CompTIA A+ Core 1 (220-1101) — Question 240

A technician installed a Cat 5 UTP cable approximately 275ft (84m) from a network switch in an office to a workstation located on a factory floor. The technician sees both a flashing green LED and a flashing orange LED on the workstation's NIC. Which of the following should the technician do FIRST?

Answer options

• A. Check for loose connections, pinched bends, and physical damage.
• B. Install a powered hub as close as possible to the halfway point in the Cat 5 UTP cable run.
• C. Replace the entire run of Cat 5 UTP cable with Cat 5 STP cable.
• D. Upgrade the entire cable run to multimode fiber.

Correct answer: A

Explanation

The correct action is to check for loose connections, pinched bends, and physical damage, as these issues could be causing connectivity problems indicated by the flashing LEDs. Installing a powered hub or replacing the cable types may not address the immediate physical connection issues, and upgrading to multimode fiber is unnecessary for this scenario.