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Difficulty: MediumTroubleshooting Methodology

An IT technician receives a ticket regarding a workstation that intermittently loses network connection. During the initial site visit, the technician interviews the user and observes that the network interface card link lights turn off whenever the office desk is physically bumped. According to the CompTIA troubleshooting methodology, which of the following actions should the technician take to establish a theory of probable cause? (Select TWO.)

  1. Inspect the RJ-45 cable tab and physical port connection for physical damage or loose seating.Answer
  2. Swap the existing patch cable with a spare, known-good Ethernet cable to isolate the failure.Answer
  3. C
    Replace the main floor distribution switch in the telecommunications closet.
  4. D
    Document the root cause and final resolution in the organization's ticketing system.

Answer

The technician should inspect the physical RJ-45 cable tab and port connection for damage and swap the patch cable with a known-good Ethernet cable.
Inspecting the physical RJ-45 connector and substituting a known-good cable are appropriate actions when establishing a theory of probable cause for motion-sensitive network drops. These actions focus on Layer 1 physical connection integrity, which aligns with the observed symptom.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify the troubleshooting stage
The technician has completed problem identification (Step 1) by gathering user feedback and reproducing the issue.
The next step in the CompTIA 6-step methodology is establishing a theory of probable cause (Step 2).
2
Evaluate initial physical layer theories
Because physical vibration breaks the connection, theories should target physical components (patch cable, connectors, jack).
Testing simple causes first starting at Layer 1 is standard troubleshooting practice.
3
Select actions appropriate for theory establishment
Visual inspection of connectors and substituting a known-good cable effectively test physical layer hypotheses.
These steps isolate localized physical faults without making unnecessary system-wide changes.

Key Concept

CompTIA Troubleshooting Methodology - Step 2: Establish a Theory of Probable Cause
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Topics

Troubleshooting Methodology

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