An IT technician is troubleshooting a newly installed digital badge terminal in an enterprise facility. The terminal boots successfully and performs local diagnostic checks, but it fails to authenticate staff credentials and loses link status intermittently. The technician has gathered information from site managers, confirmed no recent firmware updates were deployed, and observed that the link light on the wall port blinks sporadically. To establish a theory of probable cause according to the CompTIA troubleshooting methodology, which TWO of the following actions should the technician perform NEXT? (Select TWO.)
- Examine the Ethernet wall outlet connection and test the patch cable for physical continuity or signal degradation.Answer
- BImmediately replace the patch panel and re-terminate all switch port runs servicing the facility floor.
- Inspect the managed switch interface settings to check for speed/duplex mismatches or port configuration errors.Answer
- DReconfigure the network DNS server scope to lease a dynamic IP address to the terminal MAC address.
Answer
The technician should examine the Ethernet wall outlet connection and test the patch cable for physical continuity, and inspect the managed switch interface settings for speed/duplex mismatches or port configuration errors.
In the CompTIA 6-step troubleshooting methodology, after identifying the problem and gathering initial symptoms (Step 1), the technician must establish a theory of probable cause (Step 2). Testing physical patch cables for continuity and evaluating switch port parameters directly address the observed physical link instability and help isolate whether the cause is physical layer damage or interface misconfiguration.
Step-by-Step Solution
Key Concept
CompTIA Troubleshooting Methodology - Step 2: Establish a theory of probable cause (question the obvious, consider top-to-bottom/bottom-to-top OSI layer factors).