Can I have your opinions please? Very Important!

kesjw

First of all, before I ask any questions. I would like to say that I have been using the resources on this site for quite sometime now and have found this site to be very useful. I have and will continue to recommend this site to anyone

I am writing the A+ Core on July 1st just thought i would clear a few things up.

Which device would you use to extend the length of a 10base2 bus segment?

a) gateway
b) bridge
c) hub
d) repeater

I say the answer is 'bridge'. What do you think?

I came accross these two questions while doing some practice exams.They both sound the same but have different answers. Could anyone give me their opinion on the two please and tell me whether the answers are the same or whether one is incorrect?

A computer on your network is unable to communicate with other computers. What would you check first?

a) that other computers are working
b) that your internet connection is functional
c) the computers ip address configuration
d) the ip address configuration of the network file server

the answer for this was "c"
the answer for this practice question was found in a book (A+ Adaptive Exams) Very good book (i should think or hope )

---

A workstation has been installed on a LAN, but is unable to communicate with the network. What should you do first?

a) reinstall the protocol
b) reinstall the NIC driver
c) Verify the ip configuration on the workstation
d) Verify the link status on the NIC

the answer for this was "d"
My A+ teacher gave us some practice questions and said the answer was "d"

"Be your self and no one else just to fit in"

headcase

Which device would you use to extend the length of a 10base2 bus segment?

a) gateway
b) bridge
c) hub
d) repeater

I say the answer is 'bridge'. What do you think?

the correct answer is repeater.

a repeat allows for for longer cables and more computers on a segment

repeaters operate at the physical layer of the OSI[/quote]

headcase

the other two questions look correct, but could be considered subjective. Webmaster, and a few others on this site are more qualified to answer those questions.

I would check the NIC light first when troubleshooting a pc that isn't connected to the network.

kesjw

thanks alot "headcase" for your quick response

headcase

no problem, I am always looking to BS about this stuff. Hope what I said helped out a little.

check out the technotes below, it tells you a little bit about repeaters

http://www.techexams.net/technotes/networkplus/networkcomponents.shtml

headcase

A workstation has been installed on a LAN, but is unable to communicate with the network. What should you do first?

a) reinstall the protocol
b) reinstall the NIC driver
c) Verify the ip configuration on the workstation
d) Verify the link status on the NIC

the answer for this was "d"
My A+ teacher gave us some practice questions and said the answer was "d"

Just to add a little more to your previous question. When a workstation is cut off from a network a good tool to troubleshoot the workstation is ping. PING localhost or PING 127.0.01 (loopback addy). When that doesn't work you want to check the machine's IP configuration using WINIPCFG (windwos 9x) or IPCONFIG (windows 2000).

Hope this helps some, maybe someone with more computer skills can jump in and help us out.[/quote]

kesjw

Hey thanks man! Im open to all the help i can get

headcase

I am currently studying for my Net+, you are studying for your A+? This stuff pertains to the things I have been studying. I passed the A+ core with ease, but the OS gave me fits, I failed it my first go around, I under estimated the test. I learned my lesson. Word of advice, don't take both tests on the same day.

RussS

The answer to the first question is d - repeater. Thankfully most of the time I have seen a similar question to this it also mentions a certain cable length - very handy to know cable distances, because you can then figure out that the signal needs to be repeated (amplified) to make any further distance.

The second question would be c. The first thing you would do is check that the IP stack is functioning correctly by pinging yourself. In most occasions it is easier to do this than to see behind the machine to check the link light. Also checking the link light does not confirm that you have the correct IP values entered and can be on or flicker even if you have incorrect values. From a pracical point of view, I usually run a few quick commands while I have a terminal screen up and check in an orderly fashion.
ping is always first ...

ping yourself
ping your gateway
ping a known address

9 times out of 10 if they all respond correctly it is a DNS issue

headcase

RusS,

Thanks, I just read your pm and thanks for the informative answer to both my pm and this thread

bellboy

my answers would be d, a, d.

if a computer is having difficulties with the network, it's best to check if others in the same segment are having the same problem, before checking out the other stuff.

RussS

whoops - at midnite I didn't realise there was 3 questions - question 2 is definitely a.

jml400

Don't sweat these test. If you go to ****.com they have all the answers and questions to every test. I've used the **** questions for A+ Network + , 070 210, 070 215, and 070 218. It took me about 10 minutes for each test.

Webmaster

Hmmm, I bet CompTIA and MS will be very interested to know you used those products... obviously you don't deserve to be certified. Passing MS exam in 10 minutes or less, is only possible if you know all the questions up front.... simply memorized a set of questions and answers.

please keep your cheater's advice to yourself, people are trying to actually learn something here! As a matter of fact, try a different kind of job, you are definitely not in the right type of industry.

bellboy

jml400 wrote:

Don't sweat these test.

well, you kind of got that part right. anybody that's had enough relevant experience or studied for the a+ should know enough to pass. but if they are so easy, why did you use what the webmaster refers to as "products to **** my way through exams because I'm to darn lazy to actually study for it"?

kesjw

With this particular question I always get different answers from individuals. Last time I posted this question on this site some said "b", some 'c" and some "d".( referring to the first question) Someone please give me the right answer.

Webmaster can u answer please? I'm still open to all responses.

Thanks in advance!

You have just installed a new workstation on your Ethernet LAN, but the workstation is unable to communicate with the network. What is the very first thing that you should do?

a)Re-install the network interface card driver
b)Re-install the network protocols
c)Verify the IP configuration on the workstation
d)Verify the link status on the computers network card


A VGA adaptor card always contains:

a)9 pin connector
b)CMOS
c)15 pin connector
d)RAM

Webmaster

I assumed because our qaulified A+ moderator already gave you the answers, I didn't reply... but if it helps:

Which device would you use to extend the length of a 10base2 bus segment?
d) Repeater

A computer on your network is unable to communicate with other computers. What would you check first?
a) that other computers are working

imagine yourself being in an office troubleshooting a client that is unable to communicate with other computers... the first thing you often do is ask another person in the same room: "Hey, can you communicate with serverX?" or "can you access your mailbox?". In practice this question is often skipped since you will know soon enough when a complete office /department /room cannot communicate with other computers, but in your mind you still should 'check it'
if the question would say "with some other computers" the answer would be c. (the default gateway in particular, if incorrect, client won't be able to communicate with hosts in other networks, but can with host on the local subnet.

A workstation has been installed on a LAN, but is unable to communicate with the network. What should you do first?
d) Verify the link status on the NIC

I can give several obvious examples, but this question can be solved by understanding the most important thing in networking: the OSI model. answer d. will verify if the link is correctly functioning at the Physical layer. The layer to check first when it comes to connectivity problems.

RussS' method is the original Microsoft way which was a certain part of the MCSE NT 4 cert (Network Essentials in particular, similar to net+)
- ping loopback address (ping 127.0.0.1)
- ping own IP address
- ping router's interface (i.e. default gateway)
- and ping an address beyond the gateway (i.e. Internet or other LAN)
But since nobody actually pings the loopback address first (I always ping to the default gateway first) and most of them skip pinging their own address as well, probably because it seems so useless to send an echo to yourself.... I don't think pinging the loopback is mentioned anymore in the MS way... not sure though.
But RussS' method would be correct if answer d wasn't listed.

it isn't useless however, but it doesn't verify the IP configuration (you won't know about default gateway, dns and other IP configuration setting that might cause the problems) instead it proofs that the TCP/IP stack has been correctly initialized.

-

RussS wrote:

In most occasions it is easier to do this than to see behind the machine to check the link light

I agree, but that is exactly why modern OSs provide the option to display in the system tray in the taks bar.

RussS

<< kicks own butt

I have to remember to get my head out of my MS way of thinking. Total immersion is good, but needs to be tempered by remembering REAL WORLD scenarios.

kesjw

A computer on your network is unable to communicate with other computers. What would you check first?
a) that other computers are working

Webmaster I'm sorry if it seems that I am asking too many times but I'm using the A+ Adaptive Exams book to study for the exam and for the question above the answer is
c) the computer's ip address configuration

their explanation is:

If a single computer on your network cannot communicate with other systems on the same network,it is probable that its IP address is invalid or the system has not received an IP address from a DHCPserver, which hands out IP addresses randomly on the network.

Do you think that they might have given an incorrect answer?

Thanks in advance![/quote]

RussS

Good question.

Because I was trained a while back to check the config on the system I am sitting at first that is how I do it. Possibly becuse there was only 1 computer on the network in each office and checking another machine meant walking to another floor/office or calling. Seeing that bringing up a command prompt and running ping only takes a few seconds that was usually a lot quicker and therefore the way I still do things (bad habit?).

There are many ways of doing various things on a computer or network, however when studying for an exam you need to learn the Comptia (or Microsoft) way of doing it.

Drakonblayde

Well, as to the first question, yeah, it's definetly repeater. For the benefit of the person asking the question, repeaters extend segments, bridges seperate two different segments, that's why it wouldn't be a bridge.

For the second question, assuming I was sitting in front of the box having a problem, first thing I'd check would be the default gateway and the rest of the ip settings, since it's pretty easy to verify under most OS's. ipconfig or ifconfig or what have you. Assuming those looked all right, then I'd make sure the other boxes on the network were working.

For the third question, I'd do the same thing. Why? Because I'm a lazy bastard and would rather bring up a command prompt and verify an ip settings instead of getting up, gettign under a desk and looking at a link light. That's what I'd do in a real life situation. However, the 'proper' answer would be to check the nic link status first. In general when troubleshooting, check the absolute simplest things first and step up from there. I've lost track of the number of times my lazy habits have cost me an extra hour or two chasing a problem because I assumed the basics were covered.

RussS

heh heh - you get that on the big jobs


Man I almost missed the bottom of webmasters post.

I agree, but that is exactly why modern OSs provide the option to display in the system tray in the taks bar.

Myself I always disable the indicator as the task bar on most systems has too much there already ... lol

Webmaster

RussS wrote:

Myself I always disable the indicator as the task bar on most systems has too much there already ... lol

Yeah, I know what you mean. I've managed to bring it back to just the link indicator and the time on my desktop (which often requires MSconfig) although my notebook is a completely different story, but I think it has something to do with starting with computers in the DOS era... with 512MB ram I'm still trying to free up memory . But I have to admit that that has often been the case with desktops I've troubleshooted in my 'support' days, and then to think that users complain they can go for a cup of coffee when they startup...

I guess when I think about that, the first thing I almost always do is PING the default gateway or www.techexams.net (please use a different one ). But, when you see a big red cross thru your link indicator in the taskbar or if a whole department is yelling they can't access the network, it's often not much use to start by pinging a local host or looking at link indicators, or checking the ipconfig on one of the machines (although that could lead to an indication of a defect DHCP server...).

I guess there is more than one road to Rome, the most important thing is to be able to solve the problem at hand, right? Unfortunately that is not the case with CompTIA (nor MS, I think Cisco is more fair), you have to know it the CompTIA way... Wouldn't we just like to discuss with the people who made it up... remember these are also 'just' ordinary people. There's no need to agree with them though... just as long as you understand them.

Perhaps it would help if CompTIA started CompTIA Press... I always felt that reading MS press books led you to thinking the MS way...

Drakonblayde

Yeah, I know what you mean. I've managed to bring it back to just the link indicator and the time on my desktop (which often requires MSconfig) although my notebook is a completely different story, but I think it has something to do with starting with computers in the DOS era... with 512MB ram I'm still trying to free up memory . But I have to admit that that has often been the case with desktops I've troubleshooted in my 'support' days, and then to think that users complain they can go for a cup of coffee when they startup...

I know exactly what you mean, man hehe. The days of having to keep as much conventional free as possible have left me with a lasting legacy of having to cut overhead as much as possible. If I have software running that I don't absolutely need, it drives me nuts.

Webmaster

If I have software running that I don't absolutely need, it drives me nuts.

Exactly.

"What's that in the Task Manager using 3 whole Megabytes memory? hmmm do I need that... let's find out: [right-click, End Process]"

The shorter the list the better I feel

RussS

Ya, but why the heck do I still do that when I have more than a gig in my machine???????

bellboy

maybe it harks back to the days when memory was not as cheap, and most machines seem to run around the mimum requirment for memory.

the first computer that i had for personal use was a 486/66 with 8mb ram and 500mb hdd. it ran windows 95 and myself and my sister did so much browsing on the internet that we often had to delete the temporary internet files folder while browsing to make sure there was enough space for the swap file as we had barely enough ram to run the machine.

Webmaster

Im my case it wasn't the money that was the problem, there just wouldn't fit more than 655KB in my 286...

RussS

I just gave away my first computer to a friend on Monday evening. It was a Digital Venturis 486 - the most ram I ever had in it was 48mb, but when I gave it to him I had 60 something in it. I was just using it as a firewall for a while, but someone needed a small system for simple word processing. That machine when new had 8mb installed and from memory the retail price for the machine was over 10 grand *gulp*