220-1101 domain - 29% of the exam

Hardware and Network Troubleshooting

Hardware and Network Troubleshooting is 29% of the CompTIA A+ Core 1 (220-1101) exam. These are the objectives it covers, each with practice questions and worked explanations.

Objectives in this domain

Sample question from this domain

Free sampleHardware and Network Troubleshootingmedium

Priya reports that her Android phone, which comfortably lasted all day last month, now drops from full charge to flat by mid-afternoon even though her usage has not changed. Which action should a technician take FIRST to isolate the cause?

  • AReview the built-in battery usage statistics to identify which app or service is drawing the most power. Correct
  • BReplace the battery straight away, because a sudden change in runtime always means the cell has reached its charge-cycle limit.
  • CPerform a full factory reset to clear any rogue background process that might be consuming the battery.
  • DTurn off the Bluetooth and Wi-Fi radios and then watch whether the phone's battery life returns to normal.
When diagnosing sudden battery drain on a mobile device, identify the offending app or service using battery usage data before swapping hardware or wiping data. Battery usage statistics attribute power draw to specific apps and services, so they isolate the true cause first; replacing the battery or resetting the device acts before the problem is identified and can be both unnecessary and destructive.

Why A is correct: Correct: the battery usage screen breaks consumption down per app and service, letting the technician identify the problem before acting, which matches the first CompTIA troubleshooting step of identifying the problem.

Why B is wrong: Tempting because an ageing cell is a real cause of drain, but swapping hardware before any diagnosis skips the identify-the-problem step, and the absolute claim that it is 'always' the cell ignores common software causes.

Why C is wrong: Tempting because a reset can clear a misbehaving app, but it is destructive to the user's data and is applied before the offending process has even been identified, so it is far too aggressive as a first step.

Why D is wrong: Tempting because idle radios do use power, but this tests one narrow theory before a cause has been established and radios are rarely the sole driver of a sudden doubling in drain, so it is premature.

Other domains in this exam

See also the 220-1101 cert hub, the study guide, and the cheat sheet.

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