CompTia A+
1.1 Given a
scenario, install and
configure laptop
hardware and
components.
Comptia A+ Core 1: 220-1001
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Core 1 1001
Hardware
A bunch of aggregated study information condensed into my notes (but not a
dump!) from various sources.
There may be mispells, typos here and there. But its only 2$ 😉 Buy me a stick of
chewing gum!
Enumerated upon every objective but did not enumerate on smaller topics as they
were intuitive to understand at the time.
Welcome to leave feedback.
1.0 Mobile Devices
Keyboard
◦ Compact layout
Hard drive
◦ SSD vs. hybrid vs. magnetic disk
▪ SSD comes in 1.8in, 2.5in form factors
 1.8 used for sub-notebook and slimline laptops
▪ SSHD: Hybrid between SSD/HDD; SSD caches hard drive data
▪ Magnetic disk: 2.5in form factor
▪ Replace laptop storage by opening individual panel on back or opening the
panel to expose entire laptop; typically modular
Memory
◦ SODIMM
◦ MicroDIMM
◦ Replacement: Copper contacts & key must be seated in slots; sticks slide in until
snapping in place, w/ little pressure
◦ Use ESD protection when working with any type of memory
Smart card reader
◦ Integrated card reader built into laptop; External reader connects via USB
◦ Access control
Optical drive
◦ Often removable
◦ Less common due to size
Wireless card/Bluetooth module
◦ WWAN card: Enables connection over Cellular Networks
◦ 802.11x: Enables connection over Wifi Networks
◦ Bluetooth module: Enables connection over PAN networks, namely bluetooth
◦ Wi-Fi antenna should be located near top, inside display case
Cellular card
Video card
◦ Often built into CPU or system board; not modular and is the most difficult to
replace
Mini PCIe
◦ Smaller form factor PCIe expansion slot
Screen
◦ LCD Display
▪ Backlit
▪ Very fragile
▪ High native resolution; but fixed resolution
DC jack
◦ PSU power brick plugs into DC jack the power interface
◦ Autoswitching or fixed input
▪ Input voltage 110220 Volts
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1.2 Given a
scenario, install
components within
the display of a
laptop.
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▪ Power bricks are specific to make and model of system
 OUTPUT: Solid line with dashed line underneath indicates DC power
conversion
 MAX OUTPUT POWER
◦ Replace AC adapter with a true replacement, of the same current, voltage, and
connector type
Battery
◦ Lithium ion is common in consumer electronics, has no 'memory effect' like NiCad;
charging battery diminishes capacity
◦ Form factors depend on laptop
◦ Remove battery from laptop before replacing hardware (sometimes retains its
charge)
Touchpad
◦ May include gestures
Plastics/frames
◦ Plastic
▪ Lightweight, mobile
▪ Durable, difficult to break
▪ Inexpensive and cost effective
◦ Metal
▪ More durable than plastic but difficult to repair
Speaker
◦ Self contained, not the highest quality
◦ Often stereo (L/R) channels, may have subwoofer
System board
◦ Proprietary system boards
◦ Replacement isn't easy
CPU
◦ Designed for mobility and power management
◦ Integrated components: typically memory and video controller are part of CPU
◦ Not very upgradable
Display Technology
o LCD
 Backlight shines through liquid crystals, color filters, etc
 Lightweight, relative low power and expense
 Backlight diminishes color accuracy, relatively poor contrast, and is
difficult to replace
 Diffuser spreads light over entire screen
o OLED
 Organic compound emits light when receiving electric current
 Thinner and lighter than LED, requires no glass for protection
 No backlight necessary
 Lower light output/Brightness than LCDs
 Better contrast ratio and color representation in comparison to LCDs
 Not common in laptop platforms
 Organic materials can degrade overtime
 Decayed images can remain on screen
 More costly and power hungry than LCD
o Backlight Technology
 LEDbacklit LCD display
 Commonly used in modern laptop devices
 Backlit is LEDs instead of florescent, LEDs arranged in matrix
around edge of screen
 No need for voltage conversion to power LED backlights
 Performs best in direct lights, superior to LCD when it comes to
backlighting/rich colors
CCFL: Cold Cathode Florescent Lamp
 Higher voltage/power needed; uses inverter
 Added thickness to display
 Older laptops use
WiFi antenna connector/placement
o WiFi main and aux, Bluetooth antennas wrap around highest point of laptop
screen
Webcam
o Builtin camera and microphone
o Usually includes both audio/video capabilities, specialized drivers and software
Microphone
o Builtinto laptop, useful for video calls
o Not good for casual use, analog/USB microphones best
o Enabled by default in Windows
 Update drivers, adjust audio settings, or ‘allow apps’ in microphone
settings if no longer working
Inverter
o Converts DC power into AC voltage for backlights in older types of LCD panels
(CCFLs)
 Output is higher than input voltage
o If inverter stops working, screen appears dark but upon closer inspection (w/
flashlight), output still displays without lighting from backlight
 Replace inverters or entire display
Digitizer/touchscreen
o For former: a stylus used as input, more common on laptop/tablets/hybrid
devices
Special function keys
o FN keys overcome restrictions of compact keyboard layout
o Control Dual displays: Internal Display and External Display to toggle between
monitors
 Refrigerator door effect: All video outputs to external monitor when
laptop is shut
 Physical LCD switch or internal magnetic LCD switch on newer
portable systems
 Set functionality (whether computer freezes when shut) in
BIOS/utility
Dual displays
o Toggle with Fn keys
Wireless (on/off)
o Control wireless signal with physical switch/function keyboard
 May include 802.11, Bluetooth, Cellular connectivity
Cellular (on/off)
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Volume settings
o Function key or may be standalone, often includes a mute function
Screen brightness
o Control backlight with secondary function keys;
Bluetooth (on/off)
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Keyboard backlight
o See keys in dark, may control intensity, duration of lights
Touchpad (on/off)
o Enable inadvertent mouse clicks and movements by disabling touch pad
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1.3 Given a
scenario, use
appropriate laptop
features.
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1.4 Compare and
contrast
characteristics of
various types of
other mobile
devices
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1.5 Given a
scenario, connect
and configure
accessories and
ports of other
mobile devices
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Screen orientation
o Landscape/portrait
o Fn key/hotkey
Media options (fast forward/rewind)
o Control audio/video without mouse clicking
o Play, stop, rewind, fast forward...
GPS (on/off)
o Listen for GPS signal with antennas; may be associated with wireless protocols
Airplane mode
Docking station
o Extend external laptop interfaces, add additional functionality (keyboard/mouse,
expansion cards)
Port replicator
o Smaller versions of docking stations that replicate port interfaces, no option for
expansion cards
Physical laptop lock and cable lock
o Reinforcedmetal locking slots connect to lock and solid object
Rotating/removable screens
o Combine laptop keyboard w/ tablet screen
Tablets
o Singlescreen touch computers running iOS, android, etc
o Larger than 7 inches diagonal
o Uses SoC (System in a Chip) CPU
Smartphones
o Voice, email, text, instant messaging, pictures, video
o 3.5 to 6 inch
o Uses SoC (System in a Chip) CPU
Wearable technology devices
o Smart watches, fitness monitors
VR/AR headsets
o AR augmets reality, VR virtualizes worlds entirely
Ereaders
o Specialized device for bookreading, some capabilities for music and app
o Electronic paper display performs well in direct light; exceptionally long battery
life
o WiFi/Cellular connectivity
GPS
o Incar navigation that requires view of sky to revive GPS signal
o Periodic updates required via wireless or memory card upgrade
Connection types
Wired
o MicroUSB/MiniUSB/USBC
 Standardized by EU
 Older devices use miniUSB, a bit larger than microUSB
 USBC 24pin doublesided
 Can act as analog audio output
o Lightning
 8pin connector, advantages include higher power output, insert either
way, more durable
o Tethering
 Mobile device shares Internet connection with device via USB
 Device connected to internet has public IP address, devices connected
by tethering have private IP address
Proprietary vendorspecific ports (communication/power)
 One cable for power, a different cable for data
 Every manufacturer released proprietary cables
 EU insisted external power supply for dataenabled mobile phones sold
in EU be standardized
Wireless
o NFC
 Sends small amounts of data wirelessly over limited area
 Built into phone
 Payment system, ticketing token, inperson information exchange
 Access token/identity card
 Encryption support
o Bluetooth
 Highspeed communication over PAN, 3 Mbps
 Smartphones, tethering, headsets/headphones, health monitors,
smartwatches, automobiles
 Class 1 Bluetooth devices have 100 meter range
 Class 2 Bluetooth devices have 10 meter range
 Class 3 bluetooth devices have 1 meter range
 Pairing
 Receiving device sends unique key to sending device
(connection initiator)
o IR
 Included on smartphones (esp. android) for file transfers/printing on
older phones, now used to control entertainment center
o Hotspot
 'Wifi tethering' Turns phone into wireless router for 802.11 devices,
may extend cellular data network to all devices
 Dependent on phone type/provider
 For Internet passthrough, mobile device make's use of PC's
internet connection (reversetethering)
Accessories
o Headsets
 Handsfree audio and microphone
 3.5 mm TRRS connector/analog audio jack connectivity via wired
 iPhone can use lightning port
o Speakers
 Mobile audio, batterypowered
 Wireless connection over bluetooth
o Game pads
 Connect via bluetooth
o Extra battery packs/battery chargers
 Swappable battery pack or external USB chargers via lightning/usb
connection
o Protective covers/waterproofing
 Screen protector to avoid scratches
 Device protector; waterproofing options available, may create issues w/
docking stations/charging interface (wireless charging)
o Credit card readers
 Phone becomes a point of sale terminal, CCR connects to TRRS
jack/lightning/bluetooth, allowing someone to insert card
 Email receipts and sign w/ finger
o Memory/MicroSD
 Increase storage capacity; common on android devices but not available
on iOS devices
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1.6 Given a
scenario, configure
basic mobile device
network
connectivity and
application support
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 Small form factor, increasing capabilities
Wireless/cellular data network (enable/disable)
o Hotspot
 Turns phone into wireless router for 802.11 devices, may extend
cellular data network to all devices, managed by wireless service
provider
o Tethering
 Anchored to mobile devicetodevice; single connection
 Connect to laptop via USB/bluetooth, managed by wireless service
provider
o Airplane mode
 One button turns off all radios, even Bluetooth, NFC
Cellular Device Connectivity
o Baseband updates for radio firmware
 Integrated into phone but not WiFi/Bluetooth, cellular provider's
baseband radio processor that enables communications on their network
 Controls GSM and 3G phone RF waves
 Proprietary firmware/memory
 Firmware can be updated over the air (OTA), invisible to
username
 PRL/PRI Updates
 PRL (Preferred Roaming List) is a priority list for which towers
the phone should use in a given geographic area
o Automatic or over-the-air (disable Wifi, enable data)
o No separate update PRL commands for iOS; this
instead takes place with software updates
 PRI (Product Release Instructions) is the connection between
the mobile device and radio
 IMEI vs IMSI
 IMEI
o International Mobile Station Equipment Identity;
identifies a physical mobile device
 Wireless carrier can allow/disallow access on
their network
 IMSI
o International Mobile Subscriber Identity, identifies user
of a mobile network through the SIM card
 Allows all incoming calls to follow a SIM card
when moved from one device to another
 VPN
o Turn phone into VPN endpoint for secure
communication
o Integrated into phone OS
o May require additional setup
Bluetooth
 Android: Settings > Wireless & Network Settings
 iOS: Settings or quickaccess Control Center
 10 meters
 Pair for devices to work together; connect/disconnect automatically
 Enable bluetooth on both devices, set both to discoverable mode and
confirm pin on both devices. Test connectivity
Corporate and ISP email configuration
o POP3
 Used for downloading mail to local client; downloads/optionally deletes
email from server
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1.7 Given a
scenario, use
methods to perform
mobile device
synchronization
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 For single device
 Configure by providing POP3 server name, username, password
 Network ports defined by mail provider: TCP 110 or TCP 995 (SSL)
o IMAP
 Used for accessing mail stored on central server; accessible from
anywhere
 Supports folders and serverside searching
 Configure by providing IMAP server name, username, password
 Network ports defined by mail provider: TCP 143 or TCP 993 (SSL)
o S/MIME
 Encrypt and digitally sign messages
Integrated commercial provider email configuration
o Microsoft Exchange Online
 Enterprise email integrating contacts, calendars, reminders (mobile
device database)
 Email address, exchange server name, domain, username, password
 IMAP/POP3
o iCloud
 Apple mail, IMAP support only
 Outgoing server: SMTP.mail.me.com
o Google/Yahoo
 Google splits inbox into tabs
 IMAP/POP3
Synchronization methods
o Synchronize to the cloud
 No physical cables or local files
 Integrated into Exchange/Gmail or iCloud
 Choose provider network/WiFi
o Synchronize to the desktop
 Requires OS and disk space
 Minimal memory requirements
 iOS iTunes syncs everything in phone, creating full backups on
computer
 android syncs online w/ Google
o Synchronize to the automobile
 Extend phone functionality into vehicle i.e., iOS carplay, Android Auto
 Synchronize contact info, music, other details in realtime
o iOS uses USB proprietary connector, older devices use 30pin connector, newer
devices use 8pin lighting connectors or USBC, 802.11 or Cellular to sync
o Android uses USB MicroB, USBC, 802.11 or Cellular to sync
Types of data to synchronize
o Contacts
o Applications
o Email
o Pictures
o Music
o Videos
o Calendar
o Bookmarks
o Documents
o Location data
o Social media data
o Ebooks
o Passwords
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2.1 Compare and
contrast TCP and
UDP ports,
protocols, and their
purposes.
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Mutual authentication for multiple services (SSO)
Software requirements to install the application on the PC
Connection types to enable synchronization
2.0 Networking
TCP vs UDP
o TCP: Connectionoriented protocol that allows for sequencing, flow control, and
error correction of data packets over an IP network
 3way handshake establishes a network connection:
 SYN: Client initiates session with server by synchronizing
packet info (SYN packet)
 SYN + ACK: Server responds to client with synchronization
and acknowledgment packet (SYN + ACK packet)
 ACK: Client sends back acknowledgment packet to server
(ACK packet)
 Used for high fidelity services like email/file sharing
o UDP: Connectionless protocol that provides no acknowledgment of transmitted
packets
 Used for services which benefit from lack of latency like audio/video
streaming, where lost packets go virtually unnoticed by the end user
Server has inbound port open, client initiates connection through the outbound port
o HTTP/HTTPS
 TCP Port 80/443 (SSL)
Email Protocols
o POP3
 TCP Port 110/995 (SSL/TLS)
 Protocol used for email retrieval
 Basic configuration requires server name, POP3 username and
password
 Supported email clients include Microsoft Exchange Online, Yahoo@
Mail, Gmail, but not iCloud mail (see what ‘iCloud’ implies?)
o IMAP Internet Message Access Protocol
 TCP Port 143/993 (SSL/TLS)
 Improved functionality over POP3 by enabling email retrieval ‘access’
from anywhere
o SMTP Simple Mail Transfer Protocol
 TCP Port 25 (465/587 SSL/TLS)
 ‘Send mail to people’ used for sending email messages from client
devices and between mail servers
Network Management Protocols
o Telnet
 TCP/UDP Port 23 (Not secure)
 Uses CLI to manage systems remotely, largely deprecated as it
transmits data in cleartext
 Like FTP, it requires username and password authentication.
But again, so crackable.
o SSH
 TCP/UDP Port 22
 Cryptographic network protocol for secure data communication, remote
command execution (a preferred alternative to telnet) between hosts
o FTP
 TCP Port 20 (Data), TCP Port 21 (Session)
 Enables file sharing between file and server; allows for authentication
but transmissions are not encrypted natively
o SNMP (Simple Network Management Protocol)
 Port 161 (SNMPMAN), Port 162 (SNMPAgent)
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2.2 Compare and
contrast common
networking
hardware devices.
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Used to manage and monitor ‘agent’ devices on network which send
alerts (traps) to SNMP manager
Network Service Protocols
o DNS
 UDP Port 53
 Used to resolve domain names to IP addresses
 Workstations read entries in HOSTS file before making DNS requests
o LDAP Lightweight Directory Access Protocol
 TCP/UDP Port 389 (636 SSL)
 Directory access protocol used to manage and query directory services
 Active Directory domains are a prime example, which contain
user/group accounts/permissions
o RDP Remote Desktop Protocol
 TCP/UDP Port 3389
 Microsoftproprietary remote access protocol that utilizes GUI as a
means of accessing desktop on host
o NetBIOS/NetBT
 Ports 137-139
 Used for name querying where data sends over netBIOS connection
inside TCP/UDP packets
 NetBT allows NetBIOS services to be used over TCP/IP networks
o DHCP
 UDP Port 6768
 Automatically assigns IP addresses and configuration information to
hosts on network
 DORA Address assignment
 Discovery – Client sends out DHCP discover request to identify
DHCP servers on network
 Offer – Server offers available IP addresses to client
 Request – Client accepts address, requesting it be assigned from
the server
o Server informs over DHCP servers that request was
accepted, prompting them to free up their offers
 Acknowledgment: Server acknowledges assignment request
and client leases IP address for set amount of time
o SLP (Service Location Protocol)
 Port 427
 Service discovery protocol used to find devices in LAN without
configuration
o SMB/CIFS (Server Message Block/Common Internet File System)
 Port 445
 Windows proprietary file/folder/printer sharing
o AFP (Apple Filing Protocol)
 Port 548
 Appleproprietary version of SMB for MacOS
Router
◦ Connects two or more network segments/subnets; Routers receive packets, read
their headers to find addressing info, and send them onto their correct destination on
network/internet. Routers use IP address to forward messages to appropriate
network segment. Both the data link layer MAC address and network layer IP
address are used to send packets between hosts on different subnets.
▪ Network address indicates logical address of o.g. sending device and final
destination device. Data link destination address indicates physical address of
next hop in the route (at any point) while the source address is the physical
address of the device sending the frame
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▪ IP addresses remain constant as the packet is delivered from hop to hop, while
MAC addresses in the frame change as delivered from hop to hop.
▪ Each subnet has unique logical network address
▪ Can be used to connect subnets to single LAN or as a gateway to connect
multiple LANs together
▪ Can be used to connect networks of differing architecture
▪ Maintains information about other networks in routing table, used in process of
forwarding packets, it contains the address of all known networks and the next
router in the path used to reach the destination network
▪ Used with different media
◦ SOHO router: Allinone device that acts as a router for systems on LAN out to
internet, can function as a network switch (see the ports in the back for LAN
devices?), access point, DHCP server, and firewall allowing for multiinterface
connectivity
◦ Layer 3 device
Wireless Access Points (WAPs) function as a Hub for a wireless network; all wireless
hosts connected to AP can receive any message sent to it.
◦ Unlike a hub, a WAP is a Layer 2 device; can read Data link layer address in frame
◦ Often configured as a bridge to connect wireless to wired segments; both hosts are
on the same subnet
◦ Act as central connecting point for Wireless LANS/Wifi enabled systems to allow
data communications over air
 2.4 GHz/5 GHz frequencies
 Defined by IEEE 802.11 standards
Firewall
◦ Router with additional security features, a software/hardware implementation
designed to block/allow types of incoming/outgoing traffic depending on a set of
rules
◦ Layer 3 device but capable of functioning at higher layers according to information
found there
Bridge
◦ Used to connect two or more media segments (LANs) together on same subnet or
separate one part of a subnet from another; used nowadays to increase network size
◦ Create separate collision domains but NOT broadcast domains (switches do that);
also link network segments using different physical media (so long as they have the
same architecture/network protocols)
◦ Forwarding decisions are made in software; bridges build a database based on MAC
addresses to make forwarding decisions
◦ Inferior to switches as it allows for fewer network segments and physical ports
◦ All segments connected to the bridge are on the same subnet and thus share a
common subnet address
◦ Can connect two segments using different types of network architecture (Ethernet
segment, Wireless)
◦ Layer 2 device; reads MAC address in frame to make forwarding decisions
▪ Frame forwarding is independent of upperlayer protocols
Switch
◦ Multiport bridge that performs filtering based on MAC addresses with exclusive
features not found in bridge
▪ Switches can process multiple frames simultaneously; most bridges process
single frame at a time
▪ Provide guaranteed bandwidth to each port
▪ Can make additional forwarding decisions based on MAC addresses (i.e., MAC
address filtering)
◦ Central-connecting intelligent device that connects computers in a LAN through a
wired star topology
◦ Divides network segments into multiple collision domains and makes frame
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forwarding decisions based on MAC addresstoport mappings
◦ Forwarding decisions are made in hardware/ASIC
▪ Copper wiring with port interconnection
◦ Switch Types
▪ Unmanaged
 Require no port management/configuration; autonomous method of adding
hosts
 Easy implementation at the cost of few or no configuration options namely,
advanced management and security features
▪ Managed
 Allow changing of port configurations port speed, duplexing, VLAN
assignment, MAC address filtering, in addition to port security features
 Can be configured via web interface, SSH, console port or similar tool
 Likely to be used in Enterprise network
◦ Work within Ethernet 802.3
▪ 1000 Mbps → 802.3ab
▪ 10 Gbps → 802.3an
◦ Layer 3 switch is capable of reading Layer 3 (network) addresses and routing
packets between subnets, often providing better performance but not nearly as many
features as a router
◦ Disable unused physical ports on switch to prevent users from connecting their own
networking equipment and gaining unauthorized access
◦ To prevent switch spoofing attacks
▪ Hardcode all the access ports as an access port and disable DTP everywhere
▪ Hardcode all the trunk ports as a trunk port and never enable DTP on trunk ports
▪ Avoid keeping an access port in dynamic desirable, dynamic auto, or trunk
mode
NIC
◦ Network interface cards are physical devices added to systems to allow connectivity
to a computer network
◦ May be integrated into motherboard or function as separate component
◦ Servers might use redundant NICs to allow for higher availability and increased
throughput
◦ Layer 1/2 device
Cloudbased Network Controllers
◦ If general network controllers provide centralized management, configuration, and
monitoring of computer networks, a cloudbased one is one that is accessed over
Internet via cloud provider and/or organization
◦ Can automate tasks to manage infrastructure
Repeater
◦ Amplifies signals to transmit over greater distance without quality loss
◦ Layer 1 device
Hub
◦ Central connecting point of physical star, logical bus topology. Hosts to send data
through one main circuit that all ports connect through (as opposed to matrix of
circuits that switches use); Incoming signals are broadcaster and recreated on any
connected ports, and the host to which the frame is addressed to accepts the frame,
while other hosts ignore the frame
▪ Allows only two hosts to communicate with each other at any time
◦ Layer 1 device
◦ Negatively impacts network performance due to fewer collision domains. Use a
bridge or switch instead.
Cable Modem
◦ Allows devices to access the internet, generically, cable internet users use a device
with an RG6 port for the provider’s coaxial cabling and twistedpair patch cable
connects devices
2.3 Given a
scenario, install and
configure a basic
wired/wireless
SOHO network
▪ Shared bandwidth
▪ Coaxial Cabling
▪ Cabling carries TV signal
◦ DSL Modem: Different ports than cable modems with some additional defining
features
▪ Dedicated bandwidth
▪ Twisted pair copper cabling
▪ Dedicated RG11 line makes use of telephone line
 Patch Panel
◦ Physical termination point for network cables in building, consisting of multiple
RJ45 ports (to connect to switches) and 110 IDC termination points on back to
connect all individual wires in twisted pair cabling
◦ Typical data path for user to server: Computer > RJ45 Jack > Twisted Pair Cable >
Patch Panel > Switch(s) > Server
 Power over Ethernet (PoE)
◦ Twisted pair Ethernet cabling standard that carries data and power, delivers between
15100 watts to PoE compliant powered devices (PDs)
▪ Power Sourcing Equipment (PSE) may be PoE compliant switch or alike
 2448 port PoEenabled switch ideal for organizations with groups of remote
devices
 For organizations with 12 remote devices, best use an Injector to supply
power to PoE equipment
◦ Plugs into main network switch port, powered normally from AC outlet,
but has second RJ45 port to connect 12 remote devices
▪ Check cabling requirements to handle PoE amperage (Cat 5 or
higher)
 Ethernet over Power
◦ Powerline communication standard that sends data over electrical lines
▪ Implemented over standard electrical lines in home or office by adding
modulated carrier signal to wiring system
▪ Powerline network uses power adapters for AC outlet and Ethernet patch cables
to connect from adapters
SOHO router functions as an allinone routing device with a switch for wired connections,
firewall, access point, etc.
 Setup SOHO router: Router/Switch Functionality
o Switched Ethernet Interfaces (Typically x4 with one VLAN), Routing
functionality (typically DSL/cable modem) and WAP functionality
 Automatically performs NAT between WAN (internet) and LAN
(internal) ports
o Configure default security settings
 Login to router with IP address and change the login information to
something more complex
 Update firmware
o General Configuration
 WAN connection/address: IP address obtained through DHCP via ISP,
allows connectivity to ISP infrastructure and eventually out to Internet
 Publicly visible on internet
 Default Gateway: Address the router uses to go beyond ISP
network and Internet, just as LAN clients look for LAN address
gateway to go beyond LAN
 DNS server address: Server that resolves domain names to ISP
addresses when router tries to access any server on Internet
o Can specify internal DNS servers
 May need to configure static IP address for WAN or configure
secure connection to internet via Point to Point Tunneling
Protocol (PPTP) or Layer 2 Tunneling Protocol (L2TP)
LAN connection/address: Private address visible to computers on your
internal network
 Same as the IP address you logged in with
 Gateway address for network clients
 Router and all clients are on same LAN address with same
subnet mask, so they’re able to communicate
 SOHO router is usually a DHCP server itself, so any LAN devices
automatically receive an internal IP address
NIC configurations
o Status indicator LEDs tell you connectivity of the network adapter
o Wired
o Wireless NICs should automatically detect and match the channel used by the
AP
o Installation
 Update/Install drivers first
 Then configure network settings
IoT devices automatically communicate outbound to connect to central server
o Secure IoT devices by separating them on a DMZ/guest network, using latest
encryption standards for the wireless network
Firewall Settings
o NAT Network Address Translation
 NAT translates internal IP addresses to appear as one single IP address
on Internet
 Hides internal IP address by modifying IP packet headers while
in transit across routing device
 1-to-1 static NAT:For web server to be accessible to internet
 PAT (Port Address Translation): NAT method that binds private IP
addresses and port numbers to corresponding public IP address
 1-to-many PAT: For internal users to access Internet
 DNAT
 SNAT
o Port forwarding
 Solution that allows a server with a private IP address to serve requests
from the outside public network by allowing a user to configure their
(SOHO) router so an internal device is able externally; NAT is done in
the other direction
 Sometimes called Destination/Static NAT because we change
the destination IP address for inbound traffic; anyone who
accesses port number and IP address from outside has access to
the given server on the inside of network
 Configure traffic from specific port to be delivered to IP
address on internal device
 Port triggering: Router configuration features that allows opening of
inbound ports based on outbound requests made by private internal
network hosts
o Screened Subnet/DMZ
 Subnet of publically available servers placed outside an organization’s
firewall
 SOHO routers allow configuration of an IP address on internal
network/physical port on router to be DMZ
 IP address of device that would have access from internet
o UPnP Universal Plug and Play
 Zeroconfiguration architecture that allows devices to dynamically join a
network, learn about the presence of other devices, and supports auto







configuration,
 Ports are open only when using a particular application, closed
when not. Security risk as you don’t directly control open ports,
thus recommended to have UPnP disabled in place of port
forwarding
o MAC Filtering
 Filtering technique that assigns MAC addresses to interfaces and either
allow/disallow access for particular MAC address on your network
 ‘Security obscurity’ MAC addresses are viewable in packet captures
and able to be spoofed
Allow/Deny List
o Allow/whitelists specifies no traffic allowed through firewall unless you specify
the sites that are allowed
o Deny/blacklist specifies all incoming traffic allowed through firewall except for
blocked sites, URLs, domain names, IP addresses
QoS
o Allows admins to prioritize certain types of traffic (i.e., VoIP, port numbers, IP
addresses, etc)
Access Point Settings
o Set an SSID (Service Set Identifier); a unique WLAN name identifier that
groups wireless devices together into the same logical network
 32bit character inserted into each frame
 Disabling SSID broadcast prevents the AP from including the SSID in
the beacon frame that is sent by the AP periodically to announce
network characteristics, and you will have to manually setup each client
with the SSID
 Increasing beacon interval increases the time it takes wireless
clients to locate the wireless network, but reduces the traffic
generated by the beacon
o Configure the RF Channel
 Wireless APs can be set up on channels between 48 and 165 in the 5
Ghz frequency range or channels between 1 and 11 in the 2.4 GHz
frequency range
 Frequencies should be spaced out appropriately for
noninterference with other wireless networks
 ‘Mixed Mode’ Accepts connections from wireless clients running
802.11a, 802.11n, 802.11ac (5 GHz) OR 802.11b, 802.11g, 802.11n
(2.4 GHz) for greater compatibility
 Single connection type increases network efficiency
o Configure security settings
 Disabling SSID broadcast to make devices unable to detect the network
name, requiring manual setup to connect to the networking
 Set up Encryption w/ an encryption standard
 Wifi Protected Access (WPA)
o 128bit RC4/TKIP encryption used, 256bit AES
encryption used for WPA2 and is strongest encryption
method
 WPA2 uses blockcipher mode mode with
CBCMAC Protocol (CCMP) to replace TKIP
o Supports both preshared key (WPAPSK or WPA
Personal) and 802.1x (WPA Enterprise) authentication
via a centralized database on a RADIUS/TACACS
server using AAA (authentication, authorization,
accounting) protocol
 Can use dynamic or preshared keys
 128bit encryption keys
 Wired Equivalent Privacy (WEP)
o Security flaws
o LEAP/Lightweight EAP provides authentication
◦ 802.11 protocols define speeds, frequencies, protocols used to transmit data over
radiowaves
▪ Channels are frequency ranges of Wifi networks. Any Wifi network will have a
channel width associated with it usually 20 MHz for a 2.4 GHz network and 40
MHz for a 5 GHz network
 Place WLANS and APs on seperate, distant channels
◦ Perform wireless site survey w/ WiFi analyzer program to determine
existing WiFi networks in a given frequency range to prevent
overlapping channels/interference
 Channel bonding is the practice of combining 2 nonoverlapping 20 MHz
channels into one logical channel to double transmission speed, it increases
channel width to 40 MHz for 2.4 GHz and 80 MHz for 5 GHz networks;
drawback is increased risk of interference
▪ Increasing WAP coverage w/ power output can send signals farther but security
implications and restrictions on maximum output Wi-Fi devices exist
Spec
802.11 standards
2.4 Compare and
contrast wireless
networking
protocols
Frequency
802.11a
5 GHz
802.11b
2.4 GHz
802.11g
2.4 GHz
Max Data Rate
54 Mbps
11 Mbps
54 Mbps
Max Distance
Channels
(Nonoverlapped
)
100 ft
23 (12)
150 ft
11 (3)
150 ft
11 (3)
Backwards
Compatibility
Channel
bandwidth
N/A
None
802.11b
20 MHz
22 MHz
20 MHz

802.11n
2.4 GHz/5
GHz
600 Mbps
802.11ac
5 GHz
300 ft
2.4 GHz: 11
(3/1)
5 GHz: 23
(12/6)
802.11 a/b/g
150 ft
Configuration
Dependent
20 MHz, 40
MHz
All adjacent
and
80 MHz, 160
MHz
6.77 Gbps
802.11 b/g/n
◦ 2.4/5 GHz channels (frequency ranges)
▪ 2.4 GHz → Channels 1-11, each placed 4 MHz apart from the next
 Non overlapping channels are 1, 6, 11
▪ 5 GHz → Channels 36-165
 Non overlapping channels are
 Max 6 bonded channels
 Higher bandwidths, smaller coverage area, less susceptible to interference
than 2.4 GHz frequencies
◦ Larger Bandwidths in 802.11n accomplished with MIMO, a technology which
allows for increased throughput due to multiple antennas and data streams
◦ 802.11ac introduced modulation and MultiUser MIMO (MUMIMO) allows
multiple users to use same channel to have 8 separate MIMO streams
Zigbee: Used primarily with home IoT devices
◦ Lowpower
◦ Similar frequency (2.4 GHz), transmission power, distance (20 meters max) with
relatively Low power consumption, longer battery life, and cheaper overall
technology compared to Bluetooth
◦ Unified data communications for better communications between dissimilar devices


2.5 Summarize the
properties and
purposes of services
provided by
networked hosts




◦ 128bit encryption
ZWave: Used primarily with home IoT devices
◦ Works within 800900 MHz frequencies
◦ Longer distance than Zigbee
◦ 128bit encryption
Smart Hub: Integrated into small homes/office to support both Zigbee and Zwave
protocols
Server roles
o Web server serves browser requests by providing local static/dynamic pages to
browser on client
o File servers serve as centralized point for user file storage, using SMB/AFP
protocols as a standard form of file management; also known as a FTP server
o Print servers act as interface between you and printer
 SMB, Internet Printing Protocol (IPP) or Line Printer Daemon (LPD)
are protocols that enable printing
o DHCP automatically provides IP addressing information for devices connected
to networking
o DNS is a distributed system which translates IP addresses to hostnames
o Proxy Server: Routes internet access requests without the client knowing that
it’s connecting to the intermediary proxy server
 Can be used to cache frequently accessed content, provide access
control and contentfiltering, in addition to malware scanning
o Mail Server: Stores incoming mail and sends outgoing mail; also called an
SMTP server
o Authentication Server: Provides authentication via a centralized database of
credentials, RADIUS/TACACS services
 Always a redundant services
o syslog: standardized process for SIM (security info/management device) that
consolidates logs from different services onto single database
 Use WORM (Write Once/Read Many) drive technology to prevent
users from editing information
Internet appliance
o UTM Unified Threat Management device: Combines multiple security features
into single network appliance
 Network Connectivity device, router, switch, firewall, IPS, etc..
 For small offices, remote offices
o IDS Intrusion Prevention System: Network device that detects/responds to
attacks and suspicious activity; may function passively without preventing the
attack
 Active IPS: Immediately takes action against attack, updating filters and
performing reverse lookups. Traffic can be detected on network
o Endpoint Management Server: Part of an Endpoint management solution; a
policybased approach to network security. Controls the discovery and updating
of endpoint devices’ security features through an agent including synchronous
endpoint protection platforms (antimalware suites like McAfee, Norton,
Kapersky)
 Requires client devices must meet particular criteria before accessing
network resources
Legacy/embedded systems
o Embedded Systems: have integrated CPU/RAM without need for controlling
system(s) that provide network connectivity; found in HVAC home appliances
at consumer level to Supervisory Control/Data Acquisition System (SCADA)
solutions used by publicutility providers
Legacy Systems: Have been deployed for years on a network but have critical
underlying services
2.6 Explain
common network
configuration
concepts

IPv4 addresses are 32bit binary numbers represented as four octets (8bit numbers)
ranging from 0255, where each octet is separated by a period
◦ A subnet mask is associated with an IPv4 address to determine what IP subnet a
device is on; 255 represents a part of the subnet address, 0 represents the host
address. Each host has a unique host address. All hosts on the same subnet share the
same subnet address
▪ The first IP address of a network Is always reserved for the network number (0)
 IPv6 addresses are 128bit binary numbers represented as eight quartets (32bit
hexadecimal numbers) between 0 and FFFF, where each quartet is separated by a colon
◦ Shorten by omitting leading 0s within a quartet, expressing consecutive 0s within a
block as a double colon ::
◦ Network Prefix: First 64 bits that identify the Geographic Location, ISP, Network,
and Subnet
◦ Node/Network Address: Remaining 64 bits
◦ Private IPv6: fc00::/7
◦ IPv6 loopback address used for testing is ::1/128
◦ Benefits
▪ Some header fields dropped
▪ Less rigid length limits
▪ Packets indicate particular traffic type
▪ Support for data integrity/confidentiality
IP Addressing
 Default Class
◦ A 1.0.0.0 to 126.255.255.255, 255.0.0.0
◦ B 128.0.0.0 to 191.255.255.255, 255.255.0.0
◦ C 192.0.0.0 to 223.255.255.255, 255.255.255.0
 Private Network Addresses
◦ 224.0.0.0 to 239.255.255.255 Multicast Groups
◦ 240.0.0.0 to 255.255.255.255 Reserved
◦ 127.0.0.0 Local host
◦ 10.0.0.0 to 10.255.255.255 Class A Private
◦ 172.16.0.0 to 172.31.255.255 Class B Private
◦ 192.168.0.0 to 192.158.255.255 Class C Private
 Static Assignment
◦ IP configuration information is manually configured on the given host. Includes IP
address, Subnet mask, Default gateway router address, and DNS server address
parameters
▪ Practical only for networks that don’t change with little hosts, or for hosts which
must always have the same IP addresses (servers, printers, routers)
▪ Disables APIPA/DHCP functions on host
 Dynamic Assignment
◦ Dynamic IP addresses are those obtained from a DHCP server to assign clients a
unique IP address assignment lease to identify how long the client is to use the IP
address.
▪ DHCP server is configured with a scope: Range of assignable IP addresses,
subnet mask, DNS server address, gateway address
▪ Client periodically contacts DHCP server, either upon reboot or to renew lease
on IP address
▪ DHCP broadcasts are enabled between subnets via IP helper/DHCP relay on
appropriate routers
▪ Most Routers may not forward broadcasts (including DHCP broadcast
messages), thus install seperate DHCP servers on each segment or implement
DHCP forwarding agent software
◦ IP reservations associate the MAC address of a device to a specific IP address
 APIPA
◦ Assigns temporary IP address and mask to a host if DHCP server is unreachable,

2.7 Compare and
contrast Internet
connection types,
network types, and
their features
enabling communications within a single subnet but not between networks
◦ Enabled by default on most OS’s
◦ ARP (Address Resolution Protocol) frame broadcast guarentees that that hosts will
be assigned unique IPs
◦ Reserves IP address ranges 169.254.1.0 through 169.254.254.255
Link local
◦ Required on all IPv4 hosts to allow communication on local subnet but not to
outside subnets
◦ Required on all IPv6 hosts, these are IPv6 addresses that have an FE80 and all 0s
▪ Each interface can have multiple addresses so you could communicate outside
of local subnet, but packets destined for linklocal addresses on different subnets
cannot be forwarded by routers.
▪ Used for automatic address configuration, neighbor discovery, or for subnets
without routers
DNS
DHCP
 DHCP relay address/IPhelper address is configured on routers to enable DHCP
broadcasts between subnets, allowing for DHCP server redundancy
◦ Broadcast
▪ DHCP Discover request sent out by client on UDP port 67 to identify DHCP
servers on networkbased
▪ DHCP Offer request is received by a DHCP server and the server advertises an
available IP address using UDP port 68
▪ DHCP Request is sent to DHCP server by client to accept the first offered
address
▪ DHCP Acknowledgment is sent by DHCP server to respond to DHCP request to
least IP addressing information to client
◦ IP addressing
Subnet mask
Gateway
 A networked device that provides an entry point into another network or Internet
VPN
 A system that uses a public network to create a private encrypted connection between
remote locations
 VPN types
◦ Remote Access: Connects host to network remotely
◦ Client to Site: Connects host to network
◦ Site to Site: Enables connectivity between two networks
 VPN concentrator is dedicated device that manages encrypted connections over an
untrusted network
 SSL VPN connection doesn't need dedicated VPN client application
VLAN
 Logical grouping of computers that allow hosts to act as if they were attached to the
same broadcast domain regardless
Internet connection types
 Cable
◦ Existing cable TV lines provide bandwidth for internet access and bandwidth is
shared by consumer base
▪ Latency increases with more customers online at a time
▪ generally faster than DSL; Download transfer rates from 5 Mbps to 150 Mbps,
with slower upload speeds
▪ RG6 cable connects to cable modem w/ Fconnector, cable modem has RJ45
connector for patching to router or NIC
 DSL: Offers highspeed full digital transmission over existing phone lines, users can talk
and send data at same time
◦ DSL interface connects to phone line and eventually to router





◦ Variations
▪ Asymmetrical DSL (ASDL) provides different download and upload speeds
 Upload bandwidth slower than download bandwidth
 For homes/small business, not recommended for hosting internet services;
most common type of DSL access
 Allows regular analog phone calls & digital access on same line at same
time (broadband multiplexing), splitters required to separate analog signals
from digital signals
 852 Mbps down/116 Mbps up data transfer rates
▪ Symmetrical DSL (SDSL) provides equal download and upload speeds
 Simultaneous voice and data is not supported.
 Entire line used for data, splitters not required because voice traffic does not
exist on the line.
 This is a viable option for organizations that wish to host internet services
(like a web server).
 1.55 Mbps Max data transfer rates
Fiber
◦ FTTP (Fiber to the premises) disburses internet connectivity through fiber optic line
which changes to twistedpair or coaxial cable connection
▪ Fiber to the ‘x’ defines point where fiber line ends; FTTN (Fiber to the
neighborhood), FTTC (Fiber to the wiring cabinet), FTTdp (fiber to the
distribution point), FTTD (Fiber to the desktop)
▪ 100 Mbps/1000 Mbps download speeds, upload speeds are less
Dialup
◦ Makes use of traditional analog telephone lines with an RJ11 connection to a
modem (not a NIC!)
◦ Limited to 56 Kbps, Inexpensive
▪ Modem sends data in serial fashion, one bit at a time, and UART converts data
into parallel data sent out to processor
▪ Back then used DE9 serial port with RS232 transmission
Satellite
◦ Satellite dish connects via lineofsight to satellite
▪ Dish connects to coax cable running to switching/channeling devicetodevice
▪ Speeds similar to cable Internet accessed
▪ Susceptible to latency, electrical/natural interference
▪ Can be a oneway system with an individual upload/download link handled by
satellite and some other connection or a twoway system with upload/download
links handled by satellite
ISDN Integrated Services Digital Network
◦ Offers digital communications over existing POTS/T1 lines, combats limitations of
PSTN [but doesn’t make use of it] by allowing users to send data and talk on phone
all from one line-by-line
▪ RJ-11 connection interface to modem
▪ BRI (Basic Rate)
 128 Kbps, Two B equal B channels at 64 Kbps for data, one separate 16
Kbps D channel for timing. Configure channels for voice/data, or bond B
channels for faster data speed
 4 wires on existing POTS installation
▪ PRI (Primary Rate)
1.6 Mbps on T1 circuit, provides 23 equal 64 Kbps data channels and 1 64
Kbps D channel for timing
Additional wireless services
◦ Cellular Network Technologies
▪ Antennas placed at corners of geographical cells to provide WAN connectivity
 3G offers simultaneous voice/data, with minimum speeds for stationary
users at 2 Mbps or higher
◦ HSPA+/Smart antenna uses MIMO to increase data throguhput/link
range without increased transmit power/bandwidth
◦ LTE standard supports downlaod rates of 150 Mbps; LTE advanced
doubled that
 4G uses MIMO to increase minimum speeds to 8100 Mbps
◦ Not compatible with 3G
◦ Lineofsight Wireless services
▪ WiMAX used to deliver speeds up to 1 Gbps for stationary users; a longdistance
line of sight internet service
▪ Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) is a longdistance wireless radar
technology that sends out RF energy to be captured by/powering on ‘tags’,
which are put on anything we like to track.
 Active RFID tags are those which are AC powered and are suitable for
readers that track items over large distances
 Used in retail to track inventory and protect against theft, for authentication
as part of access control solution, and in smartphones
 NFC (Near Field Communication) is a nearfield communication technology
where devices are placed in close proximity within line of site to share data
◦ Readers are locked down for a specific purpose, like wireless payments,
eticket readers
◦ Implementation Modes
▪ card emulation: NFC device works as contact list smart card
▪ peer to peer: half duplex communications
▪ reader/writer: active device reads from a passive device
▪ IR Devices use haptic communication for sharing data wirelessly
▪ Bluetooth Devices are paired using a code to share data wirelessly
▪ Tethering connects devices to share data, namely internet connection
 Examples of tethering methods used in mobile Internet connection include
Bluetooth, WiFi, USB cable
Network Types
 LAN
◦ A group of devices that share the same broadcast domain.
▪ Isolate LANs to decrease traffic and increase security
 No devices on separate networks are allowed to communicate across VLAN
separation
▪ Use VLANs to logically separate different networks into (2) pieces, like a
switch does
 WAN
◦ Group of geographicallyisolated LANs connected to form large internetwork over a
large geographic area.
▪ i.e., Enterprise with one LAN in New York and another LAN California OR
Internet
 ISP provides router for highspeed link between locations
 PAN
◦ Limitedrange network used for data transmission among personal devices
 MAN
◦ Metropolitan area network; covers few city blocks to as wide as a metropolitan city,
same need for highspeed link as WAN
 WMN (Wireless Mesh Network)
◦ Multiple wireless access points have multiple connections to one another and are
used on the same channel to provide coverage in larger environments with the
defining feature being that it uses a mesh topology
▪ Aps are not physically cabled to wired port like a traditional AP/wireless
extenders


2.8 Given a
scenario, use
appropriate
networking tools








3.1 Explain basic
cable types,
features, and their
purposes

Centralized management, Greater redundancy at high price point as APs
must have buildin mesh capability
▪ SOHO equivalent is referred to as mesh Wifi or WiFi ad hoc
 PAN comprises wireless devices i.e., Bluetooth, wireless USB, Zigbee, with
no AP but may be controlled by hub
WWAN
o Uses cell towers that provide wireless signal coverage for mobile devices
Crimper
o Attaches connectors to wires
Cable stripper
o Strips portion of plastic jacket off cable to expose individual wires
Multimeter
o Tests electrical properties like AC/DC voltage, current (amps), resistance
(ohms), capacitance, and frequency
o Test continuity and resistance only when there is no electrical flow through the
parts being tested, otherwise could result in damage to testing equipment
 Tests include fuse impedance (ohms) and continuity in a network cable
Tone generator/prober
o Traces end of wire from known endpoint to termination point; a sound at probe
indicates generated tone has been detected and the wire is the termination point
for the targeted wire, used to locate cable in cabling bundle or trace individual
wires in cable
Cable tester
o Verifies that the cable can carry a signal from one end to the other but only tests
one pair of wires at a time; Signal returns too early indicates breakage in cable
 Highend cable testers check for miswire conditions (reversals, shorts,
open circuits)
 TimeDomain Reflectometer finds breaks in copper network cables
 Optical TimeDomain Reflectometer finds breaks in fiberoptic cabling
Loopback plug
o Reflects signal from transmit port to receive port on the same device, used to
simulate a network connection thus verifing a device can both send and receive
signals
o Can be used to find which port an RJ45 jack is connected to, test a nework
adapter not connected to network, or test NIC where failure in loopback test
indicates faulty NIC
Punchdown tool
o Punches individual wires down into the 110 IDC clips of an RJ45 jack and the
patch panel; point of actual terminations
Wifi analyzer
o Identifies wireless networks on 2.4/5 GHz frequencies, showing channels used
by neighboring wireless networks, overlapping between networks and yours,
signal strength of APs
3.0 Hardware
Network Cables
o Cables that use electricity to send info: copper wires as transmission medium
 Twisted Pair: Copper wires twisted as pairs (eliminates EMI) throughout
entire length of cable
o Patch cable: Used for connecting workstations to network devices,
straight through cable
o Unshielded twisted pair (UTP) cabling most common, easier to
work with than shielded twisted pair
 Disadvantages
 can run only 100m before signal attenuation occurs

o
o
o
o
susceptible to EMI and unauthorized network
access in form of wiretapping since encased in
plastic w/o shielding
Plenum
 Plastic jacket on UTP cables hazardous in case of fire; if
installed in certain spaces of buildings (plenum) with a lot
of airflow, the cable must be plenum rated, made of
lowsmoke and lowflame materials
UTP Cable Types: rated based on how much network bandwidth
the cable supports
 Each cable can be substituted for any category below it,
but never for category above
 Category 5
 Rated for 100 Mbps networks (100 MHz)
 Minimum requirement for twistedpair copper
cabling in modern networks
o 100 meter cable segment length
 Category 5e
 Rated for 100 Mbps networks (100 MHz) AND 1
Gbps networks (350 MHz)
 Category 6/6a
 Rated for 1000 Mbps AND 10 Gbps networks (250
MHz/500 MHz)
o 6A allows for cable segment length of 100
meters, while its base counterpart only
allowed a limited range of 55 meters
 Category 7/7a
 Rated for 1000 Mbps AND 10 Gbps networks (600
MHz/1000 MHz)
56A, 56B Cabling Standards
 568A pinouts
o GW
o G
o OW
o B
o BW
o O
o BrW
o Br
 568B pinouts
o OW
o O
o GW
o B
o BW
o G
o BrW
o Br
 Stripe, Solid, Stripe, Solid
 Brown (7/8) and blue (4/5) never move
 A is green, then orange. B is orange, then green
Cable types
 Straightthrough: 586B on each end connects different
devices a computer to switch

o


Crossover: 586A on one end 586B on another connects
similar devices to another a computer to a computer,
allowing for direct connection between PCs
 Certain pins are ‘crossed over’ from 586B to 586A
 Basis for loopback
Shielded twisted pair (STP) electrically conductive material ‘shield’
wrapped around twisted pair to be resistant to EMI and wiretapping;
lot more expensive and harder to install and shielding must have a
drain wire to act as ground to absorb said EMI
Coaxial
o Characteristics
 Single conductor surrounded by insulating material, which
is then surrounded by copper screen, and finally, an outer
plastic sheath
 Protects against EMI
 Ftype connectors screw onto terminals
 Must be substituted with the same impedance /resistance
rating (ohms)
o Cable Grades
 RG59
 Suitable for shortdistance cable runs
 Used for analog video/CCTV installations
 50 Ohms
 RG6
 Suitable for longdistance cable runs
 Used for cable modems, cable/satellite television
 75 Ohms
 Minimum bandwidth 1 GHz (1 Gbps) variable
speed depending on transmission type
 Derivatives
o RG6/U double shielded
o RG6/UQquadrupleshielded
o Cables that use light to send info: glass/plastic as transmission medium
 Fiber Optic: Speed dependent on optics, capable of supporting
up to 10 Gbps networks
o Types
 SingleMode
 Smaller core diameter, longer distances
(100 km), Costs more than multimode
fiber optics
 Laser as source of light
 Yellow Sheath
 Multimode
 Shorter distances (2 km) b/c of modal
dispersion
 LED as source of light
 Orange/Aqua Sheath
o Resistant to eavesdropping/EMI, longer distances
supported
Video Cables
o DVI
 Uncompressed video, high quality for LCD
 DVII supports digital/analog transmission
 DVID:support digital signal transmission
 DVIA: support analog signal transmission
May require AC connection for lengths over 1m

HDMI
 Can carry signal, video/digital audio signals
 Type A: All HD modes
 19pin connector
 Type B: Doublevideo bandwidth, higher resolutions
 Type C: MiniHDMI
 Used with portable devices like camcorders, digital cameras
 Type D: MicroHDMI
 Type E: Automobiles
 May require AC connection for lengths over 1m
o DP
 Can carry video/digital audio signals; same as HDMI
 Locking tab
 Packet transmission
 Mini version appleproprietary
o VGA
 Legacy video cable that carries Video and Analog signal
 Three row 15pin connector; often blue
 DE15, DB15, HD15
 Dsub connector applications
Peripheral Cables
Hard Drive Cables
Adapters
o DVIA to VGA and DVII to VGA enable DVItoVGA connectivity
o USBtoEthernet converters enable 802.3 connectivity
o



3.2 Identify
Common Connector
Types









BNC
o Connector with bayonet lock mechanism
o Copper cabling connector, coaxial cabling
FType
o Used for RG59 and RG60 coaxial cabling
o Connector with screwon lock mechanism
RJ11
o Twisted pair copper cabling used for dialup networking, telephone equipment
o Smaller than RJ11 contains 6 wires (uses 4)
RJ45
o Twisted pair copper cabling used with Ethernet (IEEE 802.3)
o Larger than RJ11
o 8P8C connector
Fiber-Optic Connectors
o ST (settwist)
o SC (setclick)
o LC (liftclick, littleclick)
RS232
o Older serial cable used for connecting modems, printers, mice, other peripherals
o Dsub connector applications
 DE9, DB25
DB9
o 9pin connector used with Serial data interface (RS232)
o Management (console port) on routers
Molex
o Common connector type that provides power to hardware
USB







Versions
o USB 1.1
 Max Data Transfer: 1.5 Mbps (low speed)
 Max Data Transfer: 12 Mbps (full speed)
o USB 2.0 (High Speed)
 Max Data Transfer: 480 Mbps
 5 meters
o USB 3.0 (Super Speed)
 Max Data Transfer: 5 Gbps
 3 meters
o USB 3.1 (Super Speed+)
 Max Data Transfer: 10 Gbps
o USB 3.2 (Super Speed+)
 Max Data Transfer: 20 Gbps
USB Standard Specifications
o Type A connectors can be attached to host devices, devices that supply power
 Backward compatibility w/ earlier USB standards
o Type B connectors can be attached to target devices, devices that receive power
o Max number USB devices connected to single host controller is 127
o Mini/Micro for mobile devices
o Daisy chain up to 5 hubs for single USB port
USBC:
o Smartphones after 2017
o Reversible USB connector
Lightning: Apple proprietary
o 8pin, insert face up or down
o USB3.0 Speeds (10 GBps)
o Higher throughput than micro/macro
Thunderbolt: Intel proprietary but used on Macs
o Maximum copper cable distance 3 meters, Maximum optical cable length 60
meters
o Able to put data/power on same cable
o Daisy chain up to 6 different devices end to end on single port
o Capability to send PCIe/DP data/power over single cable
o Version 1
 MiniDP connector
 Max Data Transfer: 20 Gbps
o Version 2
 MiniDP connector
 20 Gbps (Over aggregation of channels)
o Version 3
 USBC connector
 PCIe 3.0 required
 Max Data Transfer: 40 Gbps
Serial RS232
o Serial cable used for connecting modems, printers, mice, and other peripheral
devices
o 9/25 wires
Cabling Types for Mass Storage
o SATA/Serial ATA (IEEE 1394)
 Used to provide power to SATA drives
 7pin data connector
 15pin power connector

3.3 Given a
scenario, install
RAM types.





Single SATA data cable connects a motherboard slot with only 1
device, unlike PATA
 SATA Revisions
 SATA 1.0
o 1.5 Gbit/s transfer rate, max. length 1 meter
 SATA 2.0
o 3 Gbit/s transfer rate, max. length 1 meter
 SATA 3.0
o 6 Gbit/s transfer rate, max. length 1 meter
 SATA 3.2
o 16 Gbit/s transfer rate, max. length 1 meter
 SATA Drive itself supports SATA/Molex power connector
o PATA/Integrated Drive Electronics (IDE) (IEEE 1284)
 Parallel, 40pin connectors, 4pin molex power connector
 40pin/80pin wires, ribbon cable with max. Length 18 inches
 Support max. 2 drives attached through single PATA cable
 Configure each drive with jumper designating as master
primary drive and slave secondary drive
 Cable select jumper option automatically configures according
to position
o SCSI
 Parallel transfer technology that supports max. 16 devices on bus
 LUN identifies logical partitions on SCSI hard drive
 SCSI ID identifies physical device on SCSI chain
 Serial Attached SCSI (SAS/SASv4)
 Data transfers up to 23 Gbps
 Serial interface
 Pointtopoint connection
 Does not require bus termination
ROM, PROM are memory types that store permanent data that cannot be changed
EEPROM, EPROM are erasable nonvolatile memory types
VRAM is special purpose memory used by graphics controllers
Static Random Access Memory (SRAM): Volatile storage media type used for CPU
cache memory- instructions/data
 L3 cache: shared by all cores of a CPU
 L1 cache: Located directly on the processor; fixed (internal) cache,
operates at same speed of processor
 L2 cache: Ondie or built into motherboard; enable/disable from CMOS
o Faster, but more expensive than DRAM
Dynamic Random Access Memory (DRAM)
o Volatile storage media type used as system’s primary storage media; regular
RAM modules installed in memory slots
o Slower, less expensive than SRAM
 Synchronous Dynamic Random Access Memory (SDRAM)
encompasses broad range of DRAM modules that rely on system clock
signals to synchronize memory operation with internal components
 No backwards compatibility or option to mix SDRAM modules
 DDR2
o 1 notch on module contact surface
o Reads/writes 4 words of data per clock cycle
o 240pin
 200pin SODIMM
o DDR21066 > PC28500
o DDR2800 > PC26400




3.4 Given a
scenario, select,
install and configure
storage devices

o DDR2533 > 4266 MB/s
 DDR3
o 1 notch on the module contact surface
o 240pin
 204pin SODIMM
o Reads/writes 8 words of data per clock cycle
o DDR31333 > PC310600
o DDR31600 > 12800 MB/s
 DDR4
o 1 notch on the module contact surface
o 288pin
 260pin SODIMM
o Reads/writes 8 words of data per clock cycle
o DDR42133 > 17066 MB/S
o DDR42666 > PC421300
o DDR43200 > 25600 MB/s
SODIMM are compact memory used for laptop PCs
Must install memory modules of matching types, speeds, same capacity, and in
appropriate (colorcoded) slots in motherboard to utilize multichannel architecture
o Single channel
 64 bit address bus, all sticks share the same channel
o Dual channel
 128 bit address bus
o Triple channel
 192 bit address bus
 3 memory modules
Error correcting
o ECC detects and corrects RAM errors
o Slowest, most expensive, for Server systems
Parity vs. nonparity
o Stores extra parity bit for error detection only, used for systems which require
data integrity
Optical drives
o CDROM
 Read only memory
 Installs like SATA
 Capacity 700 MB; 80 minutes of uncompressed audio
 CDRW
 Rewritable
 1/2 max speed of CDR (Recordable)
 Capacity 700 MB
o DVDROM
 4.7 GB (single layer, single sided)
 17 GB (dual layer, quad layer)
 DVDR/RW
 DVD Read and Rewriteable
 DVD-RW DL
 8.5 GB Rewritable dual-layer DVD
o Bluray
 25 GB for singlelayer
 50 GB for duallayer
 Default 1x speed: 36 Mb/s (4.5MB/s) data rate
o BDR
 BlueRay Disc Recordable

o




Write once, read many (WORM)
BDRE
 BlueRay Disc Recordable Erasable
 Can be erased and written to many times
o Bluray minidisc
 Singlelayer: 7.8 GB data
 Duallayer 15.6 GB data
Solidstate drives
o M2 drives
 SFF interface without power cables/data cables needed, 12 keys from A
to M that correspond to notch pin locations
 B/M used for solidestate storage
 B key, M key, B + M key (compatibility)
o B key: PCIe x2, slower r/w
o M key: PCIe x4 faster r/w
 Faster than SATA
 Direct access to PCIe bus
o NVME
 Logical device interface used to access nonvolative memory storage
devices attached via PCIe
 Tend to run hot, adding one requires loss of PCIe slot and competition
for bandwidth w/ GPU
o 2.5” common form factor for SSD SATA drives
Magnetic hard drives
o 5,400rpm, 7,200rpm, 10,000rpm, 15,000rpm; rotational latency decreases with
rpm
 Latency for a 7200 rpm SATA magneticbased HDD is 4.2 ms
o Sizes:
 2.5
 3.5
Hybrid drives
o SSD caches slower spinning hard drive data, cache writes to hard hardrive
o Same form factor and interface as hard drive
o High performance/capacity of SSD at low device cost like HDD
Flash
o SD card
 Quicker R/W than USB, using solidstate NAND memory
 Eject prior to removal
 SDHC: 32 GB capacity
 SDXC: 2 TB capacity, 90 MB/s transfer
 SDUC: 128 TB capacity, 1 GB/s transfer, SD express bus
o CompactFlash
 Longer than SD cards, used in digital cameras (Type 1), microdrives
(Type 2)
 32 GB max capaciy, 133 MBs transfer
 Read
 ATA/IDE
 PCMCIA storage device w/ reader
 USB
 FireWire
 PC card slot w/ plug adapter
o MicroSD card
 Smaller than MiniSD;Smartphones
o MiniSD card

o

3.5 Given a
scenario, install and
configure
motherboards,
CPUs, and addon
cards

Larger than MicroSD
xD
 Proprietary flash technology used in digital cameras
Configurations
o RAID Arrays
 Combines disk drives into single logical unit to increase volume size,
performance, reliability
 RAID 0 "Scary striping"
 Stripe data across min. 2 drives for speed
 Functional failures: 0
 RAID 1 "Mirroring/Duplexing"
 Copies of identical data spread across min. 2 drives (w/ same
drive letter) for fault tolerance
o Mirroring: Each disk is connected to same controller
o Duplexing: Each disk is connected to a seperate
controller; faster than mirroring since one controller
doesn't write same data 2x
 Functional failures: 1
 One disk worth of space is used to mirror data
 RAID 5 "Striping w/ reduced parity"
 Stripe data across min. 3 disks and add extra parity bit so if one
disk fails we reconstruct the data with parity info
 Fault tolerance and redundancy
 Most efficient with disk space
 Functional failures: 1
 One disk worth of space is used for parity info
 RAID 10/1+0 "Striped set from mirrored drives"
 Combine RAID 1/RAID 0 with a min. 4 drives 2 mirrored disks
are then striped
 Functional failures: 2
 Two disks worth of space is used in this configuration
 Sustain multiple drive losses as long as no mirror loses all its
drives
 RAID 0+1
 Continues working if both failed disks are in same set, fails
otherwise
o Hot swappable
 Ability to replace drives without interrupting system operations
 Provides faulttolerance (in this context, the ability for a fault to appear
as if it never occured)
o USB, SATA, eSATA
Motherboard form factor
o ATX
 12" x 9"
 Integrated port I/O plate
 RAM and Expansion Slots are perpendicular
 PSU produces 3.3V, +/12V, 5V standby
 24pin power connector
 Up to 7 expansion slots
o mATX
 6.75" x 9.6" across
 Small, lower power form factor than ATX
 Compatible with ATX form factor case
o ITX
mITX
 6.7" across
 Identical to mATX screwwise, but PSU is of a much smaller, lowpower
form factor
 HTPC/small footprint
 Smallest
Motherboard connectors types
o PCI
 Parallel interface for modems, video, sound, network adapters
 32 bit bus width
 PCIx has 64 bit bus width ; for servers
 Max transfer 533 MBps
o PCIe
 Highspeed PCI, direct connection to processor for highpower slots such
as those used by video cards (x16)
 PCIe slots must be identical to install two bridged video cards using
Nvidia SLI or AMD CrossFire technology
 Replace AGP, PCI, PCIx
 Lanes: Single fullduplex, pointtopoint path consisting of 2 pairs
of wires
 Multipliers differ based on number of lanes available in PCIe
interface
 Multipliers (x) reflect maximum throghput of entire interface
for given PCIe variant; base value (1x) reflects speed of single
lane, for instance
 Versions
 v1: 2 Gb/s per lane (250 Mb/s Max Throughput))
 v2: 4 Gb/s per lane (500 Mb/s Max Throughput))
 v3: 8 Gb/s per lane (985 Mb/s Max Throughput))
 v4: 16 Gb/s per lane (1969 Mb/s Max Throughput)
o Riser card
 Daughterboard that provides expansion card slots
 Common in proprietary cases/motherboards
o Socket types
 ZIF (zero insertion force) facilitaties insertion/removal of CPU chips in
sockets better not bend those pins!
 Intel: Land Grid Array (LGA): pins on socket
 LGA 1155 – Core i3i7, Xeon, Pentium, Celeron
 LGA 2011 – Core i7, Xeon
 LGA 2066 – Core i5 i9
 AMD: Pin Grid Array (PGA): Used for desktops empty sockets, pins on
CPU
o SATA
 7pin SATA connectors
 18pin eSATA connectors
 Serial interface
 Lshape design to prevent improper insertion
 Hotswappable interface
 Enables connecting storage devices
o IDE/PATA
 40pin IDE/PATA connectors dispersed through 2 rows
 Parallel interface
 Enables connecting storage devices
o Front panel connector
 Pin plugs are labeled to connect to front panel buttons/LEDs
o

Internal USB connector
 Labeled at edge of motherboard; 3.0 is wider (w/ more pins) and more
chunky than 2.0
BIOS/UEFI settings
o UEFI features
 Mouse support
 DRM support
 GUI mode
 Secure boot: Enabled on UEFI systems to prevent rootkit malware from
laucnhing tampered bootloaders, requiring bootloaders to be signed
 Windows/Linux support
 Replacement for BIOS
 Direct Network Access
o Reset BIOS configuration settings
 Use motherboard jumper
 Reset CMOS battery
 Choose default configuration option in BIOS interface
o Interface Configurations
 Fast Startup
 Feature in Windows 8 onward that allows quick startup without
actually shutting down all the way
 Disable in Control Panel/Power Options
 Viewing Detailed info about CPU, RAM, HDDs, and configuring thier
parameters
 Enabling/disabling integrated hardware interfaces
 Enabling/disabling of features such as virtualization support
 Configure Preboot eXecution Enviornment (PXE) to allow network
cards to boot off a network and request OS installation from a server
 Can be configured within Windows or in removable media
o Boot options
 Set boot priority (boot sequence) for devices to change order in which
they're accessed
 Boot order issues manifest in black screen with blinking white
underscore
o Firmware updates
 BIOS/UEFI version typically seen on splash screen;
 Windows
o System Information
o msinfo32.exe provides basic info about BIOS
 Olderstyle ROMs; Newerstyle flash memory
 Update BIOS for specific reason i.e. new CPU installation
 Potential to compromise system
 Get copy of current version to rollback firmware
 Newer MOBOs may have multiple BIOS versions
 Have reliable power source. Use UPS, if possible
 Read BIOS documentation, check OS prerequisites
 Update options: Executable on desktop, Flashdrive
 May check for prerequisites, but don't rely on it
o Security settings
 Chasis Intrusion Detection

Passwords
 User/BIOS password to authenticate user for logging into OS
 Admin/Supervisor password to authenticate admin before
changing BIOS/UEFI settings

Drive encryption
o







 Everything written onto disk is encrypted
TPM
 A chip on motherboard that stores encryption keys, builtin on
some systems
 Windows Bitlocker Fulldisk Encryption integrates withna TPM
by storing key on hardware with a TPM
LoJack
 Application agent resides in OS to send tracking signals that
enable location/recovery of device
 Persistence Module restores application agent in event of
reformatting, resides in system BIOS
CMOS battery
o Retains CMOS time/date in CMOS RAM;
o Older systems had CMOS battery maintain BIOS configuration settings. These
are now found in EEPROM and Flash memory
o Shelf live 210 years
Updated information about replacement hardware can be found in Flash memory and
CMOS RAM
CPU features
o Singlecore
 One execution unit/pipeline
 Hyperthreading (HTT) allows Singlecore CPUS to handle 2
threads (instruction sets) at a time, but requires OS support
o Multicore
 2 or more cores on single CPU can calculate two or more instruction
sets simultaneously
 Combined with HTT, an 8 core CPU handles 2 threads at a time for a
total of 16 threads
 OS must be designed to work with multicore processors (will not work
if designed for single-core processor)
o Virtualization
 Intel VTx and AMDV technologies
o Hyperthreading
 Splits single CPU core into two virtual cores that can be used
simultanously by an OS
o Speeds
 GhZ
 Multilevel Cache provides the CPU with quick access to data
 RISC is a CPU design based on an instruction set that attempts to
improve speed by utilizing few instructions
o Overclocking
 Increase base clock through CMOS jumper/software
 Improper configuration can cause instability or damage CPU
 Symptoms: Lockups, unexpected shutdowns/reboots
 Clear CMOS to restore defaults
 AMD overdrive and Intel XTU utilities
o Signs of failing CPU include it running beyong reccoemended voltage range for
extended period
o Integrated GPU
 GPU is integrated into CPU, providing a lower watt usage than
dedicated GPU
Compatibility
o Motherboard Chipset/Socket determine make and model of CPU
 AMD
 AM3+, AM4, FM2



3.6 Explain the
purposes and uses
of various
peripheral types




Intel
 LGA 1155, 2011, 2066
Cooling mechanism
o Fans: Exhaust heat with airflow, but generate more noise
o Heat sink: Metal fins draw heat from CPU; can be active (w/ fans) or passive
 Attach securely and provide thermal paste or will cause intermittent
reboots from overheating as a result of gap between CPU and heatsink
o Liquid:
 Liquid Cooling Kit typically comes with CPU water block, pump, fan,
tubing, and coolant
 Improved heat dissipation, higher overclocking rates
 Pumps prone to faults, leak risk, overheating from result of air being
trapped in lines
 Gaming, Virtualization, CAD, AV editing, maybe servers
o Thermal paste
 CPU cap needs small amount
 Reapply compound when reinstalling or removing heatsink
Expansion cards
o Video cards
 Comprised of GPU unit and RAM
 Installation considerations
 Expansion bus slot type, size of card
 Power connectors (6 or 8 pin)
 Cooling
 Installation
 ESD protection necessary

Onboard Video
 Integrated GPU built onto Motherboard
 Common in laptops
 Disable in BIOS

Addon card
o Sound cards
 Integrated or installed in PCIe slot
 Plugin through analog or digital connections
o Network interface card
 Specific to network connect to
 Multiport NICs for server systems
 Team together for link aggregation to combine bandwidth
o USB expansion card
 Extends USB ports
o eSATA card
Dedicated expansion card for attaching external storage devices
Printer
o Have Input AND output functions
ADF/flatbed scanner
o ADF eliminates need to manually place each individual page of a multipage
document in the device
o Flatbed scanner has user manually place each individual page on glass surface
Barcode scanner/QR scanner
o Read product UPC barcodes or QR codes to track inventory on management
databases
 PoS, Warehouse Management
o QR code scanner built into many smartphones
o Configure reader by scanning in test barcodes to calibrate

Monitors
o LCD



o











LED

Active matrix display consists of sheets of polarized material
surrounding a liquid crystal solution
 Older LCDs use cathode florescent lamp and inverter
TN: Liquid crystals twist/untwist
IPS: Aligns liquid crystals to glass, requiring more power given
transistors for each pixel but better viewing angles/color representation
than TN
LCD monitors with lightemitting diode
 WLED: white light emitting diode
 OLED: organic compound used as lighting material
VR headset
o Integrated GPU built into headset; often wireless
Optical drive types
o See optical disks
Mouse
o Controls GUI
o Windows: Settings > Mouse Control Panel
o Erratic mouse movement may be caused by incorrect driver, need for cleaning
(if a trackball mouse) or uneven surface (Especially in optical mice)
Keyboard
o May have proprietary keys
 Windows Modifier Key
 Apple
 Control Ctrl, Option Alt
 MacOS Mofidier key Command
Touchpad
o Laptop peripheral to control GUI
o Multitouch gestures on MacOS (System Preferences)
Signature pad
o Digitizer> Take analog input and convert to digital output
Game controllers
o Configure in Windows: Devices and Printers
Camera/webcam
o Cameras in/on monitor
Microphone
o Voice capture to digital data, typically mic port or USB if attached to headset
Speakers
o Line in Blue
o Line out Green
o Mic Pink
Projector
o Lumens/brightness: Measurement for light output, small rooms should use
around 1000 lumens, and medium rooms should use double that
 Metal hallide provides most lumens for form factor w/ greater heat
o Keep from overheating
 Ventilation
 Lower brightness
 Clean dust regularly
 Replace filters regularly
o Displays blurry images
 Clean lens, lower desktop resolution to keep w/ projector resolution,





3.7 Summarize
power supply types
and features.





3.8 Given a
scenario, select and
configure
appropriate
components for a
custom PC
configuration to
meet customer
specifications or
needs







adjust focus
External storage drives
o USBs connect to roothub
o Windows: Device Manager OR Run msinfo32
KVM
o Input and output functions
o Keyboard, mouse, video switch to enable multiple computers to be controlled
by single keyboard or the reverse
Magnetic reader/chip reader
o Used to process electronic transactions
NFC/tap pay device
o Contactless payment with NFC or proprietary tech
Smart card reader
o Accepts smart card as token for authentication
Used to control access to resources
Input 115V vs. 220V
o Fixed Input: Manually adjust PSU input with switch
o Auto switching: Automatic adjustment according to incoming AC voltage
(100240V)
Output 5V vs. 12V
o +12V power supplied to larger power hungry components like drive motors and
PCIe peripherals
o 12V supplied to older serial ports, PCI cards, integrated network
o 5V largely deprecated but supplied to legacy devices (ISA bus cards)
o 5V standby supplied to motherboard even when off
o 5V/3.3V supplied to smaller components such as memory/m.2 slots
24pin motherboard adapter
o Main connector for modern ATX systems, P1 connector
o EATX12V 8pin CPU connector may be used to provide extra power
Wattage rating
o Measures power output of a PSU
o TDP (Thermal Design Power) of CPU is measured in watts, where less wattage
rating = less cooling system must dissipate generated heat
Number of devices/types of devices to be powered
Add up MAX power consumption of devices to get accurate wattage requirement
Graphic/CAD/CAM design workstation
o SSD
o Highend video
o Maximum RAM
Audio/video editing workstation
o Specialized audio and video card
o Large, fast hard drive
o Dual monitors
Virtualization workstation
o Maximum RAM and CPU cores
Gaming PC
o SSD
o Highend video/specialized GPU
o Highdefinition sound card
o Highend cooling
Network attached storage device
o Media streaming
o File sharing


3.9 Given a
scenario, install and
configure common
devices


3.10 Given a
scenario, configure
SOHO
multifunction
devices/printers and
settings.



o Gigabit NIC
o RAID array
o Hard drive
Standard thick client
o Desktop applications
o Meets recommended requirements for selected OS
Thin client
o Basic applications
o Meets minimum requirements for selected OS
o Network connectivity
Desktop
o Thin client
o Thick client
o Account setup/settings
Laptop/common mobile devices
o Touchpad configuration/Touchscreen configuration
 Calibrate in ChromeOS: Settings > Device, Calibrate in Windows:
Control Panel
o Application installations/configurations
o Synchronization settings
o Account setup/settings
o Wireless settings
Use appropriate drivers for a given operating system
o Configuration settings
 Configuring printers in Windows
 Control Panel > Devices and Printers > Printer Preferences
o Duplex: Printing on both sides of paper (if printer is capable)
o Collate: Printing documents in standard order
o Orientation: Landscape or portrait
o Quality: Print resolution (DPI) of document, where higher DPI indicates more
crisp quality
Device sharing
o Wired
o USB
o Serial
o Ethernet
o Wireless
o Bluetooth
o 802.11(a, b, g, n, ac)
o Infrastructure vs. ad hoc
o Integrated print server (hardware)
 Print jobs are managed and queued inside printing device
 Delete, change print job priority on printer directly, either
remotely through a webbased frontend, application, or on
printer directly
o Cloud printing/remote printing
 Allows printing from mobile device to cloud, which circulates print jobs
down to printer
Public/shared devices
o Sharing local/networked device via operating system settings
 On Windows, printers are classified under two different categories:
 Local “public” printers
o Connect directly to a local host via USB/serial interface
Installing printer locally and accessing Ports tab allows
user to take control of network printer from remote
computer
o Add by TCP port, IP address, or hostname through
Windows Printer Wizard: ‘Add a local printer’,
manually install drivers
 File/Printer sharing to share printer
 Printer Properties > Ports > Add port
o USB printers automatically detect & install
 Networkconnected “shared” printers
o Connect directly to network via RJ45/networking
interface, printers are treated as a shared resource for all
users on network
 Step 1: Enable sharing Control Panel >
Network & Sharing Center > Change
Advanced Sharing > File/Printer Sharing
 Step 2: Share an individual printer under
Printer Poperties > Sharing Tab > Share this
Printer
o Typically deployed in enterprise organizations, where
user control is neccesary
TCP/Bonjour/AirPrint
 Apple’s Bonjour is a zeroconfiguration networking service that enables
automatic discovery of devices on LAN with IP protocol, used by Apple
devices to find printers and multifunction devices, as well as locate
music, photos, and other resources
 Apple’s AirPrint automatically downloads device drivers
Data privacy
 User authentication on the device
 Keep printer safe from unauthorized users
 Printer drivers w/ encryption
 Encrypt printer HDD
 Lock printer configuration
 Disable remote printing
 Hard drive caching: Disable or clear cache routinely
o
o
o
3.11 Given a
scenario, install and
maintain various
print technologies

Laser
o Imaging drum: holds representation of output image drawn on its surface by
laser
o Fuser assembly: applies heat & pressure to bond toner to paper
o Transfer belt: On color laser printers only; picks up color layers of image from
imaging drum before passing complete image onto paper
 Without transfer belt, the image is transferred directly from the imaging
drum to paper
o transfer roller: applies electrical charge to sheet of paper to move toned
representation of document from imaging drum onto paper
o Pickup rollers, separation pads: Prevent multiple sheets of paper from being
fed into printer at same time
o Duplexing assembly: Automatic printing on both sides of page
o Imaging process:
1.Processing: Job sent to print spooler in RAM
2.Charging: Transfer roller applies negative charge to surface of imaging
drum, negative ions associate with printing area
3.Exposing: Laser activated, image written to imaging drum so exposed
areas have lesser charge
4.Developing: Apply negatively charged toner to create developed image






4.1 Compare and
contrast cloud
computing
concepts.

on imaging drum
5.Transferring: Transfer belt transfers image from imaging drum before
passing complete image onto paper
6.Fusing: Fuse toner permanently to paper passing through assembly
7.Cleaning: Rubber blade removes residual toner on imaging drum
Maintenance: Replace toner, apply maintenance kit, calibrate, clean
o Maintenance kit consists of fuser assembly, rollers, etc
o Calibrate: for color and orientation after printer installation
 Calibration ensures sufficient color output
o Reset page count on the printer itself to know when next maintenance should
occur
o Toner vaccum, Magnetic Cleaning Brush, and Isopropyl Alcohol for cleaning
 ESD protection recommended for working inside printer
 Clean rubber rollers with soap and water
Inkjet
o Used in SOHO enviornments
o Use voltage resistor or vibrate piezo-electric crystal to push ink into print
medium
o Moves printheat & ink cartirdge to cover page, roller grabs paper from tray to
feed to printer
o Ink cartridge: Ironically the most expensive to replace
o duplexing assembly, carriage, and belt
o Calibrate: for color and orientation after printer installation
o Maintenance: Clean heads, replace cartridges, calibrate, clear jams
Thermal
o Commonly used in PoS terminal
o Excessive heat causes printer failure/paper damage
o Feed assembly, heating element
o Special thermal paper
o Maintenance: Replace paper, clean
o heating element, remove debris
Impact
o Dot Matrix Inked ribbon produces an imprint on paper
 High quality printheads come in 9, 18, 24 pins, the latter of which being
the highest quality
o Impact paper: Multi part, tractor feed
o Maintenance: Replace ribbon, replace print head, replace paper
 No calibration needed
Virtual
o Print to file
o Print to PDF
o Print to XPS
 Proprietary
o Print to image
3D printers
Plastic filament
4.0 Virtualization and Cloud Computing
Cloud Models
o SaaS
 Delivers software applications to client over Internet
 Dropbox, Office 365, Gmail
o IaaS
 Delivers infrastructure normally present in traditional data centers to
client (processing, storage, networking, routing, VM hosting)
o












PaaS

Amazon Web Services, Microsoft Azure
Delivers full solution suites for developers to build an application,
especially ability to develop/test in virtual environment
 Cloud provider responsible for complete managed platform
 Utilizes IaaS for underlying platform infrastructure
 Salesforce
o Public cloud
 Service providers offers cloud services to general public and available
to anyone on the internet (Google, Microsoft, Rackspace, Amazon)
o Private cloud
 Implemented to meet the needs of individual organizations, a Cloud
environment is created within an organization’s own internal data
center, where the organization is responsible for managing the hardware
o Hybrid cloud
 Dedicated servers located within the organization and cloud servers
from a third party are used together to form the collective network,
confidential data is likely to be keptin house
o Community cloud
 Many organizations create a larger cloud and share resources between
measured
Shared resources
Internal vs External
o Internal cloud: All resources you use are yours alone, not shared with anyone
else
 Upfront payment for networking infrastructure
 No ongoing costs except for power/cooling in data center
o External cloud: Multiple organizations share the public portion of a cloud
 No upfront payment for networking infrastructure or hardware
Rapid elasticity
o Ability to scale up/scale down resources as needed quickly and efficiently
without the end user knowing
Ondemand self service
o Ability to spin up new resource (server, application) 24/7, allowing consumers
to control volume/type of computing resources used
Resource pooling
o Practice of grouping computing resources, making them available for shared
access for multiple consumers
Measured services
o Billing model that enables cloud provider to track amount of computing
resources used by consumer
Metered services
o Billing model that has variable rates depending on the exact amount of
resources used
Offsite email applications
Cloud file storage services
Virtual application streaming/cloudbased applications
o Suitable for externallyshared resources
o Applications for mobile devices
o Applications for desktops
Virtual desktop
o VDI (Virtual Desktop Infrastructure) in cloud extends virtualized desktop
capabilities to allow users access from any OS
 Persistent VDI:


4.2 Given a
scenario, set up and
configure clientside
virtualization






5.1 Given a
scenario, use the
best practice
troubleshooting
methodology to

 Each user runs own copy of virtual desktop
 At end of session, user data/personnel settings are saved
NonPersistent VDI:
 User desktop reverts to original state at end of session
 Desktop is shared amongst multiple users
Virtual NIC
o Assigned to the server/desktop in hypervisor, emulating a physical network
interface
o Each NIC has its own MAC address and may be configured to connect to either
the virtual or physical network
Purposes of VMs
◦ Ability to run multiple guest operating systems simultaneously from one host.
▪ Facilitate testing environment or live production environments, provide server
consolidation, isolated sandbox environments and centralized management
▪ More efficient utilization of compute resources
Resource Requirements
◦ Maximum CPU cores, Maximum RAM, and a large, fast hard drive
◦ Hardwareassisted virtualization technologies (VTx and AMDV)
Emulator Requirements
◦ Emulator is software/hardware that bridges gap between different OSs by enabling
them to run software designed for incompatible OSs
Security Requirements
◦ VM escape exploits access hypervisor controlling the VMs on host. VMs need
antimalware and virtual firewall within hypervisor to monitor/filter traffic on virtual
network
▪ Implement preventative measures: Sandboxing, Patch Management
◦ VM sprawl: Large number of deployed VMs lack proper administrative control
▪ Implement preventative measures: Usage audit, Asset documentation
Network Requirements
◦ Setup virtual network interfaces
▪ Bridged networking: External/Public; Guests have direct access to host network
connection, allowing external access to other systems on the LAN and Internet
▪ NAT to existing network: Guests have access to external network, using NAT
gives them a seperate IP address on private network
▪ Hostonly networking: Private virtual network for guests, no communication
with external networks
▪ No networking: Disables networking for VM alltogether
◦ Shared network address: Virtual machine shares same IP address as physical host,
using NAT to translate between internal/external address
◦ Private addressing: VM can only communicate with other VMs on the private
network
Hypervisor
◦ Thin layer of software interfacing the VMs and hardware
◦ Type 1 Hypervisor (Bare Metal)
▪ Runs directly on host computer’s hardware
▪ VMware vSphere, HyperV (Windows Server)
◦ Type 2 Hypervisor (Hosted)
▪ Runs within OS, guests are one step removed from hardware
◦ Vmware workstation, Virtualbox, HyperV
5.0 Hardware and Network Troubleshooting
Always consider corporate policies, procedures, and impacts before implementing any
changes
◦ Identify the Problem
 Question user and identify user changes to computer, performing backups
before making changes
resolve problems
◦
◦
◦
◦
◦
5.2 Given a
scenario,
troubleshoot
problems related to
motherboards,
RAM, CPUs, and
power








◦ Duplicate issue, if possible
◦ Inquire regarding environmental/infrastructure changes
 Review system/application logs
Establish Theory of Probable Cause (Occam's Razor: Question the Obvious)
▪ Conduct external/internal research based on symptoms
Test the theory to determine cause
▪ Escalate issue to higher management if necessary
▪ Once theory is confirmed, determine next steps to resolve problem. If theory is
not confirmed, reestablish new theory or escalate
Establish plan of action to resolve problem and implement the plan
▪ Resolve the issue with a minimum amount of impact
▪ Fix the issue; escalate as necessary
Verify full system functionality and, if applicable, implement preventative measures
Document findings, actions, and outcomes
▪ Build knowledge base
Unexpected shutdowns: No warning, blank screen
◦ Details in event viewer
◦ Heat-related issue
▪ Check fans & fan sinks; BIOS shows temperatures
◦ Failing hardware
▪ Check device manager and run diagnostics
System lockups: System completely freezes
◦ Determine extent of lockup process: hard drive lights, status lights, CTRL + ALT +
DEL
◦ Examine system logs
◦ Update drivers/software patches
▪ Have any been done recently?
◦ Sometimes attributed to low RAM/storage resources
◦ Hardware diagnostics
POST code beeps
◦ Test major components
▪ Main systems: CPU, CMOS
▪ Video: May have long and short beeps, multiple short beeps
▪ Memory: 2 beeps
◦ CPU must be installed to get POST beep codes
◦ Beeps differ across BIOS manufacturers
Blank screen on bootup
◦ Listen for beeps
◦ Likely a video issue or BIOS configuration issue
◦ Check monitor connection, wall outlet if necessary
Boot errors
◦ ‘Boot error press f1 to retry’
▪ Either physical HDD isn’t detected or boot sector/MBR is damaged or missing
 Restore MBR
RAM failure
◦ Computer doesn’t start at all or presents error before attempting to boot into OS
◦ Flashing cursor on screen, numbers counting up, system beeps/freezes during
countup
▪ Issue with RAM: incompatibility, faulty, or must be reseated
Hard drive recognized in BIOS but not recognized in preinstallation enviornment
◦ Hard drive must be partitioned correctly; try using different removable media
▪ Preinstallation environment can be on removable media; it boots the system and
partitions hard drive
BIOS time/setting resets
◦ Maintained with motherboard battery; replace battery







Attempts to boot to incorrect device
◦ Set boot order in BIOS configuration
▪ Sometimes due to corrupted/missing boot files, in which case, enable boot
logging from Windows Advanced Menu & replace w/ Windows Installation
Media
◦ Confirm startup device has valid OS
◦ Check for media in startup device (disconnect USBs)
Continuous Reboots
◦ Caused by brownouts/blackouts
◦ Question how far the boot goes before rebooting: BIOS screen only, OS splash
screen, desktop?
◦ Misconfigured or corrupted OS installation (Possibly related with drivers)
▪ F8:
 Boot from last known working configuration
◦ Recently installed program/driver
 Safe mode
◦ Disable automatic restarts
◦ Overheating
▪ Excessive buildup of dust, cooling system failure
◦ Hardware failure
▪ Try removing/replacing devices
▪ Check connections and reseat
◦ Distended Capacitators
No powering
◦ Test IEC cable first, then start by testing AC wall outlet power with multimeter
◦ Fans spin but no power to other devices
▪ Check where fans are connected: If connected to the PSU, PSU power is
working.
▪ No POST: Bad motherboard or PSU
▪ Case fans have lower voltage requirements: Check PSU's DC output with
multimeter
◦ Power failure
▪ Assuming monitor LED is on, power cycle PC
 If still nothing on display, disconnect peripherals form PC, disconnect AC
power, reboot PC
PC components not getting enough power
◦ Disconnect peripherals that put extraneous load on PSU
◦ Reseat PSU cable connectors
◦ Use multimeter to check output
Overheating
◦ Check cooling systems: Fans, airflow, heat sinks properly attached, no
dust/blockages
◦ Verify with monitoring software in BIOS
◦ Causes chip creep, which causes integrated circuits to come out of their place
Loud noise
◦ Likely to be within HDD, cooling fans, and PSU
◦ Grinding or rattling indicates a loose components
◦ Scraping indicates hard drive issues; run hardware diagnostic
◦ Clicking indicates fan problems
◦ Loud clicking noise from faulty hard drive is caused by faulty armature (arm
wouldn’t mode if motor bearing caused issues)
◦ Loud pop + smoke: Blown capacitor
Intermittent device failure: Device works sometimes, doesn't work sometimes
◦ Bad adapter installation: Check, reseat and use all screws
◦ Bad hardware: Poor connection caused by heat/vibration, tighten connectors or
replace hardware






5.3 Given a
scenario,

▪ Excessive buildup of dust
◦ Random devices experiencing this may be sign of MOBO failure
◦ For hard drives experiencing frequent failures could be a sign of a power supply
issue
▪ First devices to fail when PSU has intermittent problems given lack of clean
power provided
Fans spin but no power to other devices
◦ No beep codes heard: Motherboard failure
◦ Else caused by improper plugin of PSU
▪ Failure in POST, fans function improperly (spinning faster)
 Fans wouldn't spin if there was a problem with the PSU
Indicator lights
◦ Repetitive flashing lights on keyboard or motherboard during POST indicate a
hardware error
▪ CPU, RAM, Video, Motherboard issue
◦ Power lights
◦ NIC link, speed, activity light
Smoke/Burning smell
◦ Significant sign of electrical issue in hardware
◦ Always disconnect power immediately
◦ Locate bad components
Proprietary Crash Screens
◦ Windows stop error/BSOD: Contains info to determine cause of stop error: error
code, memory address, name of driver
▪ OS must be restarted
 Event viewer
 Create boot logs upon startup
◦ Enable in System configuration
◦ C:\Windows\ntbtlog.txt
▪ Data Bus Error: Faulty hardware Installed (RAM, cache, video RAM)
▪ Unexpected Kernel Mode Trap: Component failure (likely recent installation) or
CPU runs at higher speed than supported
▪ Page Fault in nonpaged area: RAM, cache, video RAM must be replaced
▪ Irq1_not_less_or_equal: Device driver/service/tool not compatible with your
Windows version
◦ MacOS: Spinning Wait Cursor/Spinning ball of death: Feedback that something
holds back OS
▪ Application bug
▪ Event processing issues
▪ Virtual memory issues
▪ Bad hardware
▪ Slow paging to disk
▪ Restart computer; console logs have detailed information
 Utilities/Console.app
◦ Linux
▪ Individual application logs found in /var/log
Distended capacitors
◦ Capacitors bulge outwards, resulting in intermittent reboots. Replace
MOBO/Capacitors
Excessive dust buildup can cause all of the following
◦ Unexpected shutdowns
◦ Continuous reboots
◦ Intermittent device failures
◦ Overheating
Disk Failure Symptoms

troubleshoot hard
drives and RAID
arrays






Read/write failure
 Cannot read from source disk
 Damaged sectors on disk or disk failure
 Run chkdsk and scan for bad sectors
 Replace disk in case of total failure
 Slow performance
 Constant LED activity
 Check for sufficient space on disk
 Fragmented files: Check if Disk Defragmenter results in faster r/w for
HDDs
 Check for any excessive paging (and add more memory if so)
 Loud clicking noise
 Click of death caused by actuator arm assembly failure
 Get a backup of data first
 Check for loose/damaged cables
 Check for overheating (especially if Drive issues occur after startup)
 Check PSU to ensure storage device gets sufficient Voltage
 Run hard drive diagnostics from a known good computers
Failure to boot
 Lights/no lights
 Beeps
 Error Message
 Ensure BIOS is set to boot from disk with boot files
 Check Boot.ini to ensure partition info correct
 Repair boot files if necessary
 Recovery console
 Drive not recognized
 Master/Slave set incorrectly, or BIOS/OS cannot recognize drive (check
parameters, install drivers if necessary)
 OS not found
 Boot sector not found, reboot into Recovery console and repair
 Check data/power cables of drive and boot sequence, try different SATA
interfaces
 Test drive in known working system
RAID not found
 Missing or faulty RAID controller
 Check RAID connections and then individual drives
 Ensure BIOS is set to RAID
RAID stops working
 Failure of individual drive
 Don't pull drives until you check console
RAID Recovery
 RAID 0: Breaks array with data loss
 RAID 1: Array works as one device operational
 RAID 5: Need all drives operational but one
 RAID 10: Can lose all but one from each set of mirrors
RAID – suddenly one drive with high latency
 If one drive performs below expectations due to high latency, it may fail soon
replace faulty drive
 Reseating a drive makes no sense if it’s been working properly for some
time
Proprietary crash screens
 Remove HDD or rollback driver
 May indicate a storage device issue keep backup and perform diagnostics

5.4 Given a
scenario,
troubleshoot video,
projector, and
display issues












S.M.A.R.T. errors
 Smart metrics calculated inside each drive upon system boot; avoid hardware
failure and look for warning signs
For certain issues, it helps to swap the monitor with an external monitor or check on a
known good system
VGA mode (Low resolution)
◦ Caused when GPU configured for higher resolution than monitor supports or
incompatible device driver is installed
◦ No video after Windows loads > problem related to Windows (Drivers, Monitor
Description File), press f8 during startup process and use VGA mode configuration
No video on screen
◦ Dead monitor, no signal received from system
◦ Check if power/signal cables are connected
◦ Check if there’s a device sending video (video card) and source cables
◦ Check input selection on monitor VGA, HDMI, VGA; incorrectly set input causes
black screen
Overheat shutdown
◦ Clean case
◦ Check video drivers and monitor internal temperature
Stuck pixel, Dead pixels
◦ Stuck pixels: constantly bright/fixed color
◦ Dead pixels: permanently remains black when should be activated/displaying color
▪ Repair with software
▪ May indicate a damaged display
◦ Related to monitor; replace LCD display
Artifacts
◦ Strange graphics; look at GPU configuration enable/disable hardware acceleration
◦ Image persistence: turn off display or check GPU configurations
◦ Motion trails: Disable advanced features on GPU
◦ Update drivers
Dim image
◦ Adjust controls on front of monitor
◦ Swap the monitor and check on another computer
◦ Backlight issue is indicated by gradual dimming; an Inverter failure may be
accompanied by buzzing- either way, you’ll replace one of them
▪ Inverter is easier to replace than backlight
Flickering image, Incorrect color patterns
◦ Ensure cables seated correctly, replace if necessary
◦ Flickering image may be fixed by setting refresh rate higher
Image scrolling/flipping/wavering
◦ Set refresh rate lower
Distorted image and geometry
◦ Power cable may need replacement or monitor be plugged into dif outlet
◦ Native resolution on display should match resolution in OS settings (refresh rate,
resolution) especially on LCD display
◦ Disable hardware acceleration and troubleshoot Video drivers
Burnin
◦ Occurs across all monitor types, permanent display discoloration caused by
displaying same static image for period of time
◦ Some displays will pixelshift in response to burnin to ensure the image is moving
around
◦ LCDs have 'image sticking' where pixel stuck to particular color
▪ Remove by displaying white screen for extended period
Oversized images and icons
◦ Deliberately configured or adjust resolution higher
5.5 Given a
scenario,
troubleshoot
common mobile
device issues while
adhering to the
appropriate
procedures











No display/Dim display
◦ Check brightness settings/use FN keys else may have failed backlight/inverter
◦ LCD: look closely w/ flashlight to see images: replace LCD display
◦ CCRL: Replace inverters
◦ Consider motherboard, CPU, video card, RAM
▪ Check whether video card is properly seated in expansion slot
 Confirm video with an external display
▪ IPhone/IPad
 Hard reset else factory reset
▪ Android
 Hard reset else factory reset
Laptop webcam not detected
◦ Not detected as driver’s aren’t being loaded; Reinstall webcam drivers
Flickering display
◦ Update video driver first
◦ Configure higher refresh rate
◦ Loose/bad connections
Sticking keys
◦ Debris underneath keyboard, clean w/ compressed air
◦ Spilled liquid
Intermittent wireless
◦ RFI interference from cordless phones/microwaves; check AP frequency, increase
signal strength, move AP
◦ Reseat loose wireless card cables
Battery not charging
◦ Check connection to charger
◦ Completely drain power to eliminate memory effect else replace w/ new battery
◦ Laptop charging hardware may be faulty
Ghost cursor/pointer drift
◦ Trackpad is too sensitive and need be adjusted or updated w/ latest drivers to
recalibrate
◦ Modify configuration for palm press
No power
◦ Check outlet and AC power adapter with multimeter
◦ Check DC jack
◦ Check power LED (slow blinking occasionally indicates sleep mode), and the power
button itself to make sure it's not loose
▪ Check whether battery is charged if no AC adapter available
◦ Laptop is hung, Master laptop hardware reset
▪ Hold power for 10 seconds
▪ Process differs across manufacturers
Num lock indicator lights
◦ Letters are numbers
No 802.11 connectivity
◦ SSID not found when creating wireless profile
▪ SSID name spelled wrong
▪ WAP unreachable/turned off
 Wi-Fi enabled- no FN key disable wireless/not in airplane mode? Wireless
device disabled in Device Manager? If not, reconnect antenna connectors
No WWAN connectivity (i.e., LTE) on mobile device
◦ Assuming WWAN connectivity was established earlier and you cannot re-establish,
▪ Update phone software
▪ Verify cellular connection settings
▪ Toggle between mobile data and airplane mode
▪ Reset network settings









▪ Turn off SIM PIN
Cannot display to external monitor
◦ Ensure video cable is properly connected between laptop and monitor
◦ Use display properties in Win10 to set the external monitor as the second display
and choose correct display output
◦ Toggle Fn keys
▪ Force video signal to go to external display by powering on laptop with external
monitor connected; should be recognized (Refrigerator door effect)
Touchscreen nonresponsive
◦ Touchscreen completely black or no response to input: provide reset
◦ Reseat Device Battery
◦ Remove screen protector, clean screen
◦ Factory reset
◦ Apple iOS reset
▪ Soft reset: Press power button, slide to power off, press power button
▪ Hard reset: Hold power button and home | volume for 10 seconds
◦ Android reset process varies across models
▪ Hard reset: Remove battery and replace
▪ Hard reset: Hold down power and volume down until restart
◦ Else, repair/replace screen
Apps not loading
◦ Check free storage space (No free space means apps wont start), then check for
available memory
◦ Slow app and restart
▪ iOS: double tap home, slide app up
▪ Android: Settings/Apps, select app, force stop
◦ Restart phone with soft/hard reset
◦ Update app/OS
◦ Remove/reinstall App
Slow performance
◦ Stop unneeded apps from running
◦ Reboot
◦ Remove apps/files to free up storage space
Unable to decrypt email
◦ Check configuration settings: enable encrypted email
◦ Usually caused by missing or expired certificate – install appropriate one with
assistance of a mobile device manager (MDM) or restore them from backup
Extremely short battery life
◦ Try completely draining & recharging battery first; if that doesn’t work, replace it
◦ Bad reception: Always searching for signal and using radio, enable radio on ground
◦ Disable unneccesary features: 802.11, wireless, bluetooth, GPS
◦ Check application battery use: Settings/Battery
Overheating
◦ Remove protective case, remove device from direct sunlight, shutdown running
apps, turn down brightness, turn device off or put in airplane mode when not in use
◦ Charging/discharging the battery, CPU usage, display light creates heat
◦ Overheating in laptops often caused from airflow blockages due to not being placed
on a flat surface
Frozen system
◦ Plug into power supply and try a soft reset by holding power down and turning off,
else reseat device battery and do a hard reset
◦ Ongoing issues require factory reset; install latest OS
Speaker issues
◦ No sound from particular app
▪ Check volume settings (app/phone)
▪ Bad software




5.6 Given a
scenario,
troubleshoot
printers





▪ Try headphones
◦ Bluetooth speakers
▪ Unpair and repair device
◦ Sound starts but then stops: caused by dueling apps; keep app in foreground
◦ No audio alltogether: Reboot device; load latest software or factory reset
GPS not functioning
◦ Location services are off or you need to have clear view of sky to contact GPS
satellites else reboot the device and toggle location services on else GPS reset
◦ Check settings to enable GPS
▪ iOS: Settings > Privacy > Location Services
▪ Android: Settings > Location
◦ Configure location mode
▪ iOS: Settings > Privacy > Location Services
▪ Android: Settings > Location Mode
Swollen battery
◦ Buildup of gas in selfcontained chamber to prevent phone from catching on fire: do
not open or puncture battery; stop using immediately, dispose of battery properly
Disassembling processes for proper reassembly
◦ Document and label cable and screw locations
◦ Organize parts
▪ Use containers to seperate sections
◦ Refer to manufacturer resources
◦ Use appropriate hand tools
▪ Antistatic mat, magnification tools, appropriately sized screwdrivers
Laptop not booting
◦ Disconnect AC connection and battery, press and hold power button for several
seconds
◦ Clear BIOS
Testing the printers
▪ After printer installation or maintenance, Print a test page.
▪ Printer properties > Print Test Page (Uses Windows Printer only outside of the
application)
 Print applications may have web based frontend, vendorspecific diagnostic
tools or utilize generic LiveCD tools
Faded prints, Blank Pages, or printing in wrong color
◦ Out of toner/ink
Impact printer problems
◦ Print output lighter as it moves across page
▪ Platen rubberized roller may not be holding paper easily; adjust the platen
◦ Missing/partial characters on Dot Matrix Printout
▪ Faulty print head (bent/clogged pins)
Inkjet printer problems
◦ Distorted Text/Images
▪ Printhead, Ink cartridge issue
◦ Monitor and Printer Output colors not synced up
▪ Calibrate monitor, then calibrate printer
◦ Faded output
▪ Replace toner cartridge
◦ Misalignment of vertical/horizontal lines
▪ Run printer alignment program manually or restart printer to do it automatically
◦ Streaks/Blurs/One color not printing
▪ Clean print head
Laser printer problems
◦ Paper Jam/Paper Feed Errors
▪ Generally due to paper path, paper type, paper loading, thickness
 Creased paper especially indicates lighter paper weight than was anticipated,








but also check that the paper guide in the tray be set to the correct size
▪ Clean/replace pickup roller if jam occurs directly behind/above tray
▪ Feeder rollers cause jam further in printer
▪ If jams occur right before fuser, replace transfer roller
▪ Jam towards end of printing path indicates fuser issue
◦ Smudging
▪ Replace fuser assembly (toner should be permanently melted)
◦ Ghosting
▪ Charge on the optical drum (or toner cartridge including the drum) is not cleaned
(charge not removed); replace optical drum
 May be issue w/ cleaning blade not removing old toner
▪ Fuser assembly needs to be replaced
◦ Black lines/Smearing/Faded Output
▪ If also getting blank-printouts, replace toner cartridge
▪ Replace Transfer Corona Wire
◦ Paper jam cleared but printer message still indicates jam
▪ Open/close top assembly to reset message
◦ Output has Wavy lines and random dots
▪ System board issue
◦ Faded output
◦ Wrinkled pages, missing print
▪ Replace fuser assembly
◦ Vertical black lines on page
▪ Replace imaging drum
◦ Low Memory Errors
▪ RAM choked up by complex document; scale down print job
No connectivity
◦ Check if printer is powered off
◦ Message may display on printer, requiring user intervention
◦ Wired cabling/wireless settings
Garbled characters on paper
◦ Bad printer driver / wrong model
◦ Incorrect page description language (PCL/PostScript)
◦ Bad application
◦ Check with test page
Error message before print job sent to spooler
◦ Printer is powered off or the job resides in print queue
Printer driver corrupt error message
◦ Seen after job is sent to spooler
Backed-up print queue
◦ Print server not working
◦ Print spooler crash (can't send information to printer)
▪ Restart spooler
▪ Change recovery options under printer spooler properties
Access denied
◦ Security tab in 'Printer Properties' in Windows
▪ Print
▪ Manage this printer
▪ Manage documents
Unable to install printer
◦ Users need proper rights to install printer drivers
◦ Check printer driver (32bit vs 64bit)
◦ Drivers are important OS updates
No output
◦ Check for display messages if powered on
◦ Run test print function if on printer itself

5.7 Given a
scenario,
troubleshoot
common wired and
wireless network
problems
If, Printer visible at network directory but no output, check connectivity w/ ping,
specifically see if the printer’s IP address has changed
◦ Network directory searches by printer name as opposed to printer IP address, so of
course it would display
▪ Print test page from Windows Machine
 Tests OS, network, drivers, spooler
▪ Check direct connection
▪ Try across network
◦ Printer could likely be out of paper or spooler is not functioning
 Multiple failed jobs in logs
◦ Corrupted print jobs
▪ Print spooler crash, but may automatically restart
◦ Logged in Windows Event Viewer, Windowsprint service
◦ One job may be causing issue, remove job from queue for other jobs to work
properly
 Link Lights
◦ Rapidly blinking without plausible cause: NIC faulty or port on device is faulty
 Limited connectivity
◦ Check Link Light
◦ Ping local loopback interface (127.0.0.1)
▪ Checks if OS protocol stack is working even if network connection is not
◦ Ping local IP address
▪ ipconfig
 Checks local configuration, adapter, link signal
◦ Ping default gateway (device outside of computer)
▪ Provided in ipconfig
▪ Connecitivty on local network
▪ Ping devices on router's other side (8.8.8.8)
◦ Check if using an APIPA address (169.254.x.x)
 Unavailable resources
◦ Windows shares
▪ PC to which (shared) printer is connected to is currently off or network is
unavailable
 Check if you can connect to other shares on other PCs
▪ Share permissions have been modified
▪ DNS Error: Relies on DNS to find server
◦ Printers
▪ Printer permissions have been modified
▪ Printer offline
◦ Email
▪ Server problem (cluster of servers)
▪ Issue with network path
 No connectivity
◦ Check network hardware- cabling, NIC (and configuration)
◦ Check local IP address if assigned APIPA
◦ If DHCP address obtained, perform ping tests to local IP address, default gateway,
then outside local network
▪ DHCP scope shouldn’t be exhausted and routers should function as DHCP relay
agents
 Intermittent connectivity
◦ Check for cabling and NIC
◦ Check infrastructure for wired/wireless network (switch/WAP randomly rebooting)
◦ Static IP conflict with two identical IP addresses
▪ Reboot/reset NIC to restart DHCP process
 Slow transfer speeds
◦ Router/Infrastructure congestion



◦ Router/Switch misconfiguration
▪ Speed/duplex of interfaces should match
◦ Bad NIC or cable
◦ Malware infection
Low RF signal
◦ Interference from thirdparty device using same frequencies
◦ Signal strength: Transmitting signal, antenna, receiving antenna
◦ Check if on same channel as AP (usually automatic)
◦ Bounce and latency
▪ Older APs may not handle multipath interference
▪ Flat surfaces
◦ Check AP physical location, move closer to users
◦ Wireless Signal Interference
▪ Florescent lights, Cordless Telephones, Transformers/Generators, and
Microwaves
▪ Signal strength, performance monitor in Windows
SSID not found
▪ AP too far away
▪ Wireless router has disabled SSID advertisements, you must manually connect
Malfunctioning Bluetooth connection between paired devices
◦ Check whether you are in range
◦ Powercycle Bluetooth program by turning Bluetooth on/off