMI cables, 137 DVI to VGA adapters, 137 dynamic address assignment, 83–86 Dynamic Host Coniguration Protocol. See DHCP dynamic RAM (DRAM), 141–142 See also RAM E ECC RAM, 149 edge-lit LED, 14 elasticity, 254 electromagnetic intererence (EMI), 10 Electronics Industry Association/ Telecommunications Industry Association (EIA/TIA), 117 electrostatic discharge (ESD) precautions, 3, 7 and RAM, 144 e-mail corporate e-mail coniguration, 35 decrypting, 301 embedded SIM cards. See eSIM cards EMI. See electromagnetic intererence (EMI) Encapsulated PostScript (.eps) iles, 214 encryption, 182 hardware security module (HSM), 183 using TPM, 182–183 equivalent isotopically radiated power (EIRP), 70 error messages, 282 error-correction code (ECC), 149 eSATA, 168 cables, 128–129 ESD. See electrostatic discharge (ESD) eSIM cards, 27 Ethernet cables, 55 hubs, 55 MFD connections, 216–217 expansion bus architectures, 166 expansion cards, 188–192 Extended Unique Identiier-64-bit (EUI-64), 82 external monitors, 300 external print servers, 219 See also printers external SATA cables, 128–129 extruders, 245 F an controls, 180–181 ans, 193 See also cooling mechanisms Federal Communications Commission (FCC), 62 iber optic cables, 116, 121–122 connectors, 133–134 iber services, 100 iber-to-the-curb/iber-to-the-cabinet (FTTC), 56, 100 iber-to-the-home (FTTH), 56, 100 iber-to-the-premises (FTTP), 56, 100 iber-to-the-node/iber-to-the-neighborhood (FTTN), 100 ile servers, 73 ile shares, 73 ile synchronization, 255–256 File Transer Protocol. See FTP irewalls, 53, 54 Index ixed wireless access. See FWA lash drives, 155 lash memory, 155–156 orm actors, 163, 171 small orm actor (SFF), 165 rames, 44, 59 requencies, 62–65 licensed, 69 requency, 65 rozen system, 301 FTP, 48 F-type connectors, 133 ull-array LED, 14 FWA, 68–69, 102 heat sinks, 193–195 HHDs. See solid-state hybrid drives (HHDs/SSHDs) hosted desktop model, 256 hotspots, 22, 30 hot-swappable devices, 123, 129 HTTP, 47 HTTPS, 47 hubs, 55 hybrid cloud, 251 hybrid heatsink, 195 hypervisors, 256, 259, 262, 263, 264 installing and creating a virtual machine, 264, 265 installing the guest operating system, 264–267 G gateways, 86, 87 Global Positioning System. See GPS Global System or Mobile Communications. See GSM Google Workspace, synchronizing to an Android or iOS device, 38 GPS, 34, 35 not unctioning, 302 graphics processing units (GPUs), 188 grinding noise, 280, 285, 309 GSM, 31 H hard disk drives (HDDs), 152–153 replacing, 4–6 spindle speeds, 153 hard drives, 152–153 cables, 128–130 replacing, 4–6 hardware, 183 irewalls, 53 Internet connection hardware, 99 mounting hardware, 4, 5 networking, 50–60 virtualization, 186–188 harmonics, 207 HDDs. See hard disk drives (HDDs) headers, 168–169 headsets, 22 I IDE, 130 IDE drives, installing, 157–158 IEEE 802.11, 26 IEEE 802.11ah, 69 IEEE 802.3a (Standard PoE), 54 IEEE 802.3at (PoE+), 55 IEEE 802.3bt (PoE++), 55 images per minute (ipm), 225 IMAP4, 74 impact printers, 240–241 components, 243 maintenance, 244 print heads, 241–243 See also printers impedance, 195 indicator lights, 282, 285, 300 Industrial, Scientiic, and Medical bands. See ISM bands Inormation Technology eXtended. See ITX Inrastructure as a Service (IasS), 251 inkjet printers, 234 carriage belts, 237 duplexing assembly, 237 eeders, 236 ink cartridges, 235 maintenance and cleaning, 237–238 paper trays, 236 print heads, 235–236 print process, 237 329 330 Mike Meyers’ CompTIA A+ Core 1 Certifcation Passport inkjet printers (cont.) rollers, 236 See also printers in-plane switching (IPS) display, 13 insulation displacement connectors (IDCs), 134–135 Integrated Drive Electronics. See IDE integrated print servers, 219 See also printers intermittent shutdowns, 279 internal clouds, 250 internal print servers, 219 See also printers International Telecommunication Union (ITU), 62 Internet appliances, 75 Internet connection types, 99 cable services, 100 cellular services, 101 connection hardware, 99 DSL, 101 iber services, 100 satellite connections, 99–100 wireless Internet service providers (WISPs), 101–102 Internet o Things (IoT), 76 Internet SCSI (iSCSI), 130 intrusion detection systems (IDSs), 75 intrusion prevention systems (IPSs), 75 inverters, 16 IP addressing, 79–82 IP conlicts, 318 IPv4 addresses, 79, 80 vs. DHCP, 83–85 vs. IPv6, 82 IPv6 addresses, 79, 81–82 vs. IPv4, 82 IPv6 DHCPv6, 86 IPv6 link-local addresses, 86 ISM bands, 63–64 ITX, 165 J jitter, 316 K keyboards replacing, 3 sticking keys, 299 L LANs, 51, 102 laptops hardware/device replacement, 2–11 major components, 2 RAM, 145–147 system board, 3 laser printers, 228 cleaning, 232–234 components, 229–231 duplexing assembly, 231 user assembly, 230–231 imaging drum, 230 imaging process, 228–229 maintenance, 231–232 pickup roller and separation pad, 231 transer belt, 231 transer roller, 231 See also printers latency, 316 LCD displays, 13 LED displays, 13–14 legacy/embedded systems, 76 light-emitting diodes (LEDs), 13 Lightning connectors, 21, 136 line-o-sight (LoS) services, 69 wireless Internet service, 101–102 link lights, 192 link-local addresses, 81, 318 Linux adding an Ethernet printer, 217 device drivers, 213 enabling and pairing Bluetooth, 68 veriying hardware virtualization is enabled, 187–188 liquid cooling systems, 193, 197 liquid damage, 298 load balancers, 75 local area networks. See LANs local hosts, 50 local multichannel distribution service (LMDS), 69 location services, 32–34 log entries, 282 logical address space, 184 logical addresses, 79 See also IP addressing long-range ixed wireless connectivity, 68–69 loopback addresses, 80 loopback plugs, 111 Index M M.2 drives, installing, 158 M.2 orm actor, 9 M.2 interace, 169–170 M.2 SSD, 155 MAC addresses, 59, 79 macOS adding an Ethernet printer, 217 device drivers, 212 enabling and pairing Bluetooth, 67–68 mail servers, 74 malware, 299 managed switches, 51 MANs, 102 manuacturers, 170 MDM. See mobile device management (MDM) media access control (MAC) addresses, 59, 79 memory architectures, 141–142 capability, 170 cards, 155, 156 error-correcting, 149 lash memory, 155–156 replacing, 6–9 shared memory, 9 virtual, 149 See also RAM memory management units (MMUs), 149 metered utilization, 253 metering, 253 metropolitan area networks. See MANs MFDs, 210–211 automatic document eeders (ADFs), 225 device connectivity, 215–217 device drivers, 212–215 device sharing, 218–220, 221–222 initial coniguration, 211–212 network scan services, 224 wireless printers, 217 micro-ATX, 165 microphones, 16 microSD. See SD cards Microsot Surace Dock, 23 micro-USB, 20, 125 See also USB mini-ITX (mITX), 165 Mini-PCIe, 9, 167 mini-SATA. See mSATA miniSD. See SD cards mini-USB, 20, 125 See also USB mirroring, 256 mobile application management (MAM), 34, 35–36 mobile device management (MDM), 34, 35 mobile device synchronization, 36–39 mobile devices charging, 296 compatibility, 172 troubleshooting, 295–302 See also laptops modular power supplies, 206 Molex connectors, 135–136, 203 monitors, external, 300 motherboards 24-pin adapters, 205 compatibility, 170–172 connector types, 165–170 orm actors, 163–165 headers, 168–169 multisocket, 172–173 mounting hardware, 4, 5 mSATA, 154 multicore CPUs, 185 multiunction devices. See MFDs multiple RAID, 160 multithreading, 186 MX records, 91 N nano-ITX, 165 native virtualization, 186–188 near-ield communication (NFC), 21, 70 near-ield scanners, 10–11 nested RAID, 160 network adapters. See NICs network addresses, 79 See also IP addressing network connectivity Bluetooth, 21, 31–32 cellular location services, 32–34 331 332 Mike Meyers’ CompTIA A+ Core 1 Certifcation Passport network connectivity (cont.) enabling/disabling cellular communication, 27–28 GPS, 34, 35 GSM vs. CDMA, 31 hotspots, 22, 30 mobile application management (MAM), 34, 35–36 mobile device communication, 26–28 mobile device management (MDM), 34, 35 mobile device synchronization, 36–39 preerred roaming lists (PRLs), 31 product release instructions (PRIs), 31 wireless generations, 28–30 network hosts, services, 72–76 network interace cards. See NICs network scan services, 224 network switches, 59 network TAP (test access point), 111, 112 network types, 102–103 networking hardware, 50–60 sotware-deined networking (SDN), 60 troubleshooting problems, 314–318 unavailable resources, 317 Next Generation Form Factor (NGFF). See M.2 interace NICs, 57–59, 191–192 Non-Volatile Memory Express. See NVMe drives NVMe drives, 6, 153, 154 O on demand, 254 onboard video cards, 188 one-way synchronization, 256 operating systems (OSs) missing drives, 287 OS not ound, 287 optical drives, 160–161 optical network terminals (ONTs), 56 organic LED (OLED), 14 Outlook (Exchange), synchronizing to an Android or iOS device, 38–39 overheating, 278, 292, 298 owner’s manual, 3 P packets, 44 pages per minute (ppm), 225 PANs, 32, 102 parallel ATA (PATA), 154 drives, 130 passive cooling, 193 passive heatsink, 195 passwords, 179 boot passwords, 182 patch cables, 53 patch panels, 52–53, 134–135 PCI, 166 PCIe buses, 6, 154, 166–167 PCIe connectors, 203 PCIe lane, 166 perormance, sluggish, 278, 301 peripheral cables, 122 Peripheral Component Interconnect. See PCI personal area networks. See PANs physical addresses. See MAC addresses pico-ITX, 165 piezo print heads, 236 Platorm as a Service (PaaS), 252 plenum space, 120 plenum-rated cables, 120 Plug and Play (PnP), 215 point o presence (POP), 133 POP3, 74 port clusters, 163, 164 port lapping, 316 port replicators, 23 ports, damaged, 298 POST beep codes, 275–276 PostScript, device drivers, 213–214 power loss, 277, 299 Power over Ethernet (PoE) injectors, 54, 55 Power over Ethernet (PoE) standards, 54–55 Power over Ethernet (PoE) switches, 54, 55 power supply rails, 202 power supply units (PSUs), 200 auto-switching, 202 input, 200–202 installation notes, 207–208 modular power supplies, 206 Index number o devices/types o devices to be powered, 207 output, 202–205 redundant power supplies, 205 switched input, 201 terminology, 201–202 preerred roaming lists (PRLs), 31 preetching, 142 print head stepper motor, 236 print heads, 235–236 print servers, 73 print spooler, 307, 308 Printer Control Language (PCL), device drivers, 213, 215 printers, 307 3-D, 244–246 automatic document eeders (ADFs), 225 calibration, 227–228 cloud printing, 220 coniguration settings, 220–221 impact, 240–244 inkjet, 234–238 laser, 228–234 network scan services, 224 paper jams and eeding problems, 306 print servers, 219, 220 public and shared, 218–219 remote printing, 220 security, 222–224 thermal, 239–240 troubleshooting, 304–311 wired, 218, 222 wireless, 217, 218, 222 See also MFDs private addresses, 80 private clouds, 250 product release instructions (PRIs), 31 protocols, 44–45 connection-oriented vs. connectionless, 45–48 See also specific protocols proxy servers, 75–76 public addresses, 80 public clouds, 250 public printers, 218 See also printers punch block, 134–135 punchdown block, 134–135 punchdown tool, 108–110 Q quad-channel memory architecture, 149 quick connect block, 134–135 R radio transmit power, 70 radio-requency identiication (RFID), 70 RAID, 159–160 ailure, 286 troubleshooting, 285–287 RAM, 140 conirming RAM installation, 148 double data rate (DDR) memory, 142–143 dual inline memory modules (DIMMs), 141, 144–145 dynamic RAM (DRAM), 141–142 error-correcting, 149 laptop RAM, 145–147 memory architectures, 141–142 packages, 140–145 perormance conigurations, 148–149 removing, 8 replacing, 6–9 SO-DIMMs, 145–147 synchronous DRAM (SDRAM), 142 virtual, 149 rapid elasticity, 254 read/write ailure, 286–287 received signal strength indicator (RSSI), 70 redundant power supplies, 205 registered jack (RJ) connectors, 131–133 remote desktop services (RDS), 256 remote hosts, 50 remote printing, 220 resources, 50 Reversing ADF (RADF), 225 RF spectrum, 69 RJ-11 connectors, 131 RJ-45 connectors, 131, 132 ROM, 173–174 routers, 50 333 334 Mike Meyers’ CompTIA A+ Core 1 Certifcation Passport S sandboxing, 259 SANs, 103 SATA, 153, 154, 168 SATA buses, 6 SATA cables, 128–129, 203 SATA drives, installing, 156–157 satellite connectivity, 68, 99–100 SCADA, 76 scalability, 254 scaling, 253 scatternet, 32 SCSI, 130 SD cards, 156 SDRAM. See synchronous DRAM (SDRAM) Secure Boot, 180, 181–182 Secure Shell (SSH) protocol, 47 security audit logs, 223 badging, 223 biometrics, 10 mobile device management (MDM), 34, 35 near-ield scanners, 10–11 overview, 9 physical, 10 printers, 222–224 secure print, 224 two-actor authentication, 36 user authentication, 222–223 Sender Policy Framework records, 92 serial ATA. See SATA Serial Attached SCSI (SAS) devices, 21, 130 serial connectors, 126 serial interaces, 21 servers, 50 compatibility, 172 roles, 73–74 shared memory, 9 shared printers, 218–219 See also printers shared resources, 252–253 shielded twisted pair (STP) cables, 118–119 shutdowns intermittent, 279 troubleshooting projector shutdowns, 292 SIM cards, 27 SIMM, 141 single core CPUs, 185 single inline memory module. See SIMM single memory channel, 148 sluggish perormance, 278, 301 Small Computer System Interace. See SCSI small orm actor (SFF), 165 small oice/home oice networks, 79–88 S.M.A.R.T. ailure, 286 smoke, 279 SMTP, 74 SO-DIMMs, 6, 7, 145–146 handling and installing, 146–147 Sotware as a Service (SaaS), 252 sotware irewalls, 53 See also irewalls sotware-deined networking (SDN), 60 SOHO networks, 79–88 solid-state drives (SSDs), 153–155 replacing, 4–6 solid-state hybrid drives (HHDs/SSHDs), replacing, 4–6 sound cards, 189–190 spam gateways, 75 speakers, 22, 301 speed, 65, 315 speed lights, 192 SPF records, 92 spinning pinwheel o death (SPoD), 277 SSDs. See solid-state drives (SSDs) SSHDs. See solid-state hybrid drives (HHDs/SSHDs) SSIDs, 318 stateul packet inspection (SPI), 53 Stateless Address Autoconiguration (SLAAC), 86 static IP addresses, 86, 87 status indicators, 192 sticking keys, 299 storage area networks. See SANs storage drives, troubleshooting, 285–287 Subscriber Identiication Module cards. See SIM cards supervisory control and data acquisition. See SCADA Index swap iles, 149 swap spaces, 149 switches, 51, 59 synchronization, 36–37 Apple iCloud to an Android device, 37–38 Google Workspace to an Android or iOS device, 38 Outlook (Exchange) to an Android or iOS device, 38–39 synchronous DRAM (SDRAM), 142 syslog, 74 system compatibility, 172 system date/time, 281 system lockups, 281 T T568A/B standards, 132–133 TCP ports and protocols, 44–45 vs. UDP, 47 TCP/IP, 44 terminating blocks, 134–135 tethering. See hotspots TFTP, 48 thermal conductors, 195–197 thermal interace material (TIM), 195 thermal pads, 195–196 thermal paper, 240 thermal paste, 196–197 thermal print heads, 236 thermal printers, 239–240 See also printers thermal throttling, 197 thermoplastic material, 245 thrashing, 149 throttling, 197, 253 Thunderbolt, 126–127 ports, 23 tone generators. See toner probes toner probes, 107–108 tools cable strippers, 106 cable testers, 110 crimpers, 106 loopback plugs, 111 network TAP (test access point), 111, 112 punchdown tool, 108–110 toner probes, 107–108 Wi-Fi analyzers, 107 touch calibration, 299 touch pens, 22 touchpads. See trackpads touchscreens, 16, 300 TPM, 179–180, 182–183 trackpads, 24 Transmission Control Protocol. See TCP triangulation, 33 triple-channel memory architecture, 149 Trivial FTP. See TFTP troubleshooting, 275 application crashes, 280 attempts to boot to incorrect device, 281 burning smell and smoke, 279 capacitor swelling, 280 connectivity problems, 297 ans spin and no power to other devices, 282 grinding noise, 280 inaccurate system date/time, 281 indicator lights, 282 intermittent device ailures, 282 intermittent shutdowns, 279 log entries and error messages, 282 mobile device issues, 295–302 networking issues, 314–318 no power, 277 overheating, 278 power-on sel-test beep codes, 275–276 printer issues, 304–311 proprietary crash screens, 276–277 RAID array problems, 285–287 sluggish perormance, 278 storage drives, 285–287 system lockups, 281 video, projector and display issues, 290–292 troubleshooting methodology, 272–273 Trusted Platorm Module. See TPM 335 336 Mike Meyers’ CompTIA A+ Core 1 Certifcation Passport twisted nematic (TN) display, 13 twisted pair (TP) cables, 116, 117 two-actor authentication, 36 two-way synchronization, 256 TXT records, 91 U UDP ports and protocols, 44–45 TCP vs., 47 UEFI, 174 See also BIOS/UEFI uniied threat management (UTM), 75 UNII bands, 64 universal serial bus. See USB Unlicensed National Inormation Inrastructure (UNII) bands. See UNII bands unmanaged switches, 51 unshielded twisted pair (UTP) cables, 118 USB, 18–19 connection types, 124 connectors, 122–125 MFD connections, 216 permissions, 178–179 standards, 124 See also micro-USB; mini-USB; serial interaces USB to Ethernet adapters, 138 USB-C, 19, 21, 125 user authentication, 222–223 User Datagram Protocol. See UDP V vertical alignment (VA) display, 13 video adapters and connectors, 137 cables and connectors, 127–128 cards, 188 troubleshooting video, projector and display issues, 290–292 virtual address space (VAS), 184 virtual desktop inrastructure (VDI), 256 virtual local area networks. See VLANs virtual machine managers (VMMs), 261 virtual memory, 149 virtual private networks. See VPNs virtualization, 259 application virtualization, 260–261 cross-platorm virtualization, 260–261 desktop, 256 emulator requirements, 262 hypervisors, 256, 259, 262, 263–267 network requirements, 263 purpose o virtual machines, 259 resource requirements, 261–262 sandboxing, 259 security requirements, 262–263 test-driven development, 260 VLANs, 96 VoIP, poor quality, 316 volts, 206 VPNs, 94–95 W WANs, 51, 102 wattage rating, 206–207 watts, 206 web servers, 74 webcams, 15, 22 wide area networks. See WANs Wi-Fi, antenna connector/placement, 15 Wi-Fi analyzers, 107 Windows adding an Ethernet printer, 217 device drivers, 212, 213 enabling and pairing Bluetooth, 66–67 veriying hardware virtualization is enabled, 187 Windows Biometric Framework (WBF), 10 See also security wire snips, 106 wire strippers, 106 wireless APs (WAPs), 52 Index wireless cards, replacing, 9 wireless generations, 28–30 wireless local area network. See WLAN wireless network connectivity enabling/disabling Wi-Fi communication, 28 See also network connectivity wireless networking standards, 65–66 wireless printers, 217 WLAN, 103 power and signal strength, 70 X x64 architecture, 184 x86 architecture, 184–185 x86-64, 184 x86-based 64-bit ISA, 184 337 This page intentionally left blank Your Next Move Starts Here! Get CompTIA certied to help achieve your career goals and gain a powerful, vendor-neutral credential that is trusted by employers. Save 10% when you purchase your exam voucher from CompTIA.org. 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