Troubleshooting and Networking Flashcards
7 cards from real ACSP practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 7 Troubleshooting and Networking flashcards as text
After a macOS update, a user's USB-C hub no longer works. You isolate the issue to a specific kernel extension. Which macOS security feature most likely prevented it from loading?
Answer: System Integrity Protection (SIP)
System Integrity Protection restricts third-party kernel extensions and requires user approval via System Settings > Privacy & Security before they can load.
A shared Mac in a school lab intermittently drops its network connection. After checking cables and the switch port, which macOS log source would you examine first for recurring network interface errors?
Answer: Console app filtered to 'kernel' messages or /var/log/system.log
Kernel-level network driver errors are written to the system log; filtering Console by process 'kernel' reveals interface resets, link-down events, and driver faults.
What does the 'Renew DHCP Lease' button in System Settings > Network actually do?
Answer: It releases the current IP lease and requests a new one from the DHCP server
Renewing the DHCP lease sends a DHCPRELEASE followed by a DHCPDISCOVER, allowing the Mac to get a fresh IP assignment from the DHCP server.
A Mac is connected via Ethernet but you notice packets are being dropped. You run 'ping -c 20 8.8.8.8' and see 5% packet loss. Which hardware component should you suspect first?
Answer: The Ethernet cable or the switch port
Intermittent packet loss on a wired connection most commonly points to a faulty cable, a damaged RJ45 connector, or a failing switch port.
Which macOS feature caches software updates and App Store content locally so devices on the same network download from the local cache instead of the internet?
Answer: Content Caching
Content Caching, enabled in System Settings > General > Sharing, stores Apple content locally and serves it to nearby devices, reducing WAN bandwidth usage.
A user's iPhone shows full Wi-Fi signal bars but they are connected to a captive portal network at a hotel. The Mac shows the same issue. Which approach resolves captive portal authentication?
Answer: Open a browser and navigate to any HTTP (not HTTPS) page to trigger the portal redirect
Captive portals intercept unencrypted HTTP requests to redirect to the login page; navigating to an http:// URL (not https://) triggers the redirect that HTTPS would block.
When using Safe Mode (Safe Boot) to troubleshoot a Mac startup issue, which of the following does macOS NOT do during a Safe Mode boot?
Answer: Back up user data to iCloud automatically
Safe Mode performs disk checks, loads only essential kexts, and clears some caches, but it does not trigger or modify iCloud backups.