N10-009 Question 285
Single answerUsers in one department report that they intermittently lose access to a file server, while users in other departments can still reach it without issue. A network technician is beginning the troubleshooting process. Which action should the technician take FIRST to properly identify the problem?
- A
Replace the access switch for the affected department to rule out hardware failure
- B
Question the affected users, identify exactly which systems are impacted, and determine whether anything changed before the issue began
- C
Immediately reboot the file server to clear any stale sessions and test whether access is restored
- D
Escalate the issue to the server team because the problem involves access to a file server
Show answer and explanation
Correct answer: B
Explanation
The best first action is to identify the problem by gathering information from users and determining the scope and symptoms. CompTIA Network+ troubleshooting methodology starts with collecting details: question users, identify symptoms, determine whether anything changed, and if possible duplicate the problem. In this scenario, the fact that only one department is affected while other departments still reach the file server strongly suggests the technician should first isolate the problem domain rather than assume a server outage or replace hardware. This aligns with standard troubleshooting best practices documented by CompTIA's methodology: identify the problem before establishing a theory, testing, or implementing a fix.
- A. Incorrect.
This is incorrect because replacing hardware is not the first step in the troubleshooting methodology. Network+ troubleshooting begins with identifying the problem by gathering information, questioning users, identifying symptoms, and determining whether any recent changes occurred. Replacing the switch before collecting evidence is premature and may introduce additional variables.
- B. Correct.
This is correct because the first step in the CompTIA Network+ troubleshooting process is to identify the problem. In this scenario, the technician should gather information from the affected users, confirm the scope of the issue, identify the symptoms, and ask whether anything changed before the problem started. Because only one department is affected and the issue is intermittent, narrowing the scope and checking for recent changes are essential before testing or remediation.
- C. Incorrect.
This is incorrect because rebooting the file server is a corrective action, not an initial identification step. It could temporarily mask the issue and disrupt users who are not affected. Since users in other departments can still access the server, the server itself is less likely to be the immediate root cause, so rebooting it first would not follow best-practice troubleshooting methodology.
- D. Incorrect.
This is incorrect because escalation should occur after sufficient information has been gathered and the issue has been reasonably scoped. The fact that only one department is impacted suggests the problem may be localized to that department's network path, workstation configuration, VLAN, or access layer, rather than the file server itself. Immediate escalation skips the required problem-identification phase.