220-1101 Question 221
Single answerLucent connector (LC)A technician is upgrading a workstation in a design studio to a fiber-based network connection. The network switch uses high-density SFP transceivers with small duplex fiber ports, and the patch panel in the rack uses the same connector type. The technician must choose a patch cable that fits the available ports without adapters and supports the intended fiber link. Which connector type should the technician select?
- A
LC connector
- B
SC connector
- C
ST connector
- D
RJ45 connector
Show answer and explanation
Correct answer: A
Explanation
The key detail is the use of small duplex fiber ports on SFP transceivers and a matching high-density patch panel. In real-world networking, LC connectors are the standard small form-factor fiber connectors commonly paired with SFP/SFP+ modules because they save space and support dense switch configurations. SC and ST are legitimate fiber connector types, but they are physically different and would not fit the compact ports described without special equipment or adapters. RJ45 is used for copper Ethernet, not fiber. This aligns with common CompTIA A+ Core 1 expectations: recognizing connector types by practical deployment scenario and matching the correct connector to the hardware interface. Vendor documentation from switch and transceiver manufacturers commonly identifies LC duplex as the connector type for many SFP-based fiber uplinks.
- A. Correct.
Correct. LC (Lucent Connector) is a small form-factor fiber optic connector commonly used with SFP and SFP+ transceivers and in high-density patch panels. It is often used as a duplex connector for transmit and receive fiber pairs, making it the best match for modern compact switch ports described in the scenario.
- B. Incorrect.
Incorrect. SC is a fiber optic connector, but it is larger than LC and is not typically used on the small duplex ports found on most SFP-based switch transceivers. Someone might choose SC because it is also a common fiber connector, but it would not physically match the compact ports described.
- C. Incorrect.
Incorrect. ST is an older fiber optic connector that uses a bayonet-style twist lock. It is not the standard connector for high-density SFP transceiver ports. A candidate might pick ST if they remember it as a fiber connector, but it is not appropriate for this modern switch scenario.
- D. Incorrect.
Incorrect. RJ45 is a copper Ethernet connector used with twisted-pair cabling, not fiber optic cabling. This distractor targets the misconception that any network patch cable connector could be used interchangeably regardless of media type.