CompTIA 220-1201 - CompTIA A+ Core 1 Exam (2026)

CompTIA A+ emphasizes that satellite internet connections inherently suffer from extremely high latency because the data must travel from the user ' s antenna to satellites orbiting tens of thousands of miles above Earth and back. Although satellite systems offer broad geographic coverage, this long travel distance introduces noticeable delays often 500ms or more.

Fiber, cable, and DSL operate through terrestrial wiring and have far lower latency due to short signal paths. Fiber, in particular, is the fastest and lowest-latency connection type.

Satellite delay significantly impacts VoIP calls, video conferencing, online gaming, and real-time applications. The A+ exam specifically notes latency as a major performance characteristic of satellite service, distinguishing it from other broadband technologies.

ECC (Error-Correcting Code) RAM is commonly used in servers to provide error detection and correction, improving reliability in critical systems. It is designed to detect and correct single-bit errors, ensuring data integrity in environments where stability is paramount.

Option A (SODIMM): Incorrect. SODIMM is typically used in laptops, not servers.

Option B (Rambus): Incorrect. Rambus is an outdated RAM type and not commonly used today.

Option C (DDR3): Incorrect. While DDR3 is a type of RAM, it is not specific to servers and does not provide error correction.

A PoE injector is used to add power to an Ethernet cable, enabling the cable to deliver both power and data. This is crucial when connecting to PoE-enabled devices like IP cameras or wireless access points that are far from power outlets.

Cable modems supplied by ISPs connect to the coaxial wall outlet using an F-type connector. CompTIA A+ specifies that F-type connectors are threaded coaxial connectors used in broadband cable internet, cable TV, and some satellite systems. They attach to RG-6 or RG-59 coaxial cable and provide a secure, shielded connection to the cable provider’s infrastructure.

The cable modem requires this coaxial uplink to receive downstream and upstream signals from the ISP before converting them into Ethernet on the LAN side.

LC (B) is for fiber optic connectors, not coaxial. RJ45 (C) is an Ethernet connector and is used on the LAN side of the modem—not on the wall uplink. Lightning (D) is an Apple connector and irrelevant to networking hardware.

Thus, the correct connector for the ISP cable modem uplink is F-type.

Comprehensive and Detailed Step-by-Step Explanation:

To determine the correct device, we need to understand how a DOCSIS (Data Over Cable Service Interface Specification) network functions in a Small Office/Home Office (SOHO) environment:

C. Cable Modem:

A cable modem is required to convert the signal provided by the ISP (Internet Service Provider) over a DOCSIS network into a format that is usable by the local area network (LAN).

DOCSIS is a standard for high-speed internet over cable television infrastructure, and the cable modem acts as the gateway between the ISP ' s coaxial network and the LAN.

Without the cable modem, devices in the LAN would not be able to access the internet.

Changing the page orientation(e.g., fromportrait to landscape) allows wider columns to fit on one side of the page. This maintains readability while continuing to use duplex printing.

Option A:Disabling duplex defeats the goal of printing on both sides.

Option B:May help, but could make the document harder to read if the font is too small.

Option D:Unlikely to resolve formatting issues related to layout and dimensions.

CompTIA A+ Core 1 Exam Objective Reference:

Objective 3.7: Given a scenario, troubleshoot common printer problems.

A firewall implements ACLs (Access Control Lists) to filter traffic and enforce policies based on rules such as IP address, port, or protocol.

Why Not A (Managed switch): A managed switch supports VLANs and QoS but does not enforce ACLs at the network perimeter.

Why Not B (Gateway): Gateways connect networks and translate protocols but don’t typically implement ACLs.

Why Not C (Repeater): Repeaters extend signal range but don’t enforce policies.

CompTIA A+ Exam Reference: Core 1 (220-1201), Section 2.2, firewall concepts​.

An automatic document feeder (ADF) is designed to speed up scanning jobs that involve many pages by feeding sheets through the scanner automatically, one after another, without requiring the user to lift the lid and position each page manually. For a 300-page contract, the biggest time loss is the manual handling of every page on a flatbed. With an ADF-equipped scanner or multifunction printer, the user can load a stack of pages into the feeder tray and the device will process them continuously, greatly improving productivity and reducing user effort. This is a common CompTIA A+ Core 1 concept when comparing scanner hardware features and selecting the correct device for high-volume tasks.

A flatbed scanner (A) is typically slower for large documents because it requires manual placement of each page. Duplexing (B) can be helpful when scanning double-sided documents because it captures both sides automatically, but it does not address the “each page must be scanned individually” issue as effectively as an ADF does for high page counts. Orientation configuration (D) only changes how pages are rotated or aligned in the output file and does not increase scan throughput. Therefore, an ADF is the best choice to increase scanning speed for a large contract.

A CNAME (Canonical Name) record is used in DNS to create an alias that maps one domain name to another canonical domain name. According to CompTIA Core 1 (220-1201) DNS objectives, CNAME records allow multiple hostnames to reference the same IP address indirectly by pointing to a single authoritative domain name.

For example, www.example.com can be configured as a CNAME that points to example.com. When DNS queries are made, the resolver follows the alias until it reaches an A or AAAA record that contains the actual IP address.

An A record maps a hostname directly to an IPv4 address, while an AAAA record maps a hostname to an IPv6 address. A TXT record is used to store arbitrary text data, commonly for verification, email security (SPF, DKIM), or policy information, not for aliasing.

CompTIA stresses that CNAME records are specifically intended for aliasing and name redirection within DNS, making them the correct answer.

A key benefit and defining characteristic of cloud computing in CompTIA A+ Core 1 is on-demand, self-service. This means users or administrators can quickly provision computing resources—such as virtual machines, storage, or applications—without requiring manual intervention from the cloud provider each time. For example, an organization can deploy a new server instance in minutes to support a new project, then scale it down or remove it when no longer needed. This improves agility, speeds up deployment, and supports rapid changes in workload.

Option A is incorrect because cloud services are typically metered (measured) and billed based on usage, which is part of the “measured service” cloud concept. Option B is incorrect because cloud data is often distributed across multiple regions for redundancy and performance; it is not inherently “centralized for all global data.” Option D is incorrect because cloud services generally emphasize broad network access using standard methods and interfaces, not limited access through custom interfaces only. Therefore, on-demand, self-service capabilities best represents a cloud computing benefit.