Network Issues
A user complains of no internet access, but their device has a valid IP address. What should you check next?
DNS and gateway settings
A user complains their computer is slow when opening large Excel files. What is the first thing to check?
RAM and CPU Usage
What does FTP stand for?
File Transfer Protocol
What command can be used to display the system's IP configuration?
ipconfig
What is the difference between an HDD and an SSD?
SSD has no moving parts and is much faster than an HDD
You can ping an internal server by its IP, but not by its hostname. What’s the likely issue?
DNS
A system runs fine after startup but slows down over time. What should you check?
Background processes or memory issues
What does DHCP stand for? What does it do?
Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol
Dishes out IP addresses to any devices that request it
What command can be used to check the path packets take to reach a destination?
traceroute or tracert
What is the function of BIOS?
Initialize the hardware at startup
A wireless network is slow in one area of an office, but fine elsewhere. What is a likely cause?
wireless interference from nearby devices or walls
A Windows computer is using high disk usage even when idle. What are common causes?
Failing drive or search indexing
What does ARP stand for?
Address Resolution Protocol
What PowerShell command lists all running processes on a Windows machine?
Get-Process
What is the purpose of redundant power supplies on servers?
To prevent downtime in the event of a power failure
A user reports frequent disconnections from the company VPN. What are two possible causes?
Unstable internet connection or VPN timeout settings
A user reports their computer takes much longer to boot than before. What are two possible reasons?
Too many startup programs or a failing hard drive
What is the difference between TCP and UDP?
TCP establishes a connection - slower but more secure
UDP sends data without acknowledgement - faster but less reliable
What command can be used to look up DNS records?
nslookup or dig
What is the difference between RAID 1 and RAID 5 in terms of performance and redundancy?
RAID 1 mirrors data for full redundancy but has no performance gain, while RAID 5 stripes data with parity for redundancy and improved read performance
A switch was replaced, and now some devices cannot communicate on the network. What should you check?
VLAN Configuration on the switch
A system has enough RAM but frequently runs out of available memory. What setting should you adjust?
virtual memory (pagefile) size?
What is NTP and what is it used for?
Network Time Protocol
Used for synchronization between computer systems
What is the difference between an SFC scan and DISM?
SFC - cans and repairs corrupt or missing system files using cached copies from the system
DISM - Repairs the Windows image
What is the difference between a process and a service?
A process is an actively running program, while a service runs in the background