Chapter 1 Test Questions PDF

384 Appendix ■ Answers to the Review Questions Chapter 1: Mobile Devices 1. A. When configuring a mobile email client to access a commercial email provider, you typically just need your username and password to establish connectivity. Examples include Google, Yahoo, Outlook.com, and iCloud. 2....

384 Appendix ■ Answers to the Review Questions Chapter 1: Mobile Devices 1. A. When configuring a mobile email client to access a commercial email provider, you typically just need your username and password to establish connectivity. Examples include Google, Yahoo, Outlook.com, and iCloud. 2. B. Many newer smartphones are boasting OLED displays for their light weight, flexibility, color depth, and wider viewing angle. IPS is a popular type of LCD (Liquid Crystal Display) that requires backlighting to display the image. TN was the LCD technology developed first. It uses less power and has a limited viewing angle, but it supports very fast refresh rates. LEDs can be used as the backlight for LCD systems. OLED displays don’t need a backlight because their carbon-­based material can emit light and color. 3. B. Some laptop keys are consolidated into special multifunction keys to save valuable space. These keys are accessed through the standard keys by using a special function (Fn) key. Video adjustments come in two varieties: changing the video output and dimming or brightening the screen. In this case, there is a large sun icon for brightening the screen on the F10 key, so pressing the Fn key and the F10 key simultaneously would increase the brightness. Some laptops use a smaller sun to label the key for dimming and a larger sun to label the key for brightening, or they use plus and minus signs or up and down arrows next to the suns. You may also see special function keys to turn network connections on or off or to play, fast-­ forward, or rewind media. 4. A. Capacitive touchscreens are a little less accurate than resistive touchscreens but more responsive. They respond to changes in electrical current, and as such, the human fingertip works great as the facilitator of input. Resistive screens require a heavier touch and don’t support multi-­touch input. Infrared screens don’t work with multi-­touch gestures, but like resistive screens, they can be used with gloves on. Surface Acoustic Wave (SAW) is another type of touchscreen, but it is not popular. 5. C. Airplane mode turns off all wireless connections on a mobile device. It’s common on phones and tablets, and most laptops have the feature as well. 6. A. Smart cameras have built-­in wireless network connectivity for easy picture and video transfers. Many will include Wi-­Fi, Bluetooth, and Near-­Field Communication (NFC). Smart cameras, such as security cameras, can also connect via Wi-­Fi to your network and the Internet, and can thus be accessed and controlled by a cell phone. 7. C. While it’s possible that the phone could be charged with a charging pad, most often phones won’t charge because the battery is worn out and needs replacing. Also, according to the Apple Support website, a phone that won’t charge likely needs servicing. Your friend should take their phone to a service center. They may be able to replace the battery or fix problems they find with the phone’s connector. 8. C. Legacy laptops may have a battery that is removable and replaceable by sliding a connector or removing a few screws from the back of the case, but you might not be able to find a compatible replacement. Modern laptops have internal batteries. Before removing the back (bottom) cover of the laptop to get to the battery, you must disconnect the power to avoid Chapter 1: Mobile Devices 385 getting shocked or damaging the laptop. You’ll also want to be certain that you can purchase a compatible battery both in features and size/shape. Most do not require you to remove the keyboard or LCD panel to reach the battery, but again before doing either of those, the power should be disconnected, and you will have researched the laptop. 9. A, B. Users should be discouraged from eating cookies or toast (or anything) over their laptops. Fine crumbs or other debris can cause keys to stick, but that likely wouldn’t cause the type of problem the user is experiencing. Oftentimes a laptop keyboard can be replaced fairly easily assuming a compatible one can be found, but in this case, the problem is most likely caused by a loose ribbon cable connecting the keyboard to the motherboard, or a corrupted driver. 10. C. Individual keys can be replaced on a laptop. If your company uses many of the same model of laptops, keeping one or two nonfunctioning ones in stock for parts is helpful. If a key is not readily available, they can be purchased from third-­party vendors for much less than an entire keyboard. When ordering, ensure that it has the right type of clips, hinges, and possibly cup for the model being replaced. Is the short term, an inexpensive USB-­connected keypad might suffice. 11. A. You will always check the device’s documentation before purchasing components to ensure compatibility. In a laptop, RAM is often soldered directly onto the motherboard (onboard) and isn’t meant to be replaced by most users. Since the maximum system RAM is 32 GB, you would need one 16 GB RAM module to bring it up to that total. The SO in SODIMM stands for Small Outline and is the type of RAM module used in devices like laptops and sometimes printers. DIMMs (Dual Inline Memory Modules) are used in desktop computers. 12. C. The short answer is that no, storage on an iPhone, iPad, iPod, or almost any small device can’t be upgraded. When you buy one of these devices, it’s best to buy as much storage as you can afford. Attaching the device to your PC and doing the upgrade there may work. If not, you may not have to buy a new iPod if you have some data that you no longer need like conversations from years ago, or if you have some apps that you no longer use and can delete. You should be able to download them again later onto a new device. iCloud is storage in the cloud, and not the same as storage on your device; however, you could store photos in iCloud Photos or use Messages in iCloud to save space on the device. 13. A. A solid-­state drive (SSD) uses the same memory technology found in other forms of flash memory. They are much faster than traditional magnetic drives or hybrid drives but generally don’t have as much capacity for the same price. An NVMe drive is newer technology and would have to be supported by the laptop. It also uses a different connector. 14. D. As a rule of thumb, either you can access components from the bottom of a laptop, such as the memory and Mini PCIe card, or you’re going to need to remove the keyboard to access the components from the top. 15. B. Mini PCIe cards come in two sizes. The full-­size cards measure 30 mm wide and 51 mm long. Half-­size cards are 30 mm wide and 27 mm long. 386 Appendix ■ Answers to the Review Questions 16. A. If you have a cellular-­enabled device such as a smartphone, you may be able to turn that phone into a mobile hotspot. By doing so, you can share your cellular Internet connection with Wi-­Fi-­enabled devices such as laptops and tablets. Near-­Field Communication (NFC) devices can communicate and send data and files but only if they are within inches of each other. Bluetooth is a common wireless technology for connecting devices such as keyboards and headsets to a computer, and IrDA (infrared) communicates using light, but requires a line-­of-­sight. 17. A. Near-­field communication (NFC) is a wireless technology that uses radio frequency (RF) signals with limited range, about 4″ (10 cm). Bluetooth and Wi-­Fi have greater ranges, and IrDA uses infrared light and requires line-­of-­sight communications. IrDA is no longer popular. 18. C. Headsets are used for hands-­free phone conversations and listening to music. Headsets can either plug into the speaker/headphone jack or be wireless. Most wireless headsets are Bluetooth. Wi-­Fi is for connecting to wireless Local Area Networks (LANs). IR is infrared communication, which uses infrared light and requires line-­of-­sight for connections. It is seldom used. NFC (near-­field communication) only works over very short distances, about 10 cm or 4″. 19. B. Near-­field communication (NFC) is a wireless technology that uses radio frequency (RF) signals with limited range, about 4″ (10 cm). NFC can operate in card emulation mode, which lets the device act as a smartcard. This is useful for making payments at the site of a merchant who uses NFC. Bluetooth is a popular protocol for personal area networks (PANs) such as a laptop and headset or speakers. Wi-­Fi is used for wireless Local Area Networks (LANs). IrDA uses infrared light for communication; although it was once popular, it is rarely used in PC communications. 20. B. Often in laptops, the antenna is housed in the display area of the laptop. You would most likely need to separate the display from the laptop’s motherboard section to open it and replace the antenna cable. It will also likely have two different parts, a right and a left antenna, so make sure you get the right one. 21. B, C. Biometrics are using part of your body to identify you. An ID card is not biometric. Retina scanners are used in some secure environments but are not commonly found on laptops, but facial recognition like Apple’s Face ID and Windows Hello are on most modern laptops. Fingerprint readers can be found on many laptops, or can be easily added. 22. B. Near-­field communication (NFC) is a wireless technology that uses radio frequency (RF) signals with limited range, about 4″ (10 cm). To read an NFC tag in a poster, you would move your phone close to the tag. The phone would generate a small RF field that would power the tag, and data could then be read from the tag. There are five types of tags that vary in speed from 106 kbps to 2424 kbps and in maximum capacities from 2 KB to 32 KB. Type 4 holds the most data but is slower than Type 3. 23. C, D. The only Near-­field communication (NFC) capability with devices prior to the iPhone 7 is the ability to use Apple Pay; however, with iPhone 7 and newer devices, a third-­party app can be used to read and write NFC tags. iPhone 12 and newer devices can natively read NFC tags. Chapter 1: Mobile Devices 387 24. A, C, D. NFC can do so much more than pay for your coffee. In addition to the answers above, NFC tags can be set up to automate tasks instead of manually changing settings, such as silencing an alarm or logging into a PC. In some places they can allow your phone to be your bus pass. They’re considered secure for communication because of the short distance between devices. 25. C. There are three types of Liquid Crystal Display (LCD) technologies listed in the A+ exam objectives: Twisted Nematic (TN), In-­Plane Switching (IPS), and Vertical Alignment (VA). IPS LCDs provide better color representation as well as wider viewing angles, so that would be the best choice for this situation. Their drawbacks are somewhat slower response times and they tend to be a bit more expensive. Considering the other two types of LCD technologies, TN displays were developed first. They use less power compared to IPS and VA; however, when you start viewing them at wider angles, the picture quality suffers greatly. VA LCDs have slower response times than either IPS or TN, but they have the best contrast and image depth. SVA, or Super Vertical Alignment, is a Samsung term, not a standard, but it claims to offer better viewing angles than VA displays. LED monitors use Light Emitting Diodes as the backlight for an LCD. There are also microLED monitors and OLED monitors that create colors using LEDs with no backlight required. 26. C. OLED (Organic LED) monitors are not LCD (Liquid Crystal Display) monitors. Each of the other three has their advantages. TN (Twisted Nematic) displays have the fastest refresh rates, IPS (In-­Plane Switching) displays have the best viewing angle, and VA (Vertical Alignment) displays have the best color contrast. 27. C. There are three types of Liquid Crystal Display (LCD) technologies listed in the exam objectives: Twisted Nematic (TN), In-­Plane Switching (IPS), and Vertical Alignment (VA). Of those three display types, TN uses the least amount of power. TN displays also have very fast refresh rates. The issue with TN LCD screens is that when you start viewing them at wider angles, the picture quality suffers greatly. IPS LCDs provide better color representation as well as wider-­angle viewing, but they tend to be a bit more expensive and have somewhat slower response times. VA LCDs have slower response times than either IPS or TN, but they have the best contrast and image depth. LED (Light-­Emitting Diode) refers to a type of backlighting for LCD monitors. 28. D. The Organic LED (OLED) displays have incredible color contrast ratio because they can turn individual pixels off. They also have an excellent viewing angle. The drawback is that they may not be as bright as an LED (Light Emitting Diode) display. LED and mini-­LED displays use LEDs for backlighting, but still need the LCD (Liquid Crystal Display) panel. QLED is a marketing name, but QLED displays use a quantum dot layer providing more color depth than regular LED displays. Micro-­LEDs use three microscopic LEDs (red, green, and blue) to make each pixel, and each pixel can be turned on or off like an OLED TV. QLED, mini-­LED, and micro-­LED aren’t on the CompTIA A+ objectives yet. 29. C. A digitizer is a device that can be written or drawn on and the content will be converted from analog input to digital images on the computer. Digitizers take input from a user’s finger or a writing utensil, such as a stylus. Touchscreen devices and touchpads have a digitizer built into them. An inverter changes DC (Direct Current) to AC (Alternating Current) and is needed for some types of backlighting. 388 Appendix ■ Answers to the Review Questions 30. B, C. Webcams are nearly universal on laptops. The most common placement is right above the display on the laptop. Microphones are also often built into the display, next to the webcam. Both laptops and mobile devices such as smartphones are used for videoconferencing. Desktop computers can be used for videoconferencing, too, but usually will require adding a webcam and microphone. A digitizer converts touch input into digital format, and an inverter is used to convert DC (Direct Current) to AC (Alternating Current). 31. B. Common components to include in the display are the screen, Wi-­Fi antenna, webcam, microphone, inverter, and digitizer. Speakers are often near the keyboard on a laptop; however, some desktop displays have built-­in speakers. 32. A. A digitizer is a device that can be written or drawn on, and the content will be converted from analog input to digital images on the computer. Digitizers take input from a user’s finger or a writing utensil, such as a stylus. Digitizers may be built into laptop and mobile device displays, or they can be separate devices that connect to a computer via a USB or other cable. Touchpads and pointing sticks convert your finger movement to mouse movement on the display. An inverter is used in CCFL displays to convert DC to AC. 33. A. Smartphones will have both a cellular antenna and a Wi-­Fi antenna internal to the phone. Typically they connect with a ribbon cable, and they may be shaped differently or in different places depending on the particular cell phone model. These are not considered user-­ replaceable parts, but as an IT technician, you may be asked to replace them. Special tools, often plastic, may be needed to open a cell phone case without causing damage. The digitizer is a thin layer of electronic material that is usually fused between the glass and the LCD. Haptics are the ability of the device to interact through touch, such as vibration when they ring or feeling like you’re pressing a physical button even though you’re not. Stylus sensors are not actual devices. 34. B. Because of the much smaller space available for keys, some laptop keys are consolidated into special multifunction keys. These keys are accessed through the standard keys by using a special function (Fn) key. Nearly every laptop has a video connector on the back or the side to plug in an external display or a projector. You will need to use the video toggle key to get this external port to work. This is done by pressing the Fn key and the video toggle key simultaneously. 35. A. Most e-­reader displays use a technology called electrophoretic ink, or E Ink, which is a proprietary type of electronic paper. Although E Ink is available in color, many consider its best applications to be in grayscales or pure black and white. Additionally, E Ink uses almost no power to keep print on the page until the print is changed. 36. C. The job of the inverter is to store and convert energy from DC to AC. Inverters have the potential to discharge that energy and can be dangerous to technicians, so be careful when working with them. A backlight provides light that shines through the Liquid Crystal Display (LCD) to create pictures on the screen. 37. A. OLED technology uses organic material that lights up and creates colors without the use of backlighting or an LCD (Liquid Crystal Display). IPS, TN, and VA are all types of LCDs. Chapter 1: Mobile Devices 389 38. A, D. Smart cameras have built-­in wireless network connectivity for easy picture and video transfers. Many will include Wi-­Fi, Bluetooth, and NFC (Near-­field Communication). IrDA uses infrared light for communication and is not popular, and RJ-­45 is a type of networking connector. 39. C. Megapixels are a measure of how many unique points a digital camera is capable of storing. It’s more a measure of detail than quality, but for most of us it’s a quick way to compare a smartphone’s photographic capabilities. Brightness and contrast are settings that affect the display, whereas the digitizer accepts analog input and converts it into digital format. 40. A, B, D. The digitizer on a mobile device is a thin layer of electronic material that is glued or fused onto the back of the glass. Popular new smartphones are fusing all three together, so if the ability to communicate with the smartphone through touch fails, you must replace not only the digitizer but the glass cover and LCD (Liquid Crystal Display) as well. If the glass cover shatters, then the digitizer and LCD are replaced as well because it is sold as one unit. The Wi-­Fi antenna is usually a discrete part inside the case. 41. B, C, D. Some drawing pads simply plug into the USB port of a laptop and they work just fine. Higher-­end devices will likely need more setup but will pay off in quality. Some will need special software installed, including drivers, and that software will need to be configured. Most likely you’ll want to enable and configure Windows Ink. You may need to calibrate a drawing pad when you first connect it or only if the movement of the stylus is off from the movement on the screen. It’s unlikely that you’ll need a different operating system to use it. 42. B. Most keyboards will have an Fn (function) key used in combination with the F keys across the top to perform various tasks. In this case, the user likely accidentally turned off the trackpad, also called a touchpad. We know that F9 is the trackpad button because the graphic shows the pad with the two mouse-­click areas on the bottom. 43. C, D. Configuring a new Bluetooth trackpad is a fairly simple procedure. You first need to pair the device with the tablet, then configure it for speed and clicking and such. The CompTIA A+ objectives list the steps for connecting Bluetooth devices as follows: 1. Enable Bluetooth. 2. Enable pairing. 3. Find a device for pairing. 4. Enter the appropriate PIN code. 5. Test connectivity. 44. B. Tethering is connecting a device to a mobile hotspot. The term used to be reserved only for when you were connected via USB cable, as opposed to connecting via wireless. Some devices will not function as a mobile hotspot but will allow you to tether a mobile device to it with a USB cable so that the mobile device can share the cellular Internet connection. Appendix 390 ■ Answers to the Review Questions 45. C. To physically secure your laptop, use a cable lock. Essentially, a cable lock anchors your device to a physical structure, making it nearly impossible for someone to walk off with it. LoJack is software that can help secure data but does not prevent physical theft. A protective cover will help protect your device from damage if it gets dropped (and some are waterproof too), but it won’t stop someone from stealing it. Docking stations are usually used in your home office or corporate office to provide a mobile device, such as a laptop, tablet, or smartphone, with access to external devices that can provide charging, speakers, and other features. 46. B. The iPhone 13 series uses the proprietary connector called the Lightning connector. They can also use a compatible wireless charging pad. 47. B. The connector shown is the Apple Lightning connector used by iPhones since the iPhone 5. 48. C. To connect Bluetooth devices, a user must initiate the pairing process on both devices. Bluetooth is used to create a PAN (personal are network) also known as a piconet. The range for a Bluetooth network is only about 30 feet. 802.11a is a Wi-­Fi standard, Lightning is a type of connector, and Wi-­Fi enabled refers to a device that uses a Wi-­Fi connection. The CompTIA A+ objectives list the steps for connecting Bluetooth devices as follows: 1. Enable Bluetooth. 2. Enable pairing. 3. Find a device for pairing. 4. Enter the appropriate PIN code. 5. Test connectivity. 49. B, D. A docking station often replicates the functions of the ports on the back of a laptop so that peripherals such as displays, keyboards, printers, and so on that don’t travel with the laptop can remain connected to the dock and don’t all have to be unplugged physically each time the laptop is taken away. Docking stations effectively turn a laptop computer into a desktop computer, and the docking station may offer its own devices, such as an optical drive and speakers. It may have a generic connector such as USB-­C or a proprietary connector. Docking station can also mean a charging cradle for a smartphone or tablet to plug in vertically that provides other functions such as built-­in speakers for music playback or a clock. Two examples are Android Radio and Music Dock or Apple’s Universal Dock. This differs from a port replicator, whose main function is to let the user connect several devices at once and doesn’t require the laptop to be connected to offer connectivity between the devices. A KVM switch enables you to use one keyboard, video device, and mouse (hence the name, KVM) with two or more system units. Desktop station is not an actual term. 50. B. A port replicator is an attachment that provides the same ports as or additional ports to a laptop. The devices can communicate with each other via the port replicator whether or not the laptop is there. Docking stations are similar to port replicators because they provide a single connection to a laptop that will connect several devices, but the point of the docking station is to effectively make a laptop function as a desktop PC. Whereas a docking station Chapter 1: Mobile Devices 391 may (or may not) be a proprietary device, a port replicator is not, and will generally provide a connection to the external devices via a USB or similar port. Docking station can also mean a charging cradle for a smartphone or tablet. KVM switches allow multiple system units to share a keyboard, video and mouse. Docking port is not an actual term. 51. D. Thunderbolt was co-­developed by Apple and Intel as an offshoot of the DisplayPort technology. Apple added support for PCIe and launched it in 2011. In terms of versatility, it’s second only to USB. You will find video devices, hard drives (both HDD and SSD), printers, laptop docking stations, audio devices, and PCIe expansion enclosures that use Thunderbolt. Thunderbolt 3 is compatible with USB-­C. 52. C. Mini PCIe is just for small devices like laptops. PCI and PCIe are found on desktop PCs. PCIe x16 (x16 is pronounced as by 16) is often used for video at blazing speeds. PCIe x1 is popular for all sorts of devices. There is no Mini PCIe x16. 53. B. There are several different types of USB connectors. The one shown here is a miniUSB. 54. A. USB-­C uses an oval port that looks identical to Thunderbolt 3, and both can be used to transfer data and power to a device, but Thunderbolt 3 does it much faster, at 40 Gbps. To tell them apart, look for the lightning bolt on a Thunderbolt cable or port. 55. C. There are several different types of USB connectors. The one shown here is a microUSB. 56. A. Centronics is a common name for a parallel port. Parallel ports are now legacy because serial communications are so much faster. Thunderbolt, Lightning, and USB-­C all use serial communications, and they are very fast. 57. A, B. This is an audio output port and can be used to connect either speakers or headphones. A microphone can use a port that looks the same but is color-­coded pink. 58. D. Laptop motherboards are nearly always proprietary, meaning they are not interchangeable between manufacturers or even between models from the same manufacturer. When a laptop motherboard needs to be replaced, you most likely need a laptop motherboard from the same make and model. 59. C, D. Older Android devices used the USB Micro-­B connector, while newer Android smartphones use the USB-­C connector. Lightning is the connector used by iPhones, and Thunderbolt has a connector whose shape looks identical to a USB-­C, but Thunderbolt is much faster. 60. B. A DC power adapter allows a user to plug the laptop into the DC power source (usually called an auxiliary power outlet) inside a car or on an airplane. AC power adapters are for plugging into standard wall outlets. Some airplanes now provide AC power outlets to their passengers as well. 61. A, B. You should choose an AC adapter rated for the same wattage as the original. You must also pay special attention to the voltage and polarity of the plug that interfaces with the laptop. If the laptop requires the positive lead to be the center conductor, for instance, then you must take care not to reverse the polarity. It’s best to find one that advertises compatibility with the device it will be charging. 392 Appendix ■ Answers to the Review Questions 62. B, C. Legacy docking stations would have a proprietary port that would align with a connector, usually on the bottom or back of a laptop. The docking stations would be proprietary, meaning they can only work with specific equipment. Modern docking stations connect with the fast USB-­C or Thunderbolt ports, and sometimes USB-­A ports. They often supply their own power and can make a laptop seem like a desktop by plugging in one cable that connects your laptop to multiple monitors, gigabit Ethernet, audio, or almost any other port type. Docking station can also mean a charging cradle for a smartphone or tablet to plug in vertically that provides other functions such as built-­in speakers for music playback or a clock. Two examples are Android Radio and Music Dock or Apple’s Universal Dock. 63. C. GPS systems were designed to require multiple satellites. Receivers use a process called triangulation, which they use to calculate the distance between themselves and the satellites (based on the time it takes to receive a signal) to determine their location. They require input from four satellites to provide location and elevation or three to provide location. 64. C. The Apple Watch uses watchOS. It’s similar to iOS (used on iPhones) but was developed specifically for the watch. Its features are similar to iOS, but it includes features more tailored toward a smaller device. There is also iPadOS, which is, as you’ve likely surmised, for iPads. OS X mobile is a fictitious term, and Tizen is an open source mobile device OS. 65. C. An older laptop hard drive will be one of two form factors (sizes): 1.8″, which is now considered legacy, or 2.5″. Modern laptops most likely use either mSATA or M.2 drives, which are thinner than a RAM module and much smaller. Desktop computers have historically used 3.5″ hard drives. 66. B. A fitness monitor is normally worn on the wrist, and it tracks a user’s movements and heart rate. Some fitness monitors will be able to track sleep patterns and have a clock, alarm, and other features such as GPS. All fitness monitors have the ability to sync to a device such as a smartphone, laptop, or desktop. 67. D. A good game controller can make your mobile device feel a bit more like a gaming console. Most of the game pads will look like standard console controllers and connect via Bluetooth. Touchpads and pointing sticks are input devices like a mouse. Touchpads are usually rectangular areas on a laptop where your finger movements replace moving a mouse. A pointing stick will usually be in the middle of a keyboard and is controlled with a single finger pushing the stick in any direction. A docking station lets a laptop connect to multiple devices with a single connection on the laptop, enabling the user to use it easily with full-­ sized devices like a desktop PC. 68. B. Many laptops use shared video memory, meaning that system RAM is divided up for use between the processor and the video card. On these types of systems, the amount of RAM available for video is configured in the BIOS/UEFI. Anything reserved for the video card is unavailable to the processor. In this case, subtracting half a gigabyte from 4 GB leaves the CPU with 3.5 GB. 69. D. Oculus VR specializes in virtual reality and augmented reality headsets (VR/AR headsets). Samsung and HTC, while manufacturing smartphones, also produce VR/AR headsets. 70. C. Tablet screen sizes typically fall anywhere between 7″ and 12″, although you can find much larger ones with 24″ displays. Chapter 1: Mobile Devices 393 71. B. The two center connectors are Thunderbolt connectors. They have the characteristic lightning bolt icon. Thunderbolt is an offshoot of DisplayPort technology and supports many types of peripherals. 72. C. RJ-­45 is an 8-­pin connector commonly used to connect computers to a local area network (LAN). Tablets are designed for mobile communication. As such, most tablets come equipped with Wi-­Fi and Bluetooth, and many have cellular capabilities as well. 73. D. iPhones since the iPhone 5 have used a proprietary connector called the Lightning connector. Samsung smartphones and Fitbit watches most likely use a USB-­C cable, whereas Intel-­ based laptops use a variety of charging jacks depending on the device. 74. A. Mini PCIe cards use a 52-­pin connector. The Mini PCIe cards are 30 mm wide and come in full length (50.95 mm) and half length (26.8 mm). 68-­pin connectors are used with SCSI devices, whereas 144-­pin and 200-­pin are SODIMM connector sizes. 75. A. The overwhelming majority of Wi-­Fi antenna connectors for indoor-­rated antennas found on laptops are type SMA (SubMiniature version A). On the device will be an SMA-­female. What makes a connector “male” is the center pin and threads on the inside, while a “female” connector will have a receptor for the pin and threads on the outside. RP (reverse polarity) means that the pin and receptor are in opposite positions with regard to connector gender while the outside housing remains the same. SMA-­RP and SMA are therefore not compatible with each other. N-­type connectors look similar but are weatherproof and larger than SMA connectors. 76. C. Laptops with a rotating or removable screen allow the touchscreen to function like a tablet. This allows the warehouse manager to take notes with a tablet while keeping the laptop for their desk. 77. C. The IEEE standard 802.15.1 is commonly known as Bluetooth. The CompTIA A+ objectives list the steps for connecting Bluetooth devices as follows: 1. Enable Bluetooth. 2. Enable pairing. 3. Find a device for pairing. 4. Enter the appropriate PIN code. 5. Test connectivity. Not all Bluetooth devices require entering a pin. Opening a port is done on a router to allow a particular type of traffic to pass through the router to a connected network. 78. C. When pairing two Bluetooth devices, depending on the security settings, it is sometimes necessary to enter a Bluetooth PIN code. In security configuration menus, the PIN is sometimes referred to as the Bluetooth passcode or passkey. The CompTIA A+ objectives list the steps for connecting Bluetooth devices as follows: 1. Enable Bluetooth. 2. Enable pairing. 3. Find a device for pairing. Appendix 394 ■ Answers to the Review Questions 4. Enter the appropriate PIN code. 5. Test connectivity. 79. C. POP3 (Post Office Protocol 3) keeps emails stored on one device. This means both sent and received messages are stored on that one device, so all email is accessed from that device. The IMAP (Internet Message Access Protocol) downloads mail but leaves a copy on the server. SMTP (Simple Mail Transfer Protocol) is a protocol for sending (not receiving) mail. S/MIME (Secure Multipurpose Internet Mail Extensions) is an encryption standard for securing email. 80. A. Internet Messaging Access Protocol (IMAP) keeps a copy of emails on the server. This allows someone to view and work with their email from more than one device. SMTP (Simple Mail Transfer Protocol) is a protocol for sending (not receiving) mail. POP3 (Post Office Protocol 3) downloads mail to a device and does not leave a copy on a server. Once downloaded, mail can only be read on that device. S/MIME (Secure Multipurpose Internet Mail Extensions) is an encryption standard for securing email. 81. C. Apple’s cloud service called iCloud is for users and subscribers to store their media, contacts, and so on. OneDrive is Microsoft’s online cloud user storage. 82. B. Exchange Online is the cloud service version of Microsoft Exchange and part of Microsoft Office 365. 83. D. If you use a common email provider such as Google, Yahoo, Outlook, or iCloud, then setting up email on a device should be simple. Often all you need is your username and password. If setting up a corporate account or if you must manually configure email, then you’ll need more information such as the protocol (IMAP [Internet Message Access Protocol] or POP3 [Post Office Protocol version 3]) and the server names for sending and receiving email. You may also need the port number and security settings. 84. A. The Preferred Roaming List (PRL) and Product Release Instructions (PRI) deal with how your phone connects to the correct mobile tower and network. Updates to this information on the phone is typically done over the air. Your IMEI (International Mobile Equipment Identity) and IMSI (International Mobile Subscriber Identity) and screen resolution can’t typically be changed. IMEI identifies the exact device, and IMSI uniquely identifies the account holder. 85. C. The International Mobile Equipment Identity (IMEI) is a unique number assigned to the physical phone. This unique identifier is hard-coded into the device. The Product Release Instructions (PRI) describe how your device connects to the network. An IMSI (International Mobile Subscriber Identity) number uniquely identifies the account holder, and a MAC (Media Access Control) address uniquely identifies a network interface card. 86. B. The International Mobile Subscriber Identity (IMSI) is a unique number that identifies you, the user, to the cellular service. If you’re on a GSM network, it is on your SIM card and can easily be transferred from one phone to another. If you’re on a CDMA network, you must transfer from one phone to another by activating the phone on your account. The International Mobile Equipment Identity (IMEI) is a unique number assigned to the physical phone. This unique identifier is hard-coded into the device. The Product Release Instructions (PRI) describe how your device connects to the network, and a MAC (Media Access Control) address uniquely identifies a network interface card. Chapter 1: Mobile Devices 395 87. D. A virtual private network (VPN) will keep browsing confidential as well as bypass any local content blocking efforts. S/MIME (Secure Multipurpose Internet Mail Extensions) is an encryption standard for securing email. Baseband is a type of signaling technology that only allows for one signal on a medium at a time (Ethernet uses this). The Preferred Roaming List (PRL) ensures that your cellphone connects to the most appropriate tower based on your location and provider. 88. A. Synchronization means to duplicate or back up the data from the device. Synchronization can be done to the local desktop, to the cloud service off premises, or even to an automobile. A VPN (virtual private network) uses encryption protocols to safeguard communications across a shared transmission medium (like the Internet) and mimics the network connection you would have if you were in the same building as your server. Encryption is using algorithms to change data so that it can’t be read by unauthorized people or devices, thus protecting your data and logins. Updating is a generic term for modernizing and adding features to something. 89. C. When you synchronize bookmarks between devices, the website addresses are copied and readily available. The same synchronization can be done for several media types, such as videos, music, pictures, and documents. 90. A. Synchronizing calendars between devices and users is an easy and reliable option for ensuring that all parties have the same information. 91. B. ActiveSync was developed by Microsoft to make synchronization of data easier and allow users to access their data even when they’re not online. 92. A. Single sign-­on (SSO) is the authentication feature of users logging into their device, which in turn uses their authorization and credentials to authenticate to other systems or services. This is implemented through Active Directory (AD) or another centralized service that could store a user’s privileges. Since the user was authenticated through the service (like Active Directory) and that service is trusted by the other software, the user is not required to log into the other software. SMTP is a protocol for sending email, synchronization means updating between systems, and nonrepudiation is proof of delivery or access such that a party can’t later say they didn’t access or see something. Nonrepudiation is a principle of information security. 93. D. As with any device installation in IT, the last step is to verify that the device works as intended. The CompTIA A+ objectives list the steps for connecting Bluetooth devices as follows: 1. Enable Bluetooth. 2. Enable pairing. 3. Find a device for pairing. 4. Enter the appropriate PIN code. 5. Test connectivity. 396 Appendix ■ Answers to the Review Questions 94. A. Any device that has a GPS receiver has the ability to ping satellites, which will correspond with at least two others to triangulate the position of the device, and they are quite accurate. (A fourth satellite is needed to determine elevation.) This is a common way for devices to provide turn-­by-­turn directions. While cellular location services work the same way, that wouldn’t be the answer unless the vehicle has its own cellular service. MDM and MAM are methods of data security in a corporate environment. 95. A, C. Both GPS and cellular location services can be used to pinpoint the location of any device on Earth that has a GPS receiver or cellular service. GPS finds your location by pinging satellites whereas cellular location services use two or more cell phone towers. MDM is a type of data security for mobile devices, and RFID is radio frequency ID, which is often used for inventory management. 96. A. Some applications need to know your location to work properly. Others don’t. Luckily turning off location services is not an "all or nothing" situation. You can turn location services off and on by application, and maintain discrete control over who is allowed to see where you are and who is not in the privacy settings of your phone. 97. B. While it’s possible that the server has too many requests, the more likely culprit to your slow downloads is that you’ve reached your Internet service’s data cap and your service has slowed down. This can happen whether it’s a home service or a cell phone. Some services may cut you off completely and others merely send you a text message that you’ve reached your limit so they’ll be slowing your connection or billing you more. If the router needed to be reset, the symptoms would be different. If the laptop was overheating, it would most likely shut down. 98. A, B. Mobile Application Management (MAM) protects corporate data while being used on employee’s personal devices. It can force employees to save all work files in the company’s OneDrive, encrypt files and delete them after a period of time, and restrict employees from downloading company content. It can even delete company files when a device has become inactive. Mobile Device Management (MDM) systems can be used to wipe data from a device and restore it to factory settings. GSM and CDMA are cellular communication systems. 99. D. A username is identification, and a password is authentication, but two-­factor authentication, as the name implies, requires another method of authentication. Authentication can be based on something you know (like a password), something you have (a security card or cell phone, for example), something you are (biometrics: fingerprint readers, face scanners), or somewhere that you are. Sending an access code to a cell phone via text message after you’ve entered your username and password is one type of two-­factor authentication. Authenticator applications on your laptop or phone generate codes that last usually only for seconds. The code is a combination of a key that was likely scanned from a QR code on the website or software and the time. A physical security key is something only you have that can communicate via USB, Bluetooth, a scanner, or even Wi-­Fi. 100. C. The fourth generation of cellular services (4G) also known as LTE, was introduced to the world in the 2000s. It boasted downstream rates as fast as 53.3 Mbps. Prior to that, 2G came out in 1991 and added text-­based SMS services (messaging). 3G was released in 2001 and transmits up to 7.2 Mbps. 5G, which is still being implemented, employs the use of different software and radio transmitters, is backward compatible, and is estimated that it will be able to reach transmission rates of 20 Gbps. Chapter 2: Networking 397 101. A. LED (Light-­Emitting Diode) refers to the light source used as backlighting for an LCD (Liquid Crystal Display). OLED displays do not need backlighting because their carbon-­ based diodes emit both light and colors. IPS, TN, and VA are all types of LCD monitors that need a backlight. Not on the CompTIA A+ exam yet are micro-­LED displays, where the LED produces the color and the light similar to an OLED, and mini-­LED monitors that provide backlighting for LCDs but use a much smaller LED, allowing for better color specificity. 102. D. Laptop motherboards are nearly always proprietary, meaning they are not interchangeable between manufacturers or even between models from the same manufacturer. When a laptop motherboard needs to be replaced, you most likely need a laptop motherboard from the same make and model. 103. A. Apple iPads use iPadOS. Its features are similar to iOS, but it includes additional features such as keyboard support and multitasking capabilities, such as Split View. watchOS is for Apple Watches and OS X mobile doesn’t exist. 104. D. It’s most likely that Bluetooth connectivity was lost between the earpiece and the once-­ paired device, probably a phone. You’ll examine the phone and troubleshoot connectivity between the phone and the earpiece. 105. C. Most likely you’ll need to purchase an M.2 Wi-­Fi card, and it’s the only option listed that would work. Before you purchase a replacement, verify that your laptop has an internal connector and note what type it is. Then disable the onboard Wi-­Fi, if there is one, before installing the new card. Mini-­PCIe is a laptop connector standard that was largely replaced by M.2 connectors. PCIe and PCI are for desktop computers; PCI having been replaced by the newer, faster PCIe. PCMCIA is a legacy type of laptop connector. If there is no internal connector for a Wi-­Fi card, you could purchase a USB Wi-­Fi card, but it will take up one of your ports and may get bumped, and it was not listed as an option for this question. 106. A, B. Modern laptops most likely use either mSATA or M.2 drives, which are thinner than a RAM module and much smaller. Legacy laptops used 1.8" or 2.5" drives, and desktop computers have historically used 3.5² hard drives. Chapter 2: Networking 1. A. Cable testers are indispensable tools for any network technician. Usually you would use a cable tester before you install a cable to make sure it works. Of course, you can test them after they’ve been run as well. Multimeters are used to test power supplies and wall outlets. Loopback plugs are used to test network interface cards, and tone generators and probes are used to locate a wire among other wires. 2. C. Internet Message Access Protocol (IMAP) is a secure protocol designed to download email. It has several advantages over the older Post Office Protocol 3 (POP3). First, IMAP4 works in connected and disconnected modes. Second, it lets you store the email on the server, as opposed to POP3, which requires you to download it. Third, IMAP4 allows