Mixed Deck — All COMPTIA Topics Flashcards

Which feature of WPA3-Personal provides forward secrecy, ensuring past session traffic cannot be decrypted even if the passphrase is later compromised?

Answer: SAE with perfect forward secrecy

WPA3-SAE generates a unique session key for every connection, so compromising the passphrase later cannot decrypt previously recorded traffic.

Which protocol does 802.11ax use to allow multiple clients to transmit UPLINK data to the AP simultaneously, a capability not present in 802.11ac?

Answer: UL OFDMA and UL MU-MIMO

Wi-Fi 6 introduced both Uplink OFDMA and Uplink MU-MIMO, allowing multiple clients to send data to the AP simultaneously, unlike 802.11ac which only supported downlink MU-MIMO.

A /25 subnet is applied to the 10.0.0.0 network. How many usable host addresses are available?

Answer: 126

A /25 subnet has 128 total addresses; subtracting the network and broadcast addresses leaves 126 usable host IPs.

Sally is at her business office in a remote part of town when a thunderstorm causes her laptop to lose Internet service. She uses satellite, so she might have to wait till the storm passes before getting online again. She asks you for a temporary solution because she just has her cell phone with her. What would you recommend?

Answer: Use the phone’s tethering ability.

Phone tethering allows a smartphone to share its cellular data connection with other devices, such as a laptop, via Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, or USB. In a situation where the primary internet connection (satellite) is unavailable due to a storm, using the phone's tethering ability provides an immediate and temporary way for the laptop to get online using the phone's mobile data plan.

A technician uses the divide-and-conquer troubleshooting method. On which OSI layer does this approach typically begin?

Answer: Layer 3 – Network

Divide and conquer typically starts at Layer 3 (Network) by testing IP connectivity, then moves up or down based on results.

Which step of the CompTIA troubleshooting methodology involves asking the user 'What changed recently?'

Answer: Identify the problem

Identifying the problem includes gathering information from users, which includes asking about recent changes that may have triggered the issue.

Which power supply specification describes its efficiency at converting AC input to DC output?

Answer: 80 Plus certification

80 Plus certification levels (Bronze, Silver, Gold, Platinum, Titanium) indicate the PSU's AC-to-DC conversion efficiency at various load levels.

In a relational database table for employees, what is the primary purpose of a 'EmployeeID' column that is designated as a primary key?

Answer: To uniquely identify each employee record in the table.

A primary key is a column (or a set of columns) in a table whose main purpose is to uniquely identify each record in that table. [27, 7] An 'EmployeeID' is a perfect candidate for a primary key because each employee will have a unique ID, ensuring no two records are identical and allowing for reliable data retrieval and relationships.

A power supply unit's fan is not operating. What do you think you should do?

Answer: Change the power supply unit

If a power supply unit's (PSU) fan is not operating, the PSU will quickly overheat, leading to potential failure and damage to other computer components. Attempting to fix or replace the fan within a PSU is dangerous due to residual electrical charge and often impractical. The safest and most recommended course of action is to replace the entire power supply unit.

Which of these can help in the prevention of phishing attacks?

Answer: a spam filter

A spam filter is highly effective in preventing phishing attacks because most phishing attempts are delivered via email. By identifying and blocking suspicious emails that contain malicious links or deceptive content, a spam filter can prevent these messages from reaching the user's inbox, thereby reducing the risk of them falling victim to a phishing scam.

Although a user has successfully set up dual displays on his computer, the mouse does not track correctly from one screen to the next. Describe the procedure for resolving this problem.

Answer: The monitors must be realigned in Display Settings.

When using multiple monitors, the operating system needs to know their physical arrangement to correctly track mouse movement between screens. If the mouse doesn't transition smoothly, it indicates that the virtual alignment in the display settings (e.g., Windows Display Settings) does not match the actual physical setup of the monitors. Adjusting the monitor positions within these settings will resolve the issue, allowing for seamless mouse navigation.

Which wireless security protocol is recommended as the most secure option for protecting a home Wi-Fi network?

Answer: WPA2 (Wi-Fi Protected Access 2)

WPA2 uses AES encryption and is significantly more secure than WEP and WPA, making it the recommended standard for home and small business wireless networks.

How many pins are there on the standard Parallel printer cable connecting end?

Answer: 25

The standard Parallel printer cable, commonly used for older printers, utilizes a DB-25 connector on the computer end. This connector is characterized by having 25 pins arranged in two rows. This design facilitated the parallel transmission of data, sending multiple bits simultaneously.

What type of routing requires a network administrator to manually enter each route into the routing table?

Answer: Static routing

Static routing requires manual configuration of routes by an administrator and does not adapt automatically to network topology changes.

Which spanning tree port state allows a port to learn MAC addresses but NOT forward user traffic?

Answer: Learning

The Learning state allows the switch to populate its MAC address table from incoming frames but does not yet forward user data traffic.

Which statement BEST describes the relationship between CompTIA Computing Technology Industry Association certification requirements and industry evolution?

Answer: Requirements evolve periodically to reflect advances in knowledge, technology, and practice standards

Certification requirements evolve to keep pace with advances in professional knowledge, technological developments, and changes in practice standards. This ensures that certified professionals remain current and competent in a changing professional landscape.

What is the maximum RAM that Windows 32-bit operating systems can support?

Answer: 4 GB

A 32-bit operating system can address a maximum of 2^32 bytes of memory, which equates to 4 gigabytes (GB). While some of this address space is reserved for hardware, the practical limit for usable RAM on a 32-bit Windows system is typically around 3.5 GB to 4 GB. This limitation is a fundamental architectural constraint of 32-bit computing.

A technician is installing a CPU and notices one corner of the socket has a small triangle indicator. What does this indicate?

Answer: CPU pin 1 alignment for correct installation orientation

The triangle on both the CPU and socket marks pin 1, ensuring the processor is inserted in the correct orientation to avoid damage.

Which authentication factor is classified as "something you are"?

Answer: Biometric data

Biometric data such as fingerprints, facial recognition, or retinal scans represents the "something you are" authentication factor.

Which Windows feature allows an administrator to run a command prompt with elevated privileges?

Answer: Run as administrator

Right-clicking and selecting 'Run as administrator' launches the application with elevated (administrator-level) privileges.