The CompTIA A+ Core 1 Exam (2026) (220-1201)

The scan-to-SMB feature allows the printer to send scanned documents to a shared folder (SMB share) on the network. Setting up a network share enables the device to securely and conveniently save files for user access.

ANetwork Interface Card (NIC)is the hardware responsible for network connectivity. If the NIC is failing or underperforming (e.g., due to a bad driver, hardware fault, or misconfiguration), it can causeslow or unstable network speeds.

Option A (CPU):A failing CPU affects overall system performance but not specifically network speed.

Option C (HDD):A slow hard drive causes application lag, but not poor network performance.

Option D (RAM):Affects multitasking and speed, not network throughput.

CompTIA A+ Core 1 Exam Objective Reference:

Objective 3.5: Given a scenario, troubleshoot problems related to wired and wireless networks.

===========

A managed switch provides advanced features such as traffic monitoring and VLAN configuration, allowing a technician to view network statistics for devices on the local subnet.

Why Not B (Router): A router connects different networks and directs traffic between them but does not provide detailed subnet-level statistics.

Why Not C (Access point): Access points provide wireless connectivity but lack traffic monitoring features.

Why Not D (Firewall): A firewall filters traffic but is not used for monitoring detailed statistics on a local subnet.

CompTIA A+ Exam Reference: Core 1 (220-1201), Section 2.6, network monitoring tools​.

A firewall monitors and filters incoming and outgoing network traffic based on security rules, protecting the network from unauthorized access and threats.

Why Not A (Switch): A switch connects devices within a network but does not monitor or filter traffic.

Why Not B (Access point): An access point provides Wi-Fi connectivity but does not filter traffic.

Why Not D (Hub): A hub simply broadcasts data to all connected devices without filtering traffic.

CompTIA A+ Exam Reference: Core 1 (220-1201), Section 2.2, network security concepts​.

To provision and run multiple virtual machines on a physical server, the administrator must use a hypervisor. A hypervisor is the virtualization layer that creates, runs, and manages virtual machines by abstracting physical hardware resources such as CPU, RAM, storage, and network adapters into virtual resources presented to each VM. Once the server is configured with the required hardware support (such as sufficient RAM/CPU capacity and virtualization features enabled in firmware), the hypervisor is the component that enables VM creation, allocation of resources, virtual disk creation, and VM lifecycle actions like start, stop, suspend, snapshots, and virtual networking configuration.

Device Manager is used to view and manage hardware devices and drivers on an operating system, but it is not a VM provisioning tool. Disk Management can partition and format disks, which may support storage preparation, but it does not create or run VMs. A Virtual LAN is a network segmentation method at Layer 2 and may be used in VM networking designs, but it does not provide virtualization itself. Therefore, the correct tool for provisioning virtual machines is the hypervisor.

Bluetooth audio issues are typically related to distance and signal strength, not internet connectivity or Wi-Fi access points. Bluetooth devices—especially headsets—generally have a limited effective range of around 10 meters (33 feet) for Class 2 Bluetooth, which is common in consumer laptops and headsets. When the user leaves the room and walks into adjacent offices, they are likely moving beyond the optimal Bluetooth range or passing through walls that weaken the signal.

CompTIA A+ highlights that Bluetooth uses low-power radio frequencies easily disrupted by physical obstructions, distance, and interference. Since the laptop remains stationary and the user moves, the headset becomes progressively further from the laptop, causing intermittent audio dropouts, stuttering, or loss of connection.

The number of APs (A) is irrelevant because the headset is not using Wi-Fi. Mesh mode (C) applies only to wireless AP-to-AP communication. The internet connection (D) is high-quality fiber and conference calls work fine when stationary, so the issue is not bandwidth or WAN throughput.

Thus, the most likely cause is that the user is moving in and out of Bluetooth range.

The technician will configure the MX record on a DNS server. An MX, or Mail Exchange, record is a DNS resource record that identifies the mail server responsible for accepting email for a particular domain. It can also include a priority value so that sending systems know which mail server to contact first when multiple servers are available. Although the record points to a mail server, it is created and maintained within the domain’s DNS zone rather than directly on the mail server. A proxy server intermediates network requests and is unrelated to DNS email-routing records. A print server manages printers and print queues and has no role in email delivery. Therefore, the DNS management interface or authoritative DNS server for the domain is where the technician must create or modify the MX record.

The customer wants to consolidate multiple physical servers running different operating systems, including Windows, Linux, and Unix, while maintaining strong isolation between systems. CompTIA A+ identifies Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) as the best model for hosting fully isolated virtual machines in a cloud environment, allowing each OS to run independently on its own virtual hardware.

IaaS provides virtualized computing resources—CPU, RAM, networking, and storage—while allowing the customer full control over the OS and application layer. This means Windows, Linux, and Unix VMs can coexist without compatibility concerns because each VM runs its native OS without modification.

Containers (B) are unsuitable because they share the host OS kernel, meaning they cannot run different OS families. A Type 2 hypervisor (C) is workstation-based and not designed for enterprise server consolidation. VDI (D) provides user desktops, not server workload consolidation.

Thus, IaaS is the correct solution for compatibility, isolation, and consolidation across multiple OS types.

The virtualization platform described matches the characteristics of containers. According to CompTIA Core 1 (220-1201) virtualization concepts, containers are lightweight virtualization solutions that share the host operating system and kernel, rather than running separate guest operating systems. This design allows containers to start almost instantly and be deployed rapidly, making them highly efficient and scalable.

Because containers share kernel resources, they use significantly fewer system resources compared to traditional virtual machines. However, this also results in limited isolation, since applications are not fully separated at the OS level. This tradeoff is a defining characteristic of container-based virtualization.

A Type 1 hypervisor runs directly on hardware and hosts fully isolated virtual machines, each with its own operating system, which does not align with the shared OS and kernel described. A virtual machine also includes a full guest OS, leading to slower startup times and greater resource usage. A virtual desktop refers to user desktop virtualization, not application-level virtualization.

CompTIA highlights containers as an example of application virtualization that prioritizes speed, efficiency, and portability over complete isolation.