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Difficulty: MediumTroubleshooting Methodology

A network administrator is troubleshooting an issue where several IP phones in a newly configured branch office are unable to obtain configuration settings or reach the voice gateway. The administrator has already interviewed the onsite staff and gathered all initial symptoms. According to the CompTIA troubleshooting methodology, which of the following actions should the administrator perform NEXT to establish a theory of probable cause? (Select TWO.)

  1. Question the obvious by checking whether the Power over Ethernet (PoE) network switch ports are active and supplying powerAnswer
  2. Consider top-to-bottom OSI model troubleshooting by investigating whether the DHCP scope for the voice VLAN is exhaustedAnswer
  3. C
    Replace the network switch hardware immediately and document the change in the ticketing system
  4. D
    Reconfigure the local DNS server to issue IP address leases to the IP phones

Answer

The administrator should question the obvious by checking switch port PoE power and consider top-to-bottom OSI troubleshooting by checking DHCP scope availability.
Establishing a theory of probable cause requires questioning the obvious (such as checking basic physical PoE switch port status) and applying structured troubleshooting approaches (such as checking if the DHCP server has available IP leases on the voice VLAN). Both actions gather data to form or confirm a hypothesis without prematurely altering production systems.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify the current stage of troubleshooting
The administrator has completed Step 1 (Identify the problem) by interviewing users and gathering symptoms.
The methodology dictates that Step 2 (Establish a theory of probable cause) must follow problem identification.
2
Determine valid actions for Step 2 of the methodology
Valid actions include questioning the obvious (e.g., verifying physical switch port activity and PoE) and applying systematic models such as top-to-bottom OSI analysis (e.g., checking DHCP address pool capacity).
Establishing a theory requires considering both simple obvious causes and systematic technical possibilities before making changes.

Key Concept

CompTIA Troubleshooting Methodology Stage 2: Establish a theory of probable cause (question the obvious and consider individual/systemic causes).
Estimated Time:1m 30s
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Troubleshooting Methodology

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