This is the free Comptia 220-1201 practice question bank —
110 of 219 total questions, each with a full explanation, free to
read with no signup required. Updated 2026-04-24.
Every answer is verified against official Comptia documentation —
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Question 1
A small business owner purchases a building and wants to set up an internet connection. A technician examines the target network room and discovers a coaxial wall jack. Which of the following internet types would the technician most likely recommend for the new business?
A. Fiber
B. Satellite
C. DSL
D. Cable
Show Answer
Correct Answer: D
Explanation: A coaxial wall jack indicates existing coaxial cabling, which is used by cable internet service. This makes cable the most compatible and practical option compared to fiber (fiber optic), DSL (telephone lines), or satellite (no wired jack required).
Question 1
Faded images from previous jobs appear on each page of output from an office printer. Which of the following should a technician do first to resolve this issue?
A. Reload the paper tray.
B. Adjust the fuser temperature.
C. Inspect the transfer roller.
D. Clean the corona wire.
Show Answer
Correct Answer: C
Explanation: Faded images from previous jobs indicate ghosting, which occurs when residual toner is not properly removed or discharged between print cycles. The transfer roller plays a key role in moving toner from the drum to the paper; if it is worn or contaminated, leftover toner can reappear faintly on subsequent pages. Cleaning the corona wire mainly affects charging issues like streaks or blank pages, adjusting fuser temperature affects toner adhesion, and reloading paper does not address ghosting. Therefore, inspecting the transfer roller is the correct first step.
Question 2
Which of the following DNS records displays the destination of incoming email on a domain?
A. CNAME
B. TXT
C. MX
D. AAAA
Show Answer
Correct Answer: C
Explanation: An MX (Mail Exchanger) record specifies which mail servers are responsible for receiving incoming email for a domain, effectively indicating the destination of incoming mail.
Question 2
A user’s smartphone frequently disconnects from Wi-Fi networks, particularly in crowded areas like airports and coffee shops. The user also notices that their device shows a lower Wi-Fi signal strength compared to other devices in the same location.
Which of the following is likely contributing to the smartphone’s Wi-Fi connectivity issues?
A. The smartphone’s antenna may be malfunctioning.
B. The smartphone may have an outdated Wi-Fi standard.
C. The smartphone may be experiencing interference from nearby devices.
D. The smartphone’s power settings may be affecting performance.
Show Answer
Correct Answer: A
Explanation: The key clues are that the phone consistently shows lower signal strength than other devices in the same location and disconnects frequently. That points to a hardware-related reception problem. A malfunctioning or degraded Wi‑Fi antenna would directly reduce received signal strength and make the device more prone to drops, especially in crowded environments. Interference or congestion would affect nearby devices similarly, and an outdated Wi‑Fi standard or power settings would not typically cause consistently weaker signal readings.
Question 3
Which of the following devices forwards traffic based on MAC addresses?
A. Switch
B. Router
C. Firewall
D. Gateway
Show Answer
Correct Answer: A
Explanation: A switch forwards frames based on MAC addresses using its MAC (CAM) address table at the OSI Data Link Layer (Layer 2). Routers forward based on IP addresses, while firewalls and gateways use higher-layer criteria.
Question 3
Which of the following options offers the best connectivity performance with limited necessary accessories?
A. Hotspot
B. Lightning cable
C. NFC
D. Bluetooth
Show Answer
Correct Answer: A
Explanation: A hotspot provides full internet connectivity using existing cellular hardware with no additional accessories, offering broader performance and versatility than short-range or accessory-dependent options like cables, NFC, or Bluetooth.
Question 4
A user's wireless headset shows a "connected" status when turned on, but the Bluetooth list on the user's phone shows that the headset is "not connected." Which of the following should the technician do?
A. Enter the PIN.
B. Turn off Wi-Fi.
C. Re-pair the devices.
D. Enable Bluetooth.
Show Answer
Correct Answer: C
Explanation: If the headset indicates it is connected but the phone shows it as not connected, the Bluetooth pairing state between the two devices is likely out of sync. Re-pairing clears the existing pairing information and establishes a fresh, correct connection. Bluetooth must already be enabled to see the device, Wi‑Fi is unrelated, and entering a PIN is only required during pairing if prompted.
Question 4
A user’s workstation occasionally turns off and smells burnt. The workstation is located in a manufacturing area where users are required to wear respirators.
Which of the following will most likely repair the workstation?
A. Inspecting and repairing the swollen motherboard capacitors
B. Replacing the intake air filter
C. Resetting the BIOS configuration to default
D. Switching the power outlets
Show Answer
Correct Answer: B
Explanation: The manufacturing environment with respirators indicates heavy airborne particulates. A clogged intake air filter would restrict airflow, causing overheating, intermittent shutdowns, and a burnt smell. Replacing the intake air filter directly addresses the most likely cause.
Question 5
Which of the following is designed for interaction to take place via an OS running on the host rather than the host directly?
A. Type 1 hypervisor
B. Type 2 hypervisor
C. Elasticity
D. Multitenancy
Show Answer
Correct Answer: B
Explanation: A Type 2 hypervisor runs on top of a host operating system and relies on that OS for interaction with the hardware. In contrast, a Type 1 hypervisor runs directly on the physical host without a host OS. Elasticity and multitenancy are cloud characteristics, not hypervisor types.
Question 5
A user reports that the Wi-Fi signal is intermittent in an open office area. Other users are not experiencing this issue. Which of the following is the most likely cause?
A. There are other Wi-Fi signals that could be causing interference.
B. All wireless devices are on the same frequency.
C. The laptop's wireless card is malfunctioning.
D. The antenna was installed near a device that generates electromagnetic interference.
Show Answer
Correct Answer: C
Explanation: Only one user is experiencing intermittent Wi‑Fi issues while others in the same open office are not. If interference, frequency congestion, or antenna placement were the cause, multiple users would likely be affected. An issue isolated to a single user most strongly indicates a problem with that user's device, such as a malfunctioning wireless network card.
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