CompTIA A+ Core 1

Rick McDonald is a professor in the IT Specialist program at the University of Alaska in Fairbanks, Alaska. He holds degrees and certificates from Gonzaga University in Spokane, Washington, and University of Illinois Springfield. After several years in the airline industry, he returned to full-time teaching in North Carolina and then in Ketchikan and Fairbanks, Alaska. Previous publication projects include CCNA Companion Guides and technical editing of various certification textbooks. He is currently teaching A+, CCNA, and AWS certification classes in Fairbanks and on the Web.

Introduction

Part I: Core 1

Chapter 1 Mobile Devices

“Do I Know This Already?” Quiz 3

Foundation Topics 6

Installing and Configuring Laptop Hardware and Components 6

    Laptop Access 6

    Keyboard 9

    Hard Drive Storage 11

    HDD/SSD Migration 14

    Memory 14

    Mini PCIe 17

    Wireless Card 18

    USB Travel Routers and Wireless WAN Cards 20

    Battery 20

    Physical Privacy and Security Components 22

Display Components of Mobile Devices 23

    Display Components 23

    Screens 23

    Wi-Fi Antenna Connector/Placement 25

    Webcam 25

    Microphone 26

    Inverter 26

    Touchscreen/Digitizer 26

Setting Up and Configuring Accessories and Ports of Mobile Devices 27

    Connection Methods: Wired 27

    Connection Types: Wireless 29

    Accessories 30

    Docking Station 31

    Port Replicator 33

Configuring Basic Mobile Device Network Connectivity and Application Support 33

    Wireless/Cellular Data Network Connectivity for Mobile Devices 33

    Bluetooth 40

    GPS and Cellular Location Services 44

    Mobile Device Management (MDM) 45

    Mobile Application Management (MAM) 45

    Mobile Device Synchronization 45

Exam Preparation Tasks 48

Chapter 2 Networking 55

“Do I Know This Already?” Quiz 55

Foundation Topics 60

TCP and UDP Ports, Protocols, and Their Purposes 60

    FTP 61

    SSH 62

    Telnet 62

    SMTP 63

    DNS 63

    DHCP 63

    HTTP/HTTPS 64

    POP3 64

    NetBIOS/NetBT 64

    IMAP 65

    SNMP 65

    LDAP 65

    SMB/CIFS 65

    RDP 66

    TCP vs. UDP 66

Networking Hardware 67

    Router 67

    Switch 68

    Wireless Access Point 69

    Patch Panel 70

    Firewall 70

    Power over Ethernet 70

    Hub 71

    Modems: Cable and DSL 71

    Optical Network Terminal (ONT) 72

    Network Interface Card 72

    Software-Defined Networking 72

Compare and Contrast Wireless Networking Protocols 73

    Frequencies 73

    Channels 75

    Bluetooth 76

    Wi-Fi Standards 78

    Long-Range Fixed Wireless 80

    NFC 81

    RFID 81

Services Provided by Networked Hosts 82

    DNS Server 82

    DHCP Server 82

    File Server 82

    Print Server 83

    Mail Server 83

    Syslog Server 83

    Web Server 83

    Authentication, Authorization, and Accounting (AAA) Server 84

    Internet Appliances 84

    Legacy and Embedded Systems 86

    Internet of Things (IoT) Devices 87

Install and Configure a Basic Wired/Wireless SOHO Network 89

    IP Addressing 89

    IP Addressing 99

    NIC Configuration 100

    End-User Device Configuration 101

    Cable/DSL Modem 101

Network Configuration Concepts 101

    DNS 101

    DHCP 102

    VLAN 103

    VPN 103

    Internet Connection Types, Network Types, and Their Features 104

    Internet Connection Types 104

    Network Types 112

Using Networking Tools 114

    Cutting Tool 114

    Cable Stripper 115

    Crimper 115

    Punchdown Tool 116

    Multimeter 116

    Toner Probe 117

    Cable Tester 118

    Loopback Plug 119

    Wi-Fi Analyzer 119

    Network Tap 120

Exam Preparation Tasks 121

Chapter 3 Hardware 131

“Do I Know This Already?” Quiz 131

Foundation Topics 136

Basic Cable Types 136

    Network Cables 136

    Video Cables 145

    Peripheral Cables 150

    Peripheral Cables: Serial 160

    Hard Drive Cables 161

    Adapters 163

    Connector Types 165

Installing RAM Types 166

    Virtual RAM 168

    SODIMM Memory 169

    DDR3 SDRAM 170

    DDR4 SDRAM 170

    DDR5 SDRAM: The Current Standard 170

    Single Channel 172

    Dual Channel 172

    Triple Channel 173

    Quad Channel 173

    Parity vs. Nonparity 173

    Installing Memory 175

Installing Storage Devices 178

    Optical Drives 179

    Hard Drives 182

    Magnetic Hard Disk Drives 188

    Hybrid Drives 190

    Flash Drives/Memory Cards 190

    Storage Device Configurations 194

Installing Motherboards, CPUs, and Add-on Cards 201

    Motherboard Form Factors 201

    Motherboard Connector Types 205

    Motherboard Compatibility 210

    Basic Input/Output System (BIOS)/Unified Extensible Firmware Interface (UEFI) Settings 218

    Encryption 235

    CPU Architecture 237

    CPU Cores: Single Core and Multicore 238

    Multithreading 239

    Virtualization Support 240

    CPU Speeds 240

    Expansion Cards 241

    Cooling Mechanisms 255

Power Supplies 259

    Power Supply Ratings 261

    Input 115V vs. 220V Multivoltage Power Supplies 263

    20-Pin-to-24-Pin Motherboard Adapter 265

    Output 3.3V vs. 5V vs. 12V 267

    Redundant Power Supply 268

    Modular Power Supply 269

Multifunction Devices/Printers and Settings 271

    Unboxing a Device/Setup Location Considerations 272

    Appropriate Drivers for the Office Environment 272

    Configuration Settings 272

    Public/Shared Devices 273

    Using Public and Shared Devices 277

    Network Scan Services 279

Print Technologies 280

    Laser Printers 280

    Inkjet Printers 288

    Thermal Printers 295

    Impact Printers 298

    3D Printers 302

Exam Preparation Tasks 305

Chapter 4 Virtualization and Cloud Computing 323

“Do I Know This Already?” Quiz 324

Foundation Topics 327

Common Cloud Models 327

    IaaS 327

    SaaS 327

    PaaS 329

    Public vs. Private vs. Hybrid vs. Community 329

    Cloud Characteristics 330

    Desktop Virtualization 333

Client-Side Virtualization Overview 334

    Host/Guest Virtualization 335

    Purpose of Virtual Machines 336

    Resource Requirements 338

    Security Requirements 339

Exam Preparation Tasks 341

Chapter 5 Hardware and Network Troubleshooting 347

“Do I Know This Already?” Quiz 347

Foundation Topics 353

Troubleshooting Methodology 353

Troubleshooting Motherboard, RAM, CPU, and Power Issues 355

    POST Code Beeps 355

    Proprietary Crash Screens (BSOD/Pinwheel) 357

    Black Screen 361

    No Power 364

    Overheating 364

    No Power 370

    Sluggish Performance 371

    Overheating 372

    Burning Smells 372

    Intermittent Shutdown 375

    Application Crashes 376

    Grinding Noise 378

    Capacitor Swelling 378

    Inaccurate System Date/Time 379

Troubleshooting Storage Drives and RAID Arrays 381

    Light-Emitting Diode (LED) Status Indicators 381

    Read/Write Failure 382

    Slow Performance 382

    Grinding and Clicking Noises 384

    Failure to Boot 385

    Bootable Device Not Found 385

    Data Loss/Corruption 387

    RAID Failure 388

    S.M.A.R.T. Failure 388

    Extended Read/Write Times 389

    Input/Output Operations per Second (IOPS) 390

    Missing Drives in OS 390

Troubleshooting Video, Projector, and Display Issues 392

    Incorrect Data Source 392

    Physical Cabling Issues 393

    Burned-Out Bulb 393

    Intermittent Projector Shutdown 394

    Dead Pixels 394

    Incorrect Color Display 395

    Dim Image 395

    Flashing Screen 396

    Fuzzy or Distorted Image 396

    Display Burn-in 397

    Audio Issues 398

Mobile Device Troubleshooting 398

    Poor Battery Health and Improper Charging 399

    Swollen Battery 400

    Broken Screen 400

    Poor/No Connectivity 401

    Liquid Damage 401

    Overheating 402

    Digitizer Issues 403

    Nonresponsive Touchscreen 403

    Physically Damaged Ports 403

    Malware 404

    Cursor Drift/Touch Calibration 404

Printer Troubleshooting 404

    Lines Down the Printed Pages 405

    Faded Prints 406

    Double/Echo Images on the Print 407

    Toner Not Fusing to the Paper 407

    Incorrect Paper Size 407

    Paper Not Feeding 408

    Paper Jams 408

    Multipage Misfeed 409

    Garbled Print 409

    Vertical Lines on Page 410

    Multiple Prints Pending in a Queue 410

    Speckling on Printed Pages 411

    Incorrect Chroma Display 412

    Grinding Noise 413

    Finishing Issues 414

    Incorrect Page Orientation 414

    Print Logs 415

Network Troubleshooting 417

    No Connectivity 417

    External Interference and Intermittent Wireless Connectivity 417

    Slow Network Speeds 418

    Limited Connectivity 418

    Latency and Jitter 419

    Poor Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) Quality 420

    Port Flapping 420

Exam Preparation Tasks 421

Part II: Core 2

Chapter 6 Operating Systems 431

“Do I Know This Already?” Quiz 431

Foundation Topics 435

Basic Features of Microsoft Windows Editions 435

    Windows 10 Editions 435

    Feature Differences 436

Microsoft Command-Line Tools 438

    Starting a Command Prompt Session with Windows PowerShell 438

    Commands Available with Standard Privileges vs. Administrative Privileges 439

    Windows Command-Line Commands 440

Microsoft Windows 10 Operating System (OS) Features and Tools 451

    Task Manager 451

    Microsoft Management Console (MMC) Snap-in 452

    Additional Tools 463

Windows 10 Control Panel Utilities 471

    Starting Control Panel 471

    Internet Options 471

    User Accounts 473

    Device Manager 474

    Indexing Options 474

    Administrative Tools 474

    File Explorer Options 474

    Power Options 476

    Ease of Access 479

Windows Settings 480

    Time and Language 481

    Update and Security 481

    Personalization 481

    Apps 482

    Privacy 482

    System 482

    Devices 483

    Network and Internet 483

    Gaming 483

    Accounts 484

Microsoft Windows Networking Features on a Client/Desktop 484

    Workgroup vs. Domain Setup 484

    Printer Sharing vs. Network Printer Mapping 489

    Local OS Firewall Settings 489

    Client Network Configuration 491

    Establish Networking Connections 494

    Proxy Settings 497

    Public Network vs. Private Network 498

    File Explorer Navigation: Network Paths 499

    Metered Connections and Limitations 500

Installation and Configuration Concepts 500

    System Requirements for Applications 501

    OS Requirements for Applications 506

    Distribution Methods 507

    Other Considerations for New Applications 507

Understanding Common OS Types 508

    Workstation OSs 509

    Cellphone/Tablet Operating Systems 511

    Various File System Types 514

    Vendor Life-Cycle Limitations 517

    Vendor-Specific Limitations/Compatibility Concerns Between OSs 518

OS Installations and Upgrades in a Diverse OS Environment 518

    Boot Methods 518

    Types of Installations 520

    Partitioning Methods 527

    Formatting 530

    Upgrade Considerations 530

Common Features and Tools of the macOS/Desktop OS 534

    Installation and Uninstallation of Applications 534

    Apple ID and Corporate Restrictions 536

    Best Practices 536

    System Preferences 540

    Features 542

    Disk Utility 544

    FileVault 545

    Terminal 545

    Force Quit 545

Common Features and Tools of the Linux Client/Desktop OS 546

    Common Linux Commands 546

    Best Practices 553

    Tools 555

Exam Preparation Tasks 557

Chapter 7 Security 569

“Do I Know This Already?” Quiz 570

Foundation Topics 573

Security Measures 573

    Physical Security 573

    Physical Security for Staff 576

    Privacy Screen 578

    Logical Security Concepts 578

    Mobile Device Management 580

    Active Directory 581

Wireless Security Protocols and Authentication 582

    Protocols and Encryption 582

    Authentication 583

Malware Removal and Prevention 584

    Malware 584

    Tools and Methods 587

Social Engineering Threats and Vulnerabilities 590

    Social Engineering 590

    Threats 593

    Vulnerabilities 596

Microsoft Windows OS Security Settings 597

    Defender Antivirus 597

    Firewall 597

    Access Control 600

Security Best Practices to Secure a Workstation 608

    Data-at-Rest Encryption 608

    Password Best Practices 608

    End-User Best Practices 611

    Account Management 612

    Changing Default Usernames and Passwords 612

    Disabling Autorun/AutoPlay 612

Securing Mobile Devices 615

    Screen Locks 615

    Remote Wipes 617

    Locator Applications 617

    Remote Backup Applications 617

    Failed Login Attempts Restrictions 618

    Antivirus/Anti-malware 618

    Patches and OS Updates 618

    Biometric Authentication 619

    Full-Device Encryption 619

    Firewalls 619

    Policies and Procedures 619

Data Destruction and Disposal 621

    Physical Destruction Methods 621

    Recycling or Repurposing Best Practices 622

    Outsourcing Concepts 623

Configuring Security on SOHO Networks 623

    Home Router Settings 623

    Wireless-Specific Security 626

    Firewall Settings 628

    Port Forwarding/Mapping 629

    Disabling Ports 630

Configuring Browser and Relevant Security Settings 630

    Browser Download and Installation 630

    Extensions and Plug-ins 632

    Password Managers 633

    Secure Connection/Sites—Valid Certificates 633

    Settings 634

Exam Preparation Tasks 639

Chapter 8 Software Troubleshooting 647

“Do I Know This Already?” Quiz 647

Foundation Topics 650

Troubleshooting Common Windows OS Problems 650

    Common Symptoms 650

    Common Troubleshooting Steps 662

Troubleshooting Common PC Security Issues 664

    Common Symptoms 664

    Browser-Related Symptoms 666

Best Practice Procedures for Malware Removal 667

Troubleshoot Common Mobile OS and Application Issues 668

Troubleshoot Common Mobile OS and Application Security Issues 670

    Security Concerns 670

    Common Symptoms 672

Exam Preparation Tasks 675

Chapter 9 Operational Procedures 681

“Do I Know This Already?” Quiz 681

Foundation Topics 686

Best Practices and Documentation 686

    Ticketing Systems 686

    Asset Management 688

    Types of Documents 689

    Knowledge Base and Articles 692

Change Management 693

    Documented Business Processes and Practices 693

    Change Management 694

    Change Board Approvals 696

Workstation Backup and Recovery Methods 697

    Backup and Recovery 697

    Backup Testing 698

    Account Recovery Options 698

    Backup Rotation Schemes 700

Explain Common Safety Procedures 704

    Equipment Grounding/Proper Power Handling 705

    Proper Component Handling and Storage 707

    Compliance with Local Government Regulations 712

    Personal Safety 713

Environmental Impacts and Appropriate Controls 715

    Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS) 715

    Toxic Waste Handling/Disposal 717

    Temperature and Humidity Level Awareness and Proper Ventilation 718

    Power Surges, Under-voltage Events, and Power Failures 719

Addressing Prohibited Content/Activity and Privacy, Licensing, and Policy Concepts 721

    Incident Response 722

    Licensing/Digital Rights Management (DRM)/End-User License Agreement (EULA) 723

    DRM 724

    EULA 724

    Understanding Open Source and Commercial Licenses 724

    Personal vs. Enterprise Licenses 725

    Valid Licenses and Non-expired Licenses 726

    Regulated Data 726

Communication Techniques and Professionalism 727

    Professional Appearance and Attire 727

    Use Proper Language and Avoid Jargon, Acronyms, and Slang When Applicable 728

    Maintain a Positive Attitude/Project Confidence 728

    Actively Listen, Take Notes, and Avoid Interrupting the Customer 728

    Be Culturally Sensitive 728

    Be on Time 729

    Avoid Distractions 729

    Dealing with Difficult Customers or Situations 729

    Set and Meet Expectations/Timeline and Communicate Status with the Customer 730

    Dealing Appropriately with Customers’ Confidential and Private Materials 730

Scripting Basics 730

    Script File Types 731

    Use Cases for Scripting 732

    Other Scripting Considerations 733

Remote Access Technologies 734

    Methods/Tools 734

    RDP 735

    VPN 735

    Virtual Network Computing 736

    SSH 736

    Remote Monitoring and Management 736

    Microsoft Remote Assistance 736

    Third-Party Tools 736

    Security Considerations of Each Access Method 738

Exam Preparation Tasks 739

Part III: Final Preparation

Chapter 10 Final Preparation 747

Exam Information 748

    Core 1 (220-1101) Exam Domains and Objectives 750

    Core 2 (220-1102) Exam Domains and Objectives 750

Getting Ready 750

Tools for Final Preparation 751

    Pearson Cert Practice Test Engine and Questions on the Website 752

    Customizing Your Exams 753

    Updating Your Exams 754

    Memory Tables 755

    Chapter-Ending Review Tools 756

Suggested Plan for Final Review/Study 756

Summary 756

Appendix A Answers to the “Do I Know This Already?” Quizzes and Review Questions 757

Appendix BCompTIA A+ Core 1 (220-1101) and Core 2 (220-1102) Cert Guide Exam Updates 783

Glossary 785

 

Online Only Elements

Appendix C Memory Tables

Appendix D Memory Tables Answer Key

Appendix E Study Planner

Glossary

 

 

9780137675944    TOC    8/18/2022