Free Network Devices practice questions
10 free 220-1201 questions on Network Devices, each with a full explanation — no account needed. This section sits in the Networking part of the exam. Answer every question to see your score, then read the lessons below for anything you missed.
A technician is troubleshooting excessive broadcast traffic degrading performance on a growing network. All devices are connected through a single flat network using switches only. Which device would MOST effectively reduce broadcast traffic between network segments?
Routers create boundaries between IP networks and do not forward broadcast traffic by default. Introducing a router to segment the network into multiple subnets reduces broadcast domains and improves overall performance.
During a network upgrade, administrators want to minimize wear on expensive switch ports while maintaining flexibility to reassign offices to different switches. Which infrastructure component BEST supports this goal?
Patch panels provide a centralized termination point for permanent cabling, allowing changes to be made with short patch cables. This reduces wear on switch ports and simplifies moves, adds, and changes.
A company replaces several non-PoE switches with PoE+ switches (802.3at). Soon after, some wireless access points reboot intermittently during peak usage. The switch shows PoE power budget alarms. Which action BEST addresses the root cause without reducing coverage?
Intermittent reboots plus PoE budget alarms strongly indicate the switch cannot supply enough aggregate power when devices draw closer to peak. The correct fix is to increase available PoE budget (bigger budget switch, higher-wattage PSU, or add another PoE switch and spread the load). VLAN changes don’t fix power delivery; disabling negotiation is unsafe and can worsen allocation; band changes are not a reliable/appropriate power-budget solution.
A technician plugs a non-PoE laptop into a PoE-enabled switch port using a standard Ethernet cable. The technician worries the laptop’s NIC will be damaged by 48V on the line. In an IEEE-compliant PoE system, why is damage unlikely?
IEEE 802.3af/at/bt PoE uses a negotiation process: the PSE (switch/injector) checks for a valid PD signature before supplying meaningful power. If the device is not PoE-capable, the port remains unpowered (beyond minimal detection signaling), so a standard laptop NIC is not exposed to full PoE delivery.
A home with fiber internet loses all connectivity after a brief power outage. The customer reports that the router powers on normally, but no internet or VoIP service is available. Which component is MOST likely responsible for the outage?
ONTs require power to convert optical signals into Ethernet. Many installations rely on a battery backup unit to maintain service during outages. If the battery is depleted or disconnected, the ONT will not function, even though downstream devices like routers still have power.
A managed switch is configured with MAC address filtering. A newly replaced desktop NIC cannot access the network, while the old NIC worked without issue. Which action is MOST likely required?
MAC filtering operates at Layer 2 and relies on the NIC’s physical MAC address. Replacing a NIC changes the MAC address, so the switch must be updated to allow the new hardware identifier before network access is permitted.
A workstation connected to a functioning network shows "No network connectivity." The Ethernet cable tests good, and other devices work on the same switch port. Device Manager shows the network adapter present but disabled. What BEST explains this issue?
A NIC can be physically functional but administratively disabled by the operating system. In this state, the adapter appears in Device Manager but cannot send or receive traffic until it is re-enabled.
A technician is troubleshooting a fiber-connected network. The ONT shows a solid power light but a red alarm indicator, while the Ethernet link light to the router is off. Which conclusion is MOST accurate?
A red or alarm indicator on an ONT typically signals a fiber or ISP-side problem, such as loss of optical signal. Because the ONT is the demarcation point, this condition usually requires escalation to the ISP rather than local LAN troubleshooting.
A technician is troubleshooting a small office network where all internal devices can communicate with each other but none can access external websites. The router is powered on and LAN interfaces are active. Based on router behavior, which condition would most likely cause this issue?
Routers forward traffic between networks using routing tables. If internal communication works but external access fails, the router likely lacks a valid route to forward packets toward the WAN. Switching and MAC address resolution occur within the local network and would not explain a failure to reach external networks.
A security camera is connected to a PoE switch. The link indicator remains off, and the PoE light flashes amber. The switch management interface reports that the requested power exceeds the amount available on that port. What is the BEST next step to get the camera operational?
When a PoE light flashes amber and the switch reports that requested power exceeds what the port can provide, the port cannot deliver the required power level even though it may support data connectivity. Moving the camera to a port that supports the required PoE standard allows the device to receive adequate power, power on, and establish its link. Replacing the patch cable with a shorter one does not address a power-level mismatch reported by the switch; the issue is the port's power capability, not cable length. Reinstalling the network driver is irrelevant because the camera never powered on, and a driver cannot fix a hardware power-delivery problem reported by the switch itself. Assigning a static IP address is a higher-layer configuration task that cannot help a device that is not even receiving power to boot. This scenario illustrates that a port may establish (or attempt) a data connection while still failing to supply sufficient PoE power. The technician must always examine both the link indicator and the PoE indicator, and consult the switch interface to determine whether a power standard mismatch or budget limitation is preventing operation.
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Every lesson that covers Network Devices on the 220-1201 exam.