CompTIA Network+ (N10-007) — Question 562

Joe, a technician, was able to copy data at a site with no network equipment between two new laptops, featuring gigabit Ethernet ports, by using a regular straight- through patch cable. Joe then unsuccessfully tried to accomplish the same thing at a different site from his laptop with a gigabit Ethernet port to an older customer unit, which had a 10/100 network port. Which of the following is the cause of this?

Answer options

• A. The customer's laptop does not support auto-MDIX.
• B. Joe's laptop does not support auto-MDIX.
• C. Straight-through patch cables are prone to crosstalk.
• D. The customer's laptop NIC does not support full duplex.

Correct answer: A

Explanation

The correct answer is A because the older customer's laptop likely does not support auto-MDIX, which is necessary for proper communication with a gigabit Ethernet port when using a straight-through cable. Option B is incorrect as Joe's laptop does support auto-MDIX. Options C and D are irrelevant to the issue at hand, as crosstalk does not affect the connection method used here, and full duplex support does not directly contribute to the failure of the connection in this scenario.