Cisco Certified Support Technician (CCST) IT Support

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This page intentionally left blank
 Cisco Certified
Support
Technician
(CCST)
IT Support
100-140
Official Cert Guide

MARK SMITH
DAVID BAYNE
JOHN PICKARD

Cisco Press
iv Cisco Certified Support Technician (CCST) IT Support 100-140 Official Cert Guide

Cisco Certified Support Technician

(CCST) IT Support 100-140 Official
Cert Guide
Mark Smith, David Bayne, and John Pickard

Copyright © 2025 Cisco Systems, Inc.

Published by:
Cisco Press
Hoboken, New Jersey

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ISBN-13: 978-0-13-540392-1

ISBN-10: 0-13-540392-8

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 v

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vi Cisco Certified Support Technician (CCST) IT Support 100-140 Official Cert Guide

About the Authors

Mark Smith has been teaching for the past 23 years. Ten years ago, at the high school
in his district, he started a Cisco Academy, which has grown into a full-fledged CTE pro-
gram offering Python programming, IT Essentials, CCNA 1, and CCNA 2. In addition,
he runs a top-ranked regional cybersecurity club. He is an adjunct at a local community
college as well. Mark earned his master’s in instructional technology and has CompTIA
ITF+, CompTIA A+, CompTIA Network+, CCST: IT Support, CCST: Networking, and
CCST: Cybersecurity certifications.

David Bayne has spent years teaching IT, both at the high school and community
college levels, and has prepared hundreds of students for careers in IT. He holds CCNA
and CompTIA A+ certifications, as well as a master’s degree in educational technology.
He currently teaches Internet of Things, drone programming, and inventing design
courses. When David is not teaching, he reads (mostly mysteries and sci-fi) and spends
time with family. He lives near Sacramento, California, with his wife and daughters and
their three cats.

John Pickard is an associate professor at East Carolina University in the College of

Engineering and Technology, with more than 20 years of experience teaching informa-
tion and cybersecurity technology. He also works as a subject matter expert and content
developer in support of the Cisco Networking Academy.

Throughout his career he has held various IT certifications, including Cisco Certified
Network Professional, Cisco Certified Network Associate, Microsoft Certified Profes-
sional, EMC Information Storage and Management, IPv6 Forum Certified Engineer
(Gold), IPv6 Forum Certified Trainer (Gold), CompTIA Network+, and CompTIA A+.
John is also a Cisco Certified Academy Instructor.

John received his PhD in technology management at Indiana State University, an MBA
from Wayland Baptist University, and a bachelor of science in professional aeronautics
from Embry-Riddle University.

His research interests include IPv6, IPv6 adoption, wireless sensor networks, Internet of
Things (IoT), and industry-academia partnerships.

About the Technical Reviewer

Scott Stephenson was born and raised in Texas, where he has spent his entire career as a
public education teacher. He has taught for the Cisco Networking Academy for 25 years
and has been an instructor trainer for the past 11 years. He was recognized by the Cisco
Academy as the National Instructor of the Year in 2007. He holds a bachelor’s degree in
music education and a master’s degree in management information systems and a master’s
degree in educational leadership. He holds 27 technology certifications and 7 teaching
certifications. He has worked on projects from the National Science Foundation and
the Department of Labor as an information and communication technology curriculum
writer. He retired in 2016 after 30 years in public education but continues to lecture,
teach, and work with instructors to help inspire and enrich the lives of young people. He
now spends time traveling the world and teaching for several Cisco Networking Academy
Instructor Training Centers.
 vii

Dedications
Mark Smith: I’d like to dedicate this book to my wife, my partner, my friend, Michelle.
You have been a huge support for me in both my professional and personal endeavors.
Thank you.

I would also like to dedicate this book to my three incredible children: Cheyenne, Sage,
and Skyler. I am immensely proud of the incredible humans you have all become! I love
you and thank you for being who you are. Now call and visit more often!

David Bayne: I’d like to dedicate this book to my mom, who was a great supporter of me
broadening my horizons to even write the book but who unfortunately didn’t make it to
see the book in print. To my aunt Elaine, who has been an unwavering supporter through-
out my teaching career, and to my wife, Karen, who put up with my being away for long
hours writing and editing. Thanks for all the support!

John Pickard: This book is dedicated to my beloved wife, Lisa, whose unwavering
patience and support carried me through the long hours of work over many years. Her
understanding and love have been my foundation. I also dedicate this to my father, whose
enduring belief in the power of persistence inspired me to push beyond my limits. Your
guidance and encouragement have shaped me into who I am today.
viii Cisco Certified Support Technician (CCST) IT Support 100-140 Official Cert Guide

Acknowledgments
Mark Smith:

Thank you to James, Ellie, Scott, Chuck, Tonya, and everyone else at Cisco Press for
helping to bring this book to life. It was a wild, fascinating ride to be a part of.

A huge thank you to Karen at WASTC/Cisco Networking Academy for believing in me

and pushing me to write this book. You have been an incredible advocate of my program.
Thank you!

David and John, I couldn’t think of better writing partners. Thank you for the
opportunity to collaborate with both of you. David, a special thank you for letting me
bounce so many ideas off you!

Finally, thank you to all my students over the past 23 years. You have made me a better
instructor, even if some of you might have contributed to my early male pattern baldness.

David Bayne:

Thanks to Karen at the Cisco Networking Academy, who thought of me as a possible

writer and put me in touch with James to even start writing, and to James and Ellie and
everyone at Cisco Press who have guided me through this process. As Ellie said, “All
writers have a first time!” and I’ve taken that to heart. Thanks to my brother Richard, who
lent me his house where I could work in a quiet place without the distractions of pets and
other things. And thanks to John and Mark, who were a great collaborative writing team!

John Pickard:

I would like to express my deepest gratitude to my colleagues and mentors in the Air
Force, Unicon, and at East Carolina University, whose guidance and support have been
instrumental throughout this journey. Your insights and encouragement have been
invaluable. Special thanks to my students, who constantly challenge and inspire me to
grow. I am also thankful to my friends and family for their unwavering support; your love
and understanding have been my greatest strength, especially during the most demanding
times. Finally, I extend my heartfelt appreciation to James, Ellie, and everyone at Cisco
Press for their expertise and dedication in bringing this book to life.
 ix

Contents at a Glance
Introduction xx

Chapter 1 Help Desk 2

Chapter 2 Hardware 32

Chapter 3 Networking and Network Connectivity 72

Chapter 4 Windows OS 104

Chapter 5 macOS 160

Chapter 6 Virtualization, Cloud, and Remote Access 178

Chapter 7 Security 202

Chapter 8 The IT Professional 214

Chapter 9 Final Preparation 236

Chapter 10 Cisco Certified Support (CCST) IT Support 100-140 Official Cert Guide
Exam Updates 238

Appendix A Answers to the “Do I Know This Already?” Quizzes 242

Appendix B Problem-Solving Process 246

Glossary 248

Index 268

Online Elements

Appendix C Memory Tables

Appendix D Memory Tables Answer Key

Appendix E Study Planner

Glossary
x Cisco Certified Support Technician (CCST) IT Support 100-140 Official Cert Guide

Contents
Introduction xx

Chapter 1 Help Desk 2

“Do I Know This Already?” Quiz 2
Foundation Topics 6
Introduction 6
The IT Support Technician 9
Customer Service Communication Skills 12
Time Management 14
Help Desk Queue Management 15
Triaging 15
Queue Management Technologies 16
Queue Levels 18
SLAs and KPIs 18
Service-Level Agreements 18
Key Performance Indicators 20
Ticketing Systems 21
Documentation 23
The Problem-Solving Process 25
Step 1: Define the Problem 26
Step 2: Gather Detailed Information 27
Step 3: Identify a Probable Cause of the Failure 27
Step 4: Devise a Plan to Resolve the Problem 28
Step 5: Make Necessary Changes to Implement the Plan 28
Step 6: Observe the Results of the Changes 29
Step 7: If the Problem Is Not Resolved, Repeat the Process 29
Step 8: Document the Changes Made to Resolve the Problem 30
Exam Preparation Tasks 31
Review All Key Topics 31
Define Key Terms 31

Chapter 2 Hardware 32
“Do I Know This Already?” Quiz 32
Foundation Topics 34
Safety 34
Electrical Shock 34
ESD 36
 Contents xi

Fire Safety 37
Personal Safety 38
Ports and Interfaces 39
Video Ports 40
HDMI 42
DisplayPort 42
DVI 43
VGA 44
USB-C 44
USB 45
USB Form Factors 45
USB-C 46
Ethernet Ports 46
Common Power Cables (Desktop, Laptop, Mobile) 49
Converters vs. Adapters 50
Identifying, Installing, and Upgrading Computer Components 51
Identifying Computer Components 51
Processor 51
Motherboard 53
RAM 54
Peripherals 55
Storage Devices 55
Installing and Upgrading Computer Components 56
Form Factor 56
Compatibility Factor 57
Installing/Upgrading: Processor/Motherboard 58
Installing/Upgrading: RAM/Storage Devices/Internal Peripherals 59
Post Installation Checklist 63
Hardware and Peripheral Issues 65
Basic Hardware/Software Troubleshooting 65
Peripheral Troubleshooting 67
Exam Preparation Tasks 69
Review All Key Topics 69
Define Key Terms 70
References 70
xii Cisco Certified Support Technician (CCST) IT Support 100-140 Official Cert Guide

Chapter 3 Networking and Network Connectivity 72

“Do I Know This Already?” Quiz 72
Foundation Topics 75
Locating Basic Network Information 75
The OSI Model 75
The TCP/IP Model 77
Locating Information About the Device 77
Host Name 78
Processor Type, Memory, Disk Space, and OS Version 79
IP Addresses 81
MAC Address 84
Loopback Interface and Localhost 84
Basic End-Device Network Connectivity 85
LAN vs. WLAN 86
LAN 86
WLAN 86
DNS 88
DHCP 89
DHCPv6 90
Self-Assigned IP Addresses 90
IPv4 APIPA 90
IPv6 Autoconfiguration 90
IPv6 Link-Local Addresses 91
Private IPv6 Networks 91
Connectivity Testing 91
ping/ping6 92
traceroute/tracert 93
nslookup 94
netstat 95
iproute2 95
ip 95
ip address 96
ip neighbor show 96
ss 97
Firewall 97
Multifactor Authentication 99
Usernames and Passwords 99
Physical Keys 99
 Contents xiii

Authentication Apps 100

Other Methods 100
Exam Preparation Tasks 100
Review All Key Topics 100
Define Key Terms 101
Command Reference to Check Your Memory 102
References 103

Chapter 4 Windows OS 104

“Do I Know This Already?” Quiz 104
Foundation Topics 108
Resolving Common Windows OS Systems Issues 108
Display Settings 108
Troubleshooting Missing Display Issues 108
Multiple Displays 111
Connecting to a Wireless Display 111
Brightness 112
BitLocker 113
Windows Update/Microsoft Update 114
Application Updates 115
The Browser Cache 117
Task Manager 117
Launching the Task Manager 117
End Task 119
Switch To 119
Run New Task 119
Tabs 119
Back Up to the Cloud 120
Sync Files to OneDrive 121
Use Google Drive for Backup 121
Use Dropbox for Backup 122
Other Cloud Backup Solutions 122
Boot Sequence 122
Boot to Safe Mode 123
Power Management 124
Accessibility 126
Vision 126
Hearing 128
Captions 130
xiv Cisco Certified Support Technician (CCST) IT Support 100-140 Official Cert Guide

Dexterity and Mobility 131

On-Screen Keyboard 132
Resolving Common Application Issues 133
Installing Windows Apps from the Microsoft Store 133
Installing Windows Apps Not in the Microsoft Store 134
Email 135
Collaboration Applications 136
Productivity Applications 136
Windows System Tools 138
Control Panel 138
System Information 138
Event Viewer 139
ipconfig 139
Windows Security Tools 141
Active Directory 141
Active Directory Group Policy 141
GPUpdate 142
ADGPUpdate 143
Local Security Policy 143
Creating New Users 143
Enabling and Disabling User Accounts 143
Adding Passwords 144
Resetting Passwords 145
Active Directory Groups 145
Verifying AD Permissions 147
Viewing Active Directory Permissions 147
Modifying Active Directory Permissions 148
Mapping Cloud Drives 149
SMB Drives 149
Mapping Internet-Based Drives 150
OneDrive 151
Google Drive 151
Dropbox 151
IDrive’s Cloud Drive 152
Box 153
Amazon S3 Bucket 153
 Contents xv

Exam Preparation Tasks 154

Review All Key Topics 154
Define Key Terms 155
Command Reference to Check Your Memory 155
References 157

Chapter 5 macOS 160

“Do I Know This Already?” Quiz 160
Foundation Topics 163
macOS 163
macOS System Tools 164
About This Mac 164
Spotlight and Finder 166
Activity Monitor 167
System Settings 168
Console 169
Terminal 170
ifconfig 170
Other Networking CLI Commands 171
macOS Security Tools 172
Keychain Access 173
FileVault Disk Encryption 173
Firewall 173
Gatekeeper 173
Recovery Mode 174
Resetting Password 175
Time Machine 175
Exam Preparation Tasks 176
Review All Key Topics 176
Define Key Terms 176
References 176

Chapter 6 Virtualization, Cloud, and Remote Access 178

”Do I Know This Already?” Quiz 179
Foundation Topics 182
Introduction 182
Cloud Computing 182
Benefits of Cloud Computing 183
xvi Cisco Certified Support Technician (CCST) IT Support 100-140 Official Cert Guide

The Pay-As-You-Go Model 183

How Cloud Computing Is Changing Business 184
Cloud Computing vs. On-Premises Data Centers 184
Cloud Providers 186
Cloud Services 189
Choosing the Right Cloud Service Model 190
Cloud Models 191
Virtualization 192
Hypervisors and Virtual Machines 193
Hypervisors 193
Virtual Machines 195
Virtualization and Software-Defined Networking 195
Control Plane vs. Data Plane in the SDN 197
Advantages of SDN 197
Remote Access 197
Exam Preparation Tasks 200
Review All Key Topics 200
Define Key Terms 200

Chapter 7 Security 202

“Do I Know This Already?” Quiz 202
Foundation Topics 204
Security Threats 204
People Behind the Threats 205
Types of Threats 206
Malware 206
Social Engineering 207
Phishing Attacks 208
Unauthorized Access Attempts 208
Spoofing Attacks 209
Security Threat Mitigation 210
Company Policies and Confidentiality Guidelines 212
Exam Preparation Tasks 213
Review All Key Topics 213
Define Key Terms 213
References 213
 Contents xvii

Chapter 8 The IT Professional 214

“Do I Know This Already?” Quiz 214
Foundation Topics 217
Professionalism 217
Demonstrate Professional Communication Skills When Interacting
with Users 217
Active Listening 220
Company Policies and Confidentiality 222
Remote Access Tools for Troubleshooting 223
Research Tools 226
Knowledge Base 227
Technical Forums 227
Search Engine 227
Artificial Intelligence 228
Predictive AI 229
Generative AI 230
AI Chatbot 231
Limitations of AI 231
Documentation Tools 232
Summarizing Your Solution 232
Exam Preparation Tasks 233
Review All Key Topics 233
Define Key Terms 233
References 234

Chapter 9 Final Preparation 236

Tools and Resources 236
Study Tips 237
Summary 237

Chapter 10 Cisco Certified Support (CCST) IT Support 100-140

Official Cert Guide Exam Updates 238
The Purpose of This Chapter 238
About Possible Exam Updates 239
Impact on You and Your Study Plan 239
News About the Next Exam Release 240
Updated Technical Content 240
xviii Cisco Certified Support Technician (CCST) IT Support 100-140 Official Cert Guide

Appendix A Answers to the “Do I Know This Already?” Quizzes 242

Appendix B Problem-Solving Process 246

Glossary 248

Index 268

Online Elements

Appendix C Memory Tables

Appendix D Memory Tables Answer Key

Appendix E Study Planner

Glossary
 xix

Icons Used in This Book

Router Wireless Router Wireless Bridge

Server File Server PC/Terminal

Router with Database Switch

Firewall

Command Syntax Conventions

The conventions used to present command syntax in this book are the same conventions
used in the IOS Command Reference. The Command Reference describes these
conventions as follows:

■■ Boldface indicates commands and keywords that are entered literally as shown. In
actual configuration examples and output (not general command syntax), boldface
indicates commands that are manually input by the user (such as a show command).

■■ Italic indicates arguments for which you supply actual values.

■■ Vertical bars (|) separate alternative, mutually exclusive elements.

■■ Square brackets ([ ]) indicate an optional element.

■■ Braces ({ }) indicate a required choice.

■■ Braces within brackets ([{ }]) indicate a required choice within an optional element.
xx Cisco Certified Support Technician (CCST) IT Support 100-140 Official Cert Guide

Introduction
Congratulations! If you are reading this introduction, then you have probably decided
that a career as an IT support technician is an important first step for your future
success, and obtaining the CCST IT Support certification will prove that you have a solid
understanding of help desk–related topics and concepts.

Professional certifications have been an important part of the computing industry for
many years and will continue to be important for years to come. Many reasons exist
for these certifications, but the most popular cited reason is credibility. All other
considerations held equal, a certified employee/consultant/job candidate is considered
more valuable than one who is not certified.

This book was written to help up-and-coming IT professionals build a solid foundational
understanding of what it takes to be an IT support technician. It is structured specifically
to prepare candidates for the Cisco Certified Support Technician (CCST) IT Support
100-140 exam but aims to equip you with knowledge that will stay useful long after you
earn the certification.

Goals and Methods

The most important and somewhat obvious goal of this book is to help you pass the
CCST IT Support (100-140) exam. While this book has more than enough questions to
help you prepare for the actual exam, the goal isn’t to have you simply memorize as many
questions and answers as you possibly can.

One key methodology used in this book is to help you discover the exam topics that you
need to review in more depth, to help you fully understand and remember those details,
and to help you prove to yourself that you have retained your knowledge of those topics.
This book does not try to help you pass by memorization but helps you truly learn and
understand the topics. The knowledge the CCST IT Support exam covers is vital for any
IT support professional. This book would do you a disservice if it didn’t attempt to help
you learn the material. To that end, the book will help you pass the CCST IT Support
exam by using the following methods:

■■ Helping you discover which test topics you have not mastered

■■ Providing explanations and information to fill in your knowledge gaps

■■ Providing practice exercises on the topics and the testing process

Who Should Read This Book?

This book is geared toward new IT professionals and those with an interest in becoming
IT support technicians; however, veteran IT professionals just getting into the help desk
or needing to obtain the certification will benefit as well. Although other objectives can
be achieved from using this book, the book is written with one goal in mind: to help you
pass the exam.
 Introduction xxi

So why should you want to pass the CCST IT Support exam? Earning the certification
validates your understanding of core IT support concepts and techniques. Furthermore,
the CCST IT Support certification will serve as a springboard to more advanced
certifications down the road. Many of the concepts and themes we introduce here are
practically universal in IT Support exams.

Strategies for Exam Preparation

The strategy you use for CCST IT Support might be slightly different than strategies
used by other readers, mainly based on the skills, knowledge, and experience you already
have obtained. For instance, if you already have familiarity with help desk and other IT
Support concepts and techniques, your approach will likely differ from someone who’s
brand new and does not have any prior knowledge.

Regardless of the strategy you use or the background you have, the book is designed
to help you get to the point where you can pass the exam with the least amount of time
required. For instance, there is no need for you to practice or read about IPv6 addresses
or Active Directory if you fully understand it already. However, many people like to make
sure that they truly know a topic and thus read over material that they already know.
Several book features will help you gain the confidence that you need to be convinced
that you know some material already, and to also help you know what topics you need to
study more.

How This Book Is Organized

Although this book could be read cover-to-cover, it is designed to be flexible and allow
you to easily move between chapters and sections of chapters to cover just the material
that you need more work with. Chapters 1 through 8 are the core chapters and can be
covered in any order. If you do intend to read them all, the order in the book is an
excellent sequence to use.

The core chapters, Chapters 1 through 8, cover the following topics:

■■ Chapter 1, “Help Desk”: This chapter covers the essential functions and skills required
in a modern IT help desk, starting by examining the IT support technician’s roles and
responsibilities. Key customer service communication skills are discussed, highlight-
ing the importance of clear interactions. The chapter covers time management and
explores queue management techniques, including triage processes and technologies.
It also details the role of service-level agreements (SLAs) in maintaining standards, key
performance indicators (KPIs) for measuring success, and the functionality of ticketing
systems. Best practices for documentation and an eight-step problem-solving process
are also introduced.

■■ Chapter 2, “Hardware”: This chapter discusses IT safety; computer ports and

interfaces; how to identify, install, and upgrade computer components; and common
hardware/peripheral issues.

■■ Chapter 3, “Networking and Network Connectivity”: This chapter discusses

networking, where students locate basic network information, basic end-to-end
network connectivity and testing, and authentication to secure network connection.
xxii Cisco Certified Support Technician (CCST) IT Support 100-140 Official Cert Guide

■■ Chapter 4, “Windows OS”: This chapter covers common Windows operating system
issues and how to resolve them. It covers the installation and repair of collaboration
and productivity software. It also discusses Windows system and security tools,
including Active Directory. Finally, it goes over how to map drives in Windows to
simplify management.

■■ Chapter 5, “macOS”: This chapter discusses macOS. It covers important system

tools as well as built-in security tools and provides a brief history of how macOS
came to be.

■■ Chapter 6, “Virtualization, Cloud, and Remote Access”: This chapter explores the
critical roles of virtualization, cloud computing, and remote access in modern IT
environments. It covers the basics of cloud computing, its benefits, and major
providers. The chapter also explains cloud service models (SaaS, PaaS, IaaS) and
deployment options (public, private, hybrid, community), comparing cloud
computing to on-premise data centers. Virtualization is introduced, detailing
hypervisors and virtual machines, and how it integrates with software-defined
networking (SDN). Finally, the chapter covers remote access tools.

■■ Chapter 7, “Security”: This chapter introduces fundamental cybersecurity concepts.

This includes security threats and security threat mitigation. The chapter looks at
who is behind security threats and the common types of threats that the IT
professional will often encounter.

■■ Chapter 8, “The IT Professional”: IT support technicians need to practice

professionalism, follow company policies, and support confidentiality. They also
must be able to use remote access tools while troubleshooting. In addition, they
must be able to research issues their users are seeing and document the solutions
they implement. Finally, in this chapter, we revisit the troubleshooting process.

How to Access the Companion Website

To access the companion website, which gives you access to the electronic content with
this book, start by establishing a login at www.ciscopress.com and registering your book
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the ISBN of the print book: 9780135403921. After you have registered your book, go
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Note that if you buy the Premium Edition eBook and Practice Test version of this
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Simply go to your account page, click the Registered Products tab, and select Access
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How to Access the Pearson Test Prep (PTP) App

You have two options for installing and using the Pearson Test Prep application: a web
app and a desktop app. To use the Pearson Test Prep application, start by finding the
registration code that comes with the book. You can find the code in these ways:
 Figure Credits xxiii

■■ You can get your access code by registering the print ISBN 9780135403921 on
ciscopress.com/register. Make sure to use the print book ISBN, regardless of
whether you purchased an eBook or the print book. After you register the book,
your access code will be populated on your account page under the Registered
Products tab. Instructions for how to redeem the code are available on the book’s
companion website by clicking the Access Bonus Content link.

■■ If you purchase the Premium Edition eBook and Practice Test directly from the
Cisco Press website, the code will be populated on your account page after
purchase. Just log in at ciscopress.com, click Account to see details of your account,
and click the digital purchases tab.

NOTE After you register your book, your code can always be found in your account
under the Registered Products tab.

Once you have the access code, to find instructions about both the PTP web app and the
desktop app, follow these steps:

Step 1. Open this book’s companion website as shown earlier in this Introduction
under the heading, “How to Access the Companion Website.”

Step 2. Click the Practice Exams button.

Step 3. Follow the instructions listed there for both installing the desktop app and
using the web app.

Note that if you want to use the web app only at this point, just navigate to
pearsontestprep.com, log in using the same credentials used to register your book or
purchase the Premium Edition, and register this book’s practice tests using the
registration code you just found. The process should take only a couple of minutes.

Figure Credits
Figure 1-1: Bojan Milinkov/Shutterstock

Figure 1-3: Gorodenkoff/Shutterstock

Figure 1-4: fizkes/Shutterstock

Figure 1-6: James Steidl/Shutterstock

Figure 1-7: Ralf Kleemann/Shutterstock

Figure 1-8: NicoElNino/Shutterstock

Figure 1-9: Miha Creative/Shutterstock

Figure 1-10: maigi/Shutterstock

Figure 2-2: Chii Chobits/Shutterstock

Figure 2-3: Dmitry Melnikov/Shutterstock

xxiv Cisco Certified Support Technician (CCST) IT Support 100-140 Official Cert Guide

Figure 2-4: normaals/123RF

Figure 2-5: Kabardins photo/Shutterstock

Figure 2-6: Kilroy79/Shutterstock

Figure 2-7: Coleman Yuen/Pearson Education Asia Ltd

Figure 2-8: Ruslan Kudrin/Shutterstock

Figure 2-9: Coleman Yuen/Pearson Education Asia Ltd

Figure 2-10: BaYaoPix/Shutterstock

Figure 2-11: Gooly/Shutterstock

Figure 2-12: adrianhancu/123RF

Figure 2-13: Mikael Damkier/Shutterstock

Figure 2-14: Zakhar Mar/Shutterstock

Figure 2-15: Robert Babczynski/Shutterstock

Figure 2-16: Topolszczak/Shutterstock

Figure 2-17: RMIKKA/Shutterstock

Figure 2-18: mycola/123RF

Figure 2-19: Aleksei Lazukov/Shutterstock

Figure 2-20: Peter Galleghan/Shutterstock

Figure 2-21: MaxkyTH/Shutterstock

Figure 2-22: kvinoz/Shutterstock

Figure 2-23: © 2024, Microsoft

Figure 3-1: S.john/Shutterstock

Figure 3-2: marigranula/123RF

Figure 3-3: MyPro/Shutterstock

Figure 3-4, Figure 3-5, Figure 3-8, Figure 3-9, Figure 3-17, Figure 3-18, Figure 3-19,
Figure 3-20, Figure 3-21: © 2024, Microsoft

Figure 3-6: © 2024, Apple Inc.

Figure 3-7, Figure 3-22, Figure 3-23: © 2024, The Linux Foundation

Figure 3-14: Magnetic Mcc/Shutterstock

Figure 3-15: Trong Nguyen/Shutterstock

Figure 3-25: lucadp/123RF

 Figure Credits xxv

Figure 4-1, Figure 4-2, Figure 4-3, Figure 4-4, Figure 4-5, Figure 4-7, Figure 4-8,
Figure 4-11, Figure 4-13, Figure 4-14, Figure 4-15, Figure 4-17, Figure 4-18, Figure 4-19,
Figure 4-20, Figure 4-21, Figure 4-22, Figure 4-23, Figure 4-24, Figure 4-25, Figure 4-26,
Figure 4-27, Figure 4-28, Figure 4-29, Figure 4-30, Figure 4-31, Figure 4-34, Figure 4-35,
Figure 4-36, Figure 4-37, Figure 4-38, Figure 4-39, Figure 4-40, Figure 4-41, Figure 4-42,
Figure 4-43, Figure 4-44, Figure 4-45, Figure 4-49: © 2024, Microsoft

Figure 4-6: StarGraphic/Shutterstock

Figure 4-9, Figure 4-12, Figure 4-46, Figure 4-49a: Alphabet Inc.,

Figure 4-10, Figure 4-32: © 2024, Adobe

Figure 4-16, Figure 4-47: © Dropbox

Figure 4-33: Raspberry Pi

Figure 4-48: © 2007–2024, Cloudwards.net

Figure 4-49b: © 1996–2024, Amazon.com, Inc.

Figure 5-1, Figure 5-2, Figure 5-3, Figure 5-4, Figure 5-5, Figure 5-6, Figure 5-7,
Figure 5-8, Figure 5-9, Figure 5-10: © 2024, Apple Inc.

Figure 6-4: monticello/Shutterstock

Figure 6-1: phonlamaiphoto/123RF

Figure 6-2: KsanderDN/Shutterstock

Figure 6-3: photo_gonzo/Shutterstock

Figure 6-5: DANIEL CONSTANTE/Shutterstock

Figure 6-10: Funtap/Shutterstock

Figure 6-11: tete_escape/Shutterstock

Figure 7-1: cylonphoto/123RF

Figure 8-1, Figure 8-2: © 2024, Alphabet Inc.,

Figure 8-3, Figure 8-4: © 2024, Microsoft

Figure 8-5: Tech support forum

Figure 8-6: AlexHliv/Shutterstock

Figure 8-7: Willyam Bradberry/Shutterstock

Figure 8-8: DedMityay/Shutterstock

Figure 8-9: Nuttapong punna/Shutterstock

CHAPTER 2

Hardware

This chapter covers the following topics:

■■ Safety: This section explores physical and environmental safety of hardware as well as
individual safety.

■■ Ports and Interfaces: The section describes various ports and interfaces used for
video as well as data communication.

■■ Identifying, Installing, and Upgrading Computer Components: This section explores

key computer components, their functions, as well as basic installation tips and
upgrading guidelines.

■■ Hardware and Peripheral Issues: This section details some common troubleshooting
tips and issues you might encounter with hardware and peripheral devices.

This chapter covers the basics of computer hardware and topics related to computer hard-
ware. Safety, ports and interfaces, computer components, and common hardware/peripheral
issues are all covered in this chapter. While it would take an entire book to cover the breadth
of computer hardware, this chapter will help give you an overview as well as prepare you for
certification.
The chapter covers information related to the following Cisco Certified Support Technician
(CCST) IT Support exam objectives:

■■ 2.1 Demonstrate how to follow basic safety procedures.

■■ 2.3 Assist end users in locating, identifying, and understanding the characteristics of
various ports and cables.

■■ 2.4 Identify, install and upgrade various components in a desktop computer.

■■ 2.5 Investigate commonly encountered hardware issues.

■■ 3.2 Troubleshoot commonly encountered connectivity issues with peripherals.

“Do I Know This Already?” Quiz

The “Do I Know This Already?” quiz allows you to assess whether you should read this
entire chapter thoroughly or jump to the “Exam Preparation Tasks” section. If you are in
doubt about your answers to these questions or your own assessment of your knowledge
of the topics, read the entire chapter. Table 2-1 lists the major headings in this chapter and
their corresponding “Do I Know This Already?” quiz questions. You can find the answers in
Appendix A, “Answers to the ‘Do I Know This Already?’ Quizzes.”
Table 2-1 “Do I Know This Already?” Section-to-Question Mapping
Foundation Topics Section Questions
Safety 1–3
Ports and Interfaces 4–6
Identifying, Installing, and Upgrading 7–9
Computer Components
Hardware and Peripheral Issues 10

CAUTION The goal of self-assessment is to gauge your mastery of the topics in this
chapter. If you do not know the answer to a question or are only partially sure of the answer,
you should mark that question as wrong for purposes of the self-assessment. Giving yourself
credit for an answer you correctly guess skews your self-assessment results and might
provide you with a false sense of security.

1. What is the minimum number of volts of static electricity that can harm computer
components?
a. 30 volts
b. 100 volts
c. 3,000 volts
d. 5,000 volts
2. What is the acronym to help you remember how to use a fire extinguisher?
a. P.A.S.T.
b. A.I.M.M.
c. P.A.S.S.
d. C.L.E.A.R.
3. What is the study of engineering and designing of products and systems to help
people called?
a. Kinesiology
b. Applied biomechanics
c. Physiology
d. Ergonomics
4. What video port is not considered high definition and carries only an analog port?
a. VGA
b. DVI-D
c. HDMI
d. DisplayPort
5. What USB form factor is capable of carrying audio, video, and power?
a. USB-A
b. USB-B
34 Cisco Certified Support Technician (CCST) IT Support 100-140 Official Cert Guide

c. USB-C
d. Micro-USB
6. What is the most common connector for an Ethernet cable?
a. RJ-11
b. RJ-45
c. BNC
d. LC-ST
7. What computer component is known as the brain of the computer?
a. Processor
b. Chipset
c. Motherboard
d. RAM
8. What storage device doesn’t need external power and data cables?
a. Hard drive
b. SSD
c. Optical drive
d. M.2
9. What three computer components must be compatible with each other?
a. CPU, motherboard, storage device
b. CPU, motherboard, RAM
c. Motherboard, power supply, chipset
d. Motherboard, RAM, storage device
10. If a certain piece of software is not installing, what could be a probable cause?
a. The software is 64-bit and trying to be installed on a 32-bit operating system.
b. The software is incompatible with the storage device.
c. The computer has too much RAM for the software to function properly.
d. The computer is lacking an optical drive.

Foundation Topics
Safety
Lots of jobs require safety training and require their employees to be mindful of best safety
practices. For instance, a mechanic should know the dangers of working on an engine. Like-
wise, an electrician should know the dangers of working with electricity. This is true with
the IT support technician as well. Safety to the individual as well as safety to the parts you
work on is vital to understand.

Electrical Shock
Electrical shock occurs when uncontrolled electricity flows through your body. This electri-
cal flow can range from the tingle of a 9-volt battery on your tongue—an old, not advisable
way people would test 9-volt batteries to see if they were still good—to severe injury and
even death. There is an adage that states, “amps kill, not volts.”
 Chapter 2: Hardware 35

NOTE This is an overly simplistic deduction of Ohm’s law because you can’t have amps
without volts, but it does help answer why touching a plasma globe doesn’t instantly kill you
(higher volts and lower amps).

As shown in Figure 2-1, Ohm’s law states W = VA or Watts = Volts × Amps. 2

Traditional Version Modern Electronics Version

P = Watts V = Volts W = Watts V = Volts
Power V2 I x R Voltage Power V2 A x Ω Voltage
P W
R Ω
VxI VxA
I A

I2 x R W V PxR A2 x Ω W V WxΩ
Watts Volts Watts Volts
V Amps Ohms V V Amps Ohms V
A Ω A Ω
R I Ω A
P P W W
P V2 W V2
V I2 V A2
I = Amps R P R = Ohms A = Amps Ω W Ω = Ohms
Current Resistance (I) Current Resistance
Figure 2-1 Ohm’s Law

In a reductionist method of describing electricity, the water hose analogy is often used.
Amps, or current, is often described as the volume of water moving through the water hose,
and volts, or voltage, is the water pressure. Notice, you can’t have one without the other.
However, this analogy helps you have a basic understanding that amps are the amount of
electricity and consequently what can cause serious harm. You don’t need a degree in
electrical engineering to be an IT support technician, but it is a good idea to have a basic
understanding of electricity so as not to harm yourself.
There is one component that an IT support technician needs to be especially careful around:
this is a computer’s power supply unit, or PSU. Unless specifically trained, you should never
open a PSU to fix it. A damaged PSU should be sent back to the factory for repair because
they have capacitors in them that hold lethal electrical charge—even after unplugged! This
holds true with monitors as well. Never open a monitor for the same reason.
You should be aware of these specific electrical shock hazards when working in IT:

■■ Damaged cords and equipment: Exposed or frayed wires on cords or inside

equipment can be a shock hazard.

■■ Improperly grounded equipment: Most surge protectors will help with this, but you
should make sure the grounded light is illuminated. Equipment plugged directly into
the wall should have the third grounding pin utilized if applicable in your country, as
well as the receptacle unless using a two-prong “double insulated” type.

■■ Working on live equipment: For the most part, don’t do this unless you know there is
zero risk of electrical shock.

■■ Liquids: Water conducts electricity, so keep liquids away from electrical components
that are not waterproofed.
36 Cisco Certified Support Technician (CCST) IT Support 100-140 Official Cert Guide

Safety tips to minimize electrical shock:

■■ Do inspect cords and equipment for damage.

■■ Don’t overload power strips/surge protectors and don’t daisy-chain them either
(plugging one into another one).

■■ Don’t work on electrical equipment while it’s plugged in or on.

■■ Don’t eat or drink near electrical equipment.

■■ Do look around your surroundings to look for potential electrical hazards; be aware.

ESD
Remember shuffling your feet on carpet and touching your friends to give them a shock of
static electricity? You were, in fact, giving them electrostatic discharge, or ESD. ESD is the
releasing of that static electricity. What might seem as harmless fun between two people
can be extremely damaging to computer components. Hard drives, solid-state drives, RAM,
graphic cards, and motherboards are especially sensitive to static electricity. Basically, any
component that has electronic chips and/or memory modules is susceptible to ESD damage.
While the results aren’t always instantaneous damage, it can be cumulative and ultimately
destroy the device.
To go back to the example of “shocking” your friend, it takes over 3,000 volts for a regu-
lar person to feel ESD. Ever hear or see the spark of static electricity when, say, touching
a doorknob? That’s over 5,000+ volts! As previously covered in this chapter, the reason it
doesn’t kill us is that the amps are very low. Unfortunately, computer components can be
damaged with as little as 30 volts. If you’re working on sensitive computer components—say,
replacing a motherboard—and you feel ESD, there’s a good chance you have already done
irreversible damage to that part. There are many videos circulating online that try to refute
the claim that ESD can cause damage to computer components. It can.
ESD prevention tips:

■■ Don’t work on computer components while standing on carpet (or rugs) unless the
carpet/rug has been specifically treated for ESD.

■■ Don’t work on computer components under blowing air from an HVAC system or
similar because it can increase static electricity.

■■ Don’t wear wool or synthetic fabrics that can conduct static electricity.

■■ Don’t wear metal jewelry when working on computer components.

■■ Do adjust the humidity in your room if at all possible—under 40 percent humidity

increases static electricity while over 55 percent can cause moisture damage, so try to
aim between 45 and 55 percent humidity if at all possible.

■■ Do store sensitive computer components in antistatic bags (remember the inside of the
bag helps reduce static electricity, not the outside; so don’t place your motherboard on
top of that antistatic bag to work on it).

■■ Do use an antistatic mat to place your parts on.

■■ Do wear an antistatic wrist strap.

 Chapter 2: Hardware 37

A note on antistatic wrist straps: these are invaluable tools for the IT support technician. One
connects the wrist strap to one hand—usually your nondominant hand so it doesn’t cross
in front of your work path as often—and the other end, usually with an alligator clip, to the
metal chassis of the computer case if you’re working on that. There is a misnomer that this
process “grounds” you. That is not really the case. Rather, it’s important to remember that
electricity flows between positive and negative or negative and positive. The antistatic wrist 2
strap equalizes the charge between you and the component you’re working on, thus elimi-
nating the flow or discharge of the static electricity. This is why it is important to place the
alligator clip to something, ideally metal, near the component you’re working on—to help
dissipate the electrostatic charge. It is not advisable to clip on to the power supply, because
if the alligator clip were to inadvertently touch any of the internal components of the power
supply, it could send a dangerous volt to you.

Fire Safety
Fire safety is important in every industry and should be important to every individual as
well. Far too many people have had their kitchens burned down from a fire on the stove.
Unfortunately, that scenario often goes like this: John heats up a pan of oil to make some
fries. The pan catches on fire from the oil heating up too much. Panicked, John sees his
kitchen faucet nearby and rushes the flaming pan under the water to put out the fire. Oil
and water do not mix. The water displaces the flaming oil and sends shooting, flaming oil all
over his kitchen. Don’t be John; learn fire types and the proper ways to stop those fire types.
Figure 2-2 depicts the common classes of fires.

Figure 2-2 Classes of Fire

Every home and business should have at least one ABC fire extinguisher within easy
access—more than one if in a larger area. An ABC fire extinguisher will put out type A, B,
and C classes of fires listed in Figure 2-2. If you’re working in a specialty industry, such as
a restaurant, then a Class K, specifically for grease/oil fires, would be beneficial as well. In
IT, you might deal with a wood or paper fire, which a Class A fire extinguisher would work
on, but you might also deal with an electrical fire. Again, water is conductive, so you would
not want to put out an electrical fire with water. Instead, a typical ABC fire extinguisher,
because of the Class C in particular, will be able to put out most electrical fires.
38 Cisco Certified Support Technician (CCST) IT Support 100-140 Official Cert Guide

A note on fire extinguishers: fire extinguishers do not last forever. The propellant inside of
them dissipates over time. This is why it is critical to have them checked annually (or sooner)
or replaced. While most fire extinguishers have a gauge that reads green for good and red for
bad, it is not recommended to rely on this gauge alone. Fire extinguishers should be serviced
by a reputable company. It is good advice to contact your local fire agency to see if there is
an opportunity to learn fire safety and use a fire extinguisher before an emergency.
To use a fire extinguisher, remember the acronym P.A.S.S.:

■■ P is for pull the pin on the fire extinguisher. While this might seem obvious, in the
heat of the moment, people often forget.

■■ A is for aim. Aim the nozzle to the base of the fire to smother it. It is human nature to
aim at the top of the flames because that is what you see. Resist that urge and aim at
the base to smother the source/fuel of the fire.

■■ S is for squeeze. Squeeze the trigger slowly and evenly so as to not use all of the
extinguishing agents too quickly.

■■ S is for sweep. Whiling aiming at the base of the fire, sweep the nozzle from side to
side to make sure to cover as much of the base of the flames as possible.

If applicable, call your local emergency services before the fire is too large for you to put out
or after if you are afraid there might still be hot spots.
Prevention of fires is of utmost importance to the IT support technician. The first step is to
reduce fire hazards in your workplace. Keep your workplace free of clutter: don’t stockpile
papers, wires, and other combustible material to reduce the risks of something catching fire.
Regularly inspect equipment for damaged cords, overheating components, and overloaded
power strips/surge protectors. Have a fire safety plan in your workplace and schedule regular
checks of your fire alarms to make sure they are working.

Personal Safety
While the standard IT support technician might not be breathing in dangerous chemicals or
working with highly explosive materials in normal working conditions, that doesn’t mean there
aren’t personal safety issues to consider. One major threat to IT technicians is online safety.
Often, it is the IT staff who are targeted by threat actors to gain access to a network/
computer system. However, that topic will be covered in more depth in Chapter 7, “Security.”
Another often-overlooked risk to the IT support technician is physical safety. One area of
focus in recent decades has been on repetitive strain injuries, or RSIs. You will often be
working long hours at a desk typing on your keyboard and clicking away with your mouse.
Carpal tunnel syndrome is a very real condition that affects many office workers and
involves pinching the nerve in your wrist. It is a condition that often causes pain in the hand
and wrist. This condition occurs because of the repetitive motion of typing and using your
mouse. To help prevent carpal tunnel, take breaks from your computer when at all possible—
stand up, stretch, hydrate, and move your body. Another prevention technique is the use of
ergonomic devices.
Ergonomics is the study of engineering and designing of products and systems to help peo-
ple. This can be as simple as chairs to help promote better posture when sitting at a desk, the
rise of adjustable desks to allow for standing and working, mouse pads with wrist guards to
 Chapter 2: Hardware 39

help the posturing of your hand, and even keyboards to help your hands be in a more natural
position when typing.
Figure 2-3 shows an example of an ergonomic keyboard.

Figure 2-3 Ergonomic Keyboard

In addition to RSIs, injuring yourself lifting is also a possible safety risk. You might often be
tasked with moving around heavy pieces of equipment. Even lighter equipment can pose a
risk of injury if not carried or placed correctly. Use a dolly or moving cart when at all pos-
sible. If you must lift an object, use your legs and don’t pull up with your back muscles. Ask
for help if a piece of equipment needs more than one person to move it.
In addition to injuring yourself physically through moving a heavy object or getting an RSI,
you also need to be careful not to be the target of a physical attack. You will often be work-
ing alone or late at night. You might be transporting valuable IT equipment from one office
to another. This makes you a target for a would-be thief. Be aware of your surroundings and
communicate with your colleagues about when and where you’re at if it could be a risky
situation.
Finally, maintain a healthy lifestyle. Drink plenty of water, eat a balanced diet, take breaks
from the computer (in accordance with your company policy), use blue light filters on your
monitor to help prevent eyestrain (most operating systems, including phones, have a “night
light” feature to help reduce harmful blue light), and get sleep.

“An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.”—Benjamin Franklin

Ports and Interfaces

One commonly confused concept in IT is the difference between an interface and a port.
You will often hear these terms used interchangeably, but there is a difference. An interface
is how a device communicates. For example, a mouse is a hardware interface. In particular,
it is an input interface. The mouse lets the user send x and y coordinates to the operating
40 Cisco Certified Support Technician (CCST) IT Support 100-140 Official Cert Guide

system to move the cursor around the screen. Consequently, the mouse is a hardware inter-
face that is also an input interface. How it connects to the computer is through a port.

NOTE You will often hear terms like an input or output device. You need to think of it
from the perspective of the computer itself. If the information is going into the computer,
it is an input device. If the information is going out of the computer, it is an output device.
Common input devices are mice, keyboards, scanners, and the like. Common output devices
are monitors, speakers, printers, and so forth. If you have an all-in-one printer, then you have
an input/output device. The printer is an output device, but the scanner is an input device.

The mouse also communicates with a software interface called a driver. The driver is
software that translates the raw input from the hardware to the operating system. It can
also translate output from the operating system to the hardware (think of an image being
displayed on your monitor).
A port is often the physical connection to the computer. Most mice in the past decade are
USB. The USB is the port that the mouse uses to connect to the computer. The physical port
is what transfers the electrical signals back and forth. To clarify, the mouse is a hardware
input interface that sends x and y coordinates to the operating system through the software
interface of a driver so that the operating system can understand the data being fed to it. The
mouse itself is plugged into a USB port. The USB port itself is capable of inputting and out-
putting data—think of a flash drive—but is only inputting data from the mouse.

NOTE When talking about hardware, we usually speak of physical ports—an actual elec-
trical part you can touch. However, there are virtual ports as well. For example, when you
go on the Web and search a vital question like what music artist said what to whom, you are
often using Hypertext Transfer Protocol Secure, or https, which uses port 443. Port 443 is a
virtual port for https communication. You can’t physically touch the port.
A wireless card, or wireless NIC, is a physical port, not a virtual port. While you don’t plug
anything into it, you could touch the actual chip that is sending and receiving radio waves to
communicate.

Video Ports
Video ports are just what they sound like—ports that output video. Before we delve into the
various video ports every IT technician should know, it is important to know the difference
between analog and digital video signals. An analog video signal is presented in a waveform,
whereas a digital video signal is discrete binary bits of 0 or 1 (see Figure 2-4).
Binary is how computers function and dates back to early circuits. A circuit was either open,
or off (0), or it was closed, or on (1). If you look on a PSU, you will see a switch with a 0
and a 1. Zero means off, and one means on. Early video ports were analog, so if the monitor
received analog signals, the computer would have to convert from binary to analog for the
monitor to understand it. Today, most monitors are digital, so the move from analog to
digital makes sense.
 Chapter 2: Hardware 41

Figure 2-4 Analog vs. Digital Signal

NOTE Consumers have been inundated with various technical/marketing terms for their
televisions for the past two decades. Terms such as HD, Full HD, UHD, and now 8k—not
to mention QLED, OLED, and so forth—have saturated the marketplace. While the latter
is beyond the scope of this certification, you should know the former. HD stands for high
definition and is 1280×720 pixels. A pixel is merely a single dot of color on a screen. So, HD
is 1280 pixels horizontally and 720 pixels vertically. Interestingly, display resolutions for HD
and FHD are often referred to as the vertical pixels rather than the horizontal pixels; hence,
HD is often called 720(p). The p stands for progressive because it allows the television to
display all lines at once rather than interlaced, which writes odd lines on the first pass and
even lines on the second pass. Full HD is 1920×1080, 1080(p), or (i); UHD is 3840×2160,
or 4k; and now we’re seeing 7680×4320, or 8k! While these resolutions are more specific to
televisions, you will see them marketed in computer monitors as well. One more common
monitor resolution that never really came to television is 2k, or 2560×1440, and often called
1440p. This does not mean all computer monitors follow these resolutions. In fact, many
laptops have a 4:3 aspect ratio—making it more square than rectangular—and will have very
different resolutions. Today, most of these HD resolutions are digital in port communication,
with the one major exception of the aging component port, which is an analog port that is
capable of HD resolution.
42 Cisco Certified Support Technician (CCST) IT Support 100-140 Official Cert Guide

HDMI
High-Definition Multimedia Interface, or HDMI, ports are one of the most common video
ports for both televisions and monitors. It is a digital port consisting of 19 pins that can
transmit both audio and video. With the introduction of the HDMI 2.1 standard, an HDMI
2.1 port can support 4k, 5k, 8k, and 10k at 120 Hz and 48 gigabits per second (Gbps) of
bandwidth/data. This is a huge improvement from the previous HDMI standard, which could
only support up to 4k at 60 Hz. The two most common HDMI ports are standard (Type A)
and Mini (Type C, not to be confused with USB C). See Figure 2-5.

Figure 2-5 Mini HDMI (on Left) and Standard HDMI (on Right)

NOTE Hz stands for hertz and is the number of times a screen refreshes, or is redrawn, in
one second. The official 4k standard for television is 4k at 60 Hz. Gamers will often speak
about achieving the maximum frames per second, or fps, when playing video games. This is
a direct relation to how often the graphics card can refresh the screen and thereby has a cor-
relation to the hertz of the monitor. For example, if a gamer is receiving stats from the game
stating they are playing at 120 fps, but they are using an older HDMI port that is capable of
displaying only 60 Hz, then they are only seeing 60 fps on their monitor even if their video
card is capable of displaying more. This is why many “gaming” monitors sold use Display­
Ports because it is capable of displaying more hertz.

DisplayPort
DisplayPort is a popular digital, 20-pin, video port that many gamers prefer over HDMI. It
supports both video and audio like HDMI. While it has never really gained traction in the
television space, it is fairly common on modern video cards and monitors. It can output,
on the high end, 8k at 240 Hz with 77.37 Gbps of bandwidth/data! For some, it is easy to
confuse a DisplayPort and an HDMI port because one side looks identical to the other.
However, a DisplayPort has a flat end on one side. There is also a mini DisplayPort that looks
quite different. See Figure 2-6.
 Chapter 2: Hardware 43

Figure 2-6 DisplayPort and Mini DisplayPort Illustration

DVI
A DVI is an older 24-pin port that can be both digital and analog and carries only video
and not audio. Unfortunately, marketing of this port made it more confusing for consumers.
There are several variations of DVI: DVI-D Single Link, DVI-D Dual Link, DVI-I Single Link,
DVI-I Dual Link, and DVI-A. DVI-A was pure analog and is not used anymore. However, you
will still see DVI-D and DVI-I in some older computers. DVI-D is a pure digital connection.
It is capable of a max resolution of 3840×2400 at 30 Hz in Dual Link. You will still see peo-
ple use DVI-D today because it can display 1080p at 144 Hz, but you would have to have a
separate audio cable. See Figure 2-7 to see what a DVI-D looks like.

Figure 2-7 DVI-D Cable

DVI-I is another port you might still see. It is capable of carrying an analog and a digital
signal on separate pins. It does not convert digital to analog signals or vice versa. Rather,
it can pass through analog signals on certain pins and digital signals on other pins. This is
44 Cisco Certified Support Technician (CCST) IT Support 100-140 Official Cert Guide

important because you can’t plug a DVI-A or DVI-I cable into a DVI-D port, but you can
plug a DVI-D cable into a DVI-I port. See Figure 2-8 to see a DVI-I port. Notice the cross
formation with four dots around it. Those four dots are for analog signals.

Figure 2-8 DVI-I Port

VGA
A VGA cable is a 15-pin analog port. It does not carry audio signals much like DVI. VGA is
one of the original video ports. While it can display up to 2048×1536 at 85 Hz, it is not con-
sidered a high-definition port. This means you can display 1920×1080 at 60 Hz, but it will
be an analog signal and HD is a digital signal. Component ports are the only analog ports
that are capable of being called HD because they still carry a digital signal over the analog
communication. VGA would have to convert the digital signal to analog and, consequently,
is not labeled as true HD. In fact, if you were to compare an HDMI display at 1920×1080 to
a VGA display at 1920×1080, you would notice that the VGA display is fuzzier and not as
crisp. VGA cables are often blue (see Figure 2-9) but can come in other colors.

Figure 2-9 Traditional Blue VGA Cable

USB-C
USB-C can carry audio and video. However, it can do more than that. USB-C, while a
port, is also a form factor. This means that it’s one of the more complicated concepts for
consumers. See the subsection “USB-C” later for more information.
 Chapter 2: Hardware 45

USB
Universal Serial Bus, or USB, is a common port type found in most computers today. By
design, it can transmit both power and data. The serial in its name is an important distinc-
tion because it is an evolution of the original 9-pin serial port, also called an RS-232 port.
While serial ports have all but disappeared from modern computers, they are still in use
in industrial control systems and commercial routers and switches. While serial ports are 2
slow in data transfer and do not support power over their wires like USB, they are reliable
and easily programmed. Luckily, while most modern computers do not include serial ports
anymore, there are many serial-to-USB adapters on the market to communicate with serial
port devices. Some people confuse serial ports with VGA ports because of the similar
external design, but there are two ways to identify them easily. First, serial ports have only
9 pins, whereas VGA ports have 15 pins. Also, most serial ports are male (pins sticking out),
whereas most VGA ports are female (holes for the male pins on the cable to plug in to). In
other words, serial ports are male and their cables are female, whereas VGA ports are female
and their cables are male. See Figure 2-10 to see a serial port next to a VGA port on the rear
input/output panel of a motherboard.

Figure 2-10 Directly Below the Large Pink Parallel Port Is a Serial Port (Left) and a Blue
VGA Port (Right)

USB speeds have dramatically improved over the years. The first USB version, USB 1.0, was
capable of 1.5 megabits per second (Mbps); USB 1.1, 12 Mbps; USB 2.0, 480 Mbps; USB 3.0,
5 gigabits per second (Gbps); USB 3.1, 10 Gbps; USB 3.2, 20 Gbps; USB 4, 40 Gbps; and
USB 4 2.0, 80 Gbps.

USB Form Factors

In addition to the different USB versions, which primarily affect speed, there are also
different USB form factors. Consequently, USBs can look different from each other. Tradi-
tionally, when most consumers think USB, they are thinking of USB-A. This is the original
rectangular port that has a singular orientation, which means you can only plug it in one
way. USB-B is more square and has been traditionally used to connect to printers and is now
a popular connection to 3D printers. Mini-USB was a popular standard for phones and por-
table electronic devices for some time before micro-USB replaced it. Both are singular ori-
entation, and the plug can only be plugged in one way. The newer form factor that has been
gaining rapid momentum is USB-C. USB-C is not singular orientation and can be plugged
in right side up or upside down. It is now becoming common on most electronic devices,
including phones. In addition to the ease of plugging in, there are a multitude of other
benefits to USB-C. See the following section for more information. Figure 2-11 helps you
visualize the different USB form factors.
46 Cisco Certified Support Technician (CCST) IT Support 100-140 Official Cert Guide

Figure 2-11 USB Form Factors

USB-C
USB-C is fast becoming the most ubiquitous of USB form factors. It is also one of the more
complicated form factors. By definition, USB-C can carry data and power like the original
USB standard. It is now being used as the favored port to power many laptops out there.
However, it is also capable of carrying video and audio. Its bidirectional method of plugging
in—so you don’t have to worry about which side is up—and smaller footprint have made
this a prolific form factor. However, the capabilities of USB-C vary wildly and depend on the
actual interface technology being used behind the form factor.
USB 3.0, capable of 5 Gbps, can be a USB Type A or USB Type C form factor. USB 3.1,
capable of 10 Gbps, can also be Type A or C. However, USB 3.2 is almost exclusively USB
Type C, which is capable of 20 Gbps. How do you know which USB type your USB-C
port is? Read the documentation for the specific electronic component that has the USB-C
connection.
To add to the complexity, USB 4 is often called Thunderbolt, but technically Thunderbolt
3/4 is one proprietary implementation of USB 3.1/4 capable of 40 Gbps. Non-Thunderbolt
USB 4 is only capable of 20 Gbps. Thunderbolt 5 uses USB-C as well and is capable of 80
Gbps. So, all Thunderbolt 3/4/5 interfaces are USB-C ports, but not all USB-C ports are
Thunderbolt. Again, how do you know if you have a regular USB-C port or a Thunderbolt
USB-C port? Read the documentation or look for the proprietary lightning bolt icon next to
the port. See Figure 2-12.

Ethernet Ports
The most common interface for an Ethernet port is an RJ-45 connector (see Figure 2-13)
plugged into a network interface card (NIC). The Ethernet port on the NIC is what you
would use to physically connect the Ethernet cable to the Internet or local network. If you
connect wirelessly, you use a wireless NIC, and no physical cable is needed. There are also
fiber connections to connect to networks, but they are typically not found as direct
connections to consumer devices at this time.
 Chapter 2: Hardware 47

Figure 2-12 Thunderbolt USB-C Port (Look for a Lightning Bolt by the Port)

Figure 2-13 RJ-45 Connector (Wider and Has More Wires Than the Older Telephone
Connector, Which Was an RJ-11)

An Ethernet cable to connect to a network might be called a CAT 5e, UTP, 1000BASE-T
cable with an RJ-45 connector. Let’s break this down:

■■ An Ethernet cable is often categorized as a CAT cable, with CAT abbreviated from
Category. There are currently eight categories of Ethernet cables: CAT 1–5 are rarely
used anymore; CAT 5e and 6/6a are commonly used, and CAT 7/8 are used for short
runs in data centers. The higher the category, the faster the Ethernet cables can transfer
the data. This explanation is a tad oversimplistic but helps in the general overview.
CAT 5e is still used in many places and is capable of delivering 1 Gbps of data.
CAT 6a can deliver 10 Gbps of data. Both CAT 5e and CAT 6 are capable of sending
48 Cisco Certified Support Technician (CCST) IT Support 100-140 Official Cert Guide

data 100 meters before needing a signal repeater. CAT 7/8 can deliver 40 Gbps of data
but only between 10 and 30 meters and are typically used only in data centers.

■■ The TP stands for twisted pair. Starting with CAT 3, electrical engineers started
twisting the wires together to reduce electrical interference. Now, we have eight wires
twisted in four pairs to reduce interference and gain speed (see Figure 2-14). When
cutting your own Ethernet wiring, you must untwist the ends of these wires to slide
them into an RJ-45 connector. In addition to TP, which all Ethernet cabling uses now,
you can also purchase STP or UTP. Both are twisted pair, but U stands for unshielded
and S stands for shielded.

■■ Unshielded is what it sounds like. The cable is unshielded from any sort of elec-
tromagnetic interference. The cables are generally cheaper and more flexible than
shielded cables. For most smaller runs inside a home or office, UTP is acceptable.

■■ Shielded twisted pair means the cable itself is made of a material to help protect
against electromagnetic interference. It is often made of PVC or plenum. Plenum
is often required if running Ethernet in walls because it has flame-retardant prop-
erties. Often the individual wires will also have a foil shielding to protect against
interference. STP is often used in commercial projects or for long runs. However,
STP is usually more expensive than STP and not as flexible.

Figure 2-14 Twisted Pairs in Ethernet

■■ PVC is polyvinyl chloride, which can produce toxic fumes and should be used in
open-air situations.

■■ Plenum cables have a fire-resistant jacket and should be used inside walls, drop
ceilings, or under raised floors.

■■ The 1000BASE-T part means that there is 1000 Mbps of bandwidth. You will also see
this written as 1GBASE as well. The G stands for gigabit, which is equal to 1000 mega-
bits. The BASE merely refers to baseband signaling, which means only Ethernet signals
are carried on it. The T stands for twisted pair. Yes, this is redundant because the T in
UTP and STP also stands for twisted pair.
 Chapter 2: Hardware 49

NOTE Another term you will hear with Ethernet is PoE, which stands for Power over
Ethernet. Normally, Ethernet is for data. However, if the switch supports it or you use an
externally powered POE injector, you can deliver up to 95 watts of power to the end device
with the newest standards. However, it is more typical to deliver 15–30 watts on most
devices. PoE is used to power IP telephones, IP cameras, and more. This means the IP phone 2
could have only one Ethernet cable plugged in to deliver data and power to run the phone!
While the consumer space has not really started seeing an adoption of PoE, the commercial
space has been using it for some time. You must use a CAT 5e or greater cable to use POE.

Common Power Cables (Desktop, Laptop, Mobile)

Most desktop computers use a C13 power cord on one end and a country-specific plug on
the other end. This cord then connects to the computer’s PSU. This common cable allows for
easy shipping to many countries because the C13 is a universal standard and readily matched
with the correct country-specific plug on the other end (see Figure 2-15). Some computer
manufacturers use a proprietary power adapter, but it is rare in the desktop marketplace.
The power cable will go from the wall directly to the PSU the majority of the time. The PSU
will then convert the AC electricity from the wall outlet to DC electricity for the computer
to run.

Figure 2-15 Typical Desktop Power Cable with C13 Plug (Left) and Country-Specific
Plug (Right)

Unfortunately, for many decades, laptops have used proprietary power adapters. There are
dozens of proprietary charging tips/types for different manufacturers. Even the same manu-
facturer often has different charging tips/types for different models. To make it even more
confusing, even if two laptops have the same charging tip, that doesn’t mean you can use
one charging cable on the other because often it has different voltage and amperage output.
Luckily, because of the USB-C’s capability to carry enough power to power many laptops,
we are starting to see an adoption of that universal standard.
50 Cisco Certified Support Technician (CCST) IT Support 100-140 Official Cert Guide

NOTE The European Union has made great strides in making USB-C a universal charging
port to reduce e-waste. The EU has mandated that by the end of 2024 all phones, tablets,
and cameras will have to be USB-C if they are sold in EU countries. In addition, the EU is
pushing for all laptops to be the same. As a result, many manufacturers have quickly adopted
the USB-C standard so that they do not lose sales in EU countries. Notably, this mandate
caused Apple to ditch its proprietary Lightning phone cable and move to USB-C with the
release of the iPhone 15.

Like laptops, mobile phones have had a litany of various power cables. There are dozens
of proprietary phone cables. Most notably was Apple’s Lightning cable, which was the
follow-up to the company’s proprietary 30-pin connector in use previously. Luckily, with the
introduction of the iPhone 15, Apple has moved to the universal standard of USB-C. Most
phones out now use USB-C. There are still some proprietary cables out there, but they are
fewer than before. Before USB-C, phones started out with almost entirely proprietary adapt-
ers, then moved to mini-USB, then micro-USB (refer to Figure 2-11).

Converters vs. Adapters

One important distinction when needing to convert from one type of cable to another is
whether you need a converter or an adapter. An adapter changes the plug type but must be
the same signal. For example, you can go from an HDMI plug on one side to a DisplayPort
plug on the other side with an adapter. They are both digital signals, so you are just adapting
one plug to the other.
However, you will need a converter if going from a digital signal to an analog signal or vice
versa. For instance, if you want to go from VGA (analog) to HDMI (digital), you will need a
converter. Converters require power and are often more expensive than adapters. There are
unscrupulous people on the Internet who will sell you an HDMI-to-VGA adapter where they
just rewire the pins to each other. However, it will not work because you can’t just send an
analog signal to a digital signal without first converting it.

NOTE This distinction between adapters and converters also applies to electrical plugs.
When traveling, people often buy adapters to plug in their equipment to the wall socket that
matches the country’s specifications. For most electronics, this is fine because most of the
power bricks for modern electronics are rated with an input of 100–240 volts. Therefore,
the adapter merely changes the plug style for the wall receptacle. However, you need to
check the power brick, which is the box that is in the middle between the wall plug and the
plug for the device that converts AC to DC, to see what the input range is. Most of North
America and parts of South America use 110–120 volts, whereas most of the rest of the
world uses 220–240 volts. Again, most modern electronics can accept the full range of volt-
age input, but you should always double-check first. There are many horror stories of fires
because someone plugged a hair dryer into the wall outlet when traveling with an adapter
and not a converter. The reason is that most hair dryers are not dual voltage and only accept
the voltage of the country where it was bought. In this case, you would need to purchase a
converter to convert from one voltage to another, not just an adapter!
 Chapter 2: Hardware 51

Identifying, Installing, and Upgrading Computer

Components
Whether you are building a computer, upgrading, or fixing one, it is vital to be able to
identify computer components to be successful.
2
Identifying Computer Components
An IT support technician needs to be able to identify many essential computer components
to be able to install or upgrade them. While the following sections do not provide an exhaus-
tive list of every computer component, they include the major components you need to be
able to identify.

Processor
The processor is the brain of the computer. It processes instructions of the programs sent to
it. It is also called a central processing unit, or CPU. Most modern CPUs have multiple cores.
These cores act as almost independent processors and allow the CPU to process many work-
loads or tasks at one time. Early CPUs had one core. As a result, it could perform only one task
at a time. Today, some high-end CPUs have as many as 96 cores! In many server setups, the
motherboards can support multiple processors with each CPU having multiple cores.
In addition, many CPUs are capable of multithreading or hyperthreading. Think of a CPU
core as an independent brain. If I have a dual-core CPU, it would be like having two brains
with each brain being able to do very different tasks. Multithreading is like having a right
brain and left brain in one core. You can perform different tasks in each brain half, but they
can’t be radically different from each other. For example, with a multithreaded-capable core
in this analogy, you could perform simple arithmetic while listening to classical music. How-
ever, you would not be able to do calculus while painting a complex scene in oil. Basically,
the program being sent to a multithreaded core must be written to take advantage of this
multithreading. Otherwise, it would just use another core. So, a dual-core CPU with multi-
threading has two cores but can split tasks in each core to have a pseudo four-core perfor-
mance. In fact, Windows 11 shows these multithreaded cores as logical processors, so that a
dual-core example would state two cores with four logical processors.
The way that a CPU processes instructions is separated into two camps: CISC and RISC.
CISC stands for complex instruction set computer, and RISC stands for reduced instruction
set computer. To simplify this distinction, let’s use the analogy of a complex calculus prob-
lem. A CISC processor would take the entire problem and work on solving it. In contrast, a
RISC processor would break up the problem into smaller chunks and solve it. On one hand,
the benefit of a CISC processor is the raw horsepower to deal with complex instructions.
On the other hand, a RISC processor has the benefit of energy efficiency and speed in
small instruction sets. Traditionally, desktop/laptop computers have used CISC processors,
whereas mobile devices have used RISC processors.

NOTE The lines between CISC being for desktops/laptops and RISC being for mobile
devices have blurred recently. Apple has released M series processors for its laptops that
use a RISC architecture. Meanwhile, Intel has CPUs that advertise performance cores and
efficiency cores. The performance cores are CISC, and the efficiency cores are RISC.
52 Cisco Certified Support Technician (CCST) IT Support 100-140 Official Cert Guide

The CPU architecture types x86/x64 versus ARM showcase the CISC/RISC division. ARM,
which stands for Advanced RISC Machine, is RISC, as the name implies, and is used on most
mobile devices for energy efficiency. The x86 is an older CISC architecture type that was
limited to 32-bit processing. Today, most desktop computers run on x64, also CISC, which
allows 64-bit processing and is backward-compatible with 32-bit processing.

NOTE Modern ARM processors are 64 bit and backward-compatible to 32 bit. The x64 is
the same but in CISC form. To understand the difference between a 32-bit processor and a
64-bit processor, it is important to understand what each means. Computers work in binary,
so a 32-bit processor is capable of understanding 232, or 4,294,967,295 bits. This is an impor-
tant number because a 32-bit processor can only understand up to this number in calcula-
tions. Therefore, with 32-bit CPUs, you can’t have more than 4 gigabytes of RAM installed
because the CPU can’t understand a larger number. Technically, you can install more than 4
GB, but the processor will only see 4 GB as useable. In contrast, a 64-bit processor can have
over 17 billion gigabytes of installed RAM. Remember that 264 is a lot more than double
232—it's exponentially bigger.

The two CPU socket types for x64 processors are PGA and LGA. PGA stands for pin grid
array. A PGA CPU has the pins on the CPU with the motherboard having the holes for the
pins to be inserted into (see Figure 2-16). LGA stands for land grid array. In this style, the
pins are on the motherboard with the CPU having flat contact points for the pins to touch
(see Figure 2-17). Traditionally, Intel has supported LGA, and AMD has supported PGA.
However, this has recently changed with AMD’s new AM5 CPU socket being LGA. Both
PGA and LGA have many generations of sockets, so you can’t merely put any LGA CPU in
an Intel-compatible motherboard. You would need to know whether it is an LGA 1700 or an
LGA 1200, among many others.

NOTE You might also encounter a BGA, or ball grid array. This style is commonly found
on laptops, phones, tablets, and gaming consoles. The CPU is soldered directly to the
motherboard with this style.

Figure 2-16 PGA CPU (the Pins Are on the CPU)

 Chapter 2: Hardware 53

Figure 2-17 LGA CPU and LGA Motherboard Socket (the Pins Are on the Motherboard)

Motherboard
If a processor is the brain of the computer, then the motherboard is the central nervous sys-
tem. The CPU is installed on a motherboard. The motherboard is a large circuit board that
is foundational for other components to connect and communicate through. It serves three
main functions:

1. Connectivity: It allows vital communication between the CPU, RAM, graphics cards
(also called video cards), storage devices, and more with the chipset working as the
intermediary.
2. Power Delivery: The PSU supplies power directly to the motherboard through the
24-pin PSU cable; subsequently, the motherboard delivers power to various connected
components such as the RAM, M.2 storage, and some lower-powered graphic cards.
3. Expansion: The motherboard often provides slots for expanding functionality like
graphic cards, sound cards, video capture cards, Wi-Fi, and more.
Regarding connectivity and how the motherboard communicates between components, this
is often done through the chipset on the motherboard. Originally, the chipset consisted
of the Northbridge and Southbridge chipsets. The Northbridge handles communication
between the CPU and extreme time-sensitive components such as RAM and the graphics
card. The Southbridge chipset handles communication between the CPU and hard drives,
optical drives, I/O ports, and less time-sensitive devices. On modern motherboards, most of
the Northbridge’s chipset functions have been moved directly to the CPU for speed while
remaining functions have been merged with the Southbridge chipset. Today, we rarely refer
to Northbridge and Southbridge chipsets and merely call it the chipset.
If you are not sure of the processor and/or motherboard in a current machine, the easi-
est way to identify it in Windows is to press Windows+R to open the Run dialog box.
Then type msinfo32 and press Enter. Here, you will see the CPU/Processor name, the
54 Cisco Certified Support Technician (CCST) IT Support 100-140 Official Cert Guide

motherboard manufacturer and specific model (labeled as BaseBoard Manufacturer/

Product), and more detailed system information. You can also run systeminfo from the
command prompt to see relevant information. For macOS, you will need to look in the
“About This Mac” section. See the “macOS System Tools” section in Chapter 5, “macOS.”

RAM
To continue with the analogy of the human body and computer components, RAM would
be short-term memory. RAM, or random-access memory, is where the operating system
stores everything that is currently opened and being used. This includes operating system
programs, files that are opened, and web pages currently being displayed in your browser.
It is volatile in nature, which means that what is stored in RAM disappears when you restart
your computer or shut it down. This is contrasted to storage devices such as hard drives
or solid-state drives. Those are long-term storage devices and are nonvolatile. If you have a
saved document, it will be saved on a storage device. However, when you open that saved
document, the operating system will place a copy of its contents in RAM for speed of
accessing it.
When referring to RAM, people often use the term RAM stick. A RAM stick is merely a
piece of silicone with many memory modules on it that collectively form what is called
RAM. While there are various forms of RAM, including the very fast static random-access
memory (SRAM) that is used in CPU caches, most RAM being referred to is DDR SDRAM
or GDDR SDRAM. DDR SDRAM, which stands for Double Data Rate Synchronous
Dynamic Random Access Memory, is often shortened to just DDR RAM and is used on
modern computers. GDDR SDRAM is DDR RAM tuned for graphic cards and often called
GDDR RAM (short for Graphics DDR RAM). DDR has gone through many iterations. With
each iteration, speed and bandwidth have increased. As of this writing, the most modern
motherboards utilize DDR5, and the most modern graphic cards utilize GDDR6. It is com-
mon that graphics cards utilize newer DDR standards because speed over cost is a priority
for modern graphics cards. Also, you usually have lower amounts of RAM on a graphics card
than you do on the main system. However, many gaming graphics cards have 16 gigabytes of
GDDR, which often rivals what people have installed on their motherboard.

NOTE How much RAM do you need? The short answer is you need enough RAM to com-
fortably run the programs that you have open at one time. A large chunk of your RAM will
be used by your operating system, and the rest will be used by active programs you have
open. If you edit videos or play games, you will want more RAM than someone who does
minimal web browsing and opens a word processing document sometimes. If you have ever
opened just one more tab on your web browser to discover your computer starts running
incredibly slow, you probably ran out of RAM. When you run out of RAM, the operating
system must write those temporary files to your storage device, which is incredibly slow
compared to RAM. On Windows, this would be a file on your operating system drive called
pagefile.sys. As the programs you use become more complex, the need for more RAM
increases. A decade ago, 8 GB of RAM was considered a lot. Today, it is a recommended
minimum on most builds.
 Chapter 2: Hardware 55

Peripherals
In addition to a CPU, motherboard, and RAM, computers also have peripherals. Peripherals
can be both input and output devices. They can also be external or internal. A keyboard
is an external, input peripheral device. The devices connected directly to the motherboard
are internal peripheral devices. Video/graphics cards, wireless network cards, Bluetooth
cards, and even storage devices such as hard drives and solid-state drives are all peripheral 2
devices. These internal peripherals can be integrated on the motherboard from the factory,
such as wireless and Ethernet NICs, or installed afterward, such as graphics cards and storage
devices. These can be installed in expansion slots such as PCIe slots or dedicated ports such
as SATA or M.2.

Storage Devices
Traditionally, hard drives were the long-term, nonvolatile, storage device in computers.
Hard drives are magnetically written storage devices that have a spinning metal platter,
almost looking like a miniature metal record player, that reads and writes data. The issues
with hard drives are those two defining characteristics. First, hard drives store their infor-
mation magnetically. This makes them susceptible to magnetic interference, and that inter-
ference can even cause data corruption. In fact, the official way to erase a hard drive for
recycling purposes is to use a degausser. A degausser creates a strong magnetic field that
erases the hard drive. Additionally, magnetic storage will degrade over time, much like an
old VHS tape that loses its information over time (it is magnetically stored as well). A hard
drive could last 5 years, or it could last 20 years. The problem is that over time data degra-
dation is inevitable.
The second issue with hard drives is the spinning of that metal platter with the moving
actuator arm (think of a tone arm on a record player). Because these parts are mechanical in
nature, they can break. Are hard drives dead technology? No. In a cost to performance to
storage size comparison, hard drives still win when looking at large storage needs. Yes, SSDs
perform much faster than hard drives, but as the storage size increases, so do their prices.
As of this writing, an 8 TB SSD is three times more expensive than an 8 TB hard drive. For
smaller sizes, the price is less of a difference, but the larger sizes see a large difference. Hard
drives come in two main form factors: 3.5 inch, which is typical for desktop computers, and
2.5 inch, which is typical for laptops.
Solid-state drive, or SSD, is a newer long-term, nonvolatile, storage device in computers.
SSDs are neither mechanical nor magnetic. Instead, they use a type of flash memory to
store the data. This means there are no moving parts to break and no issue with magnetic
fields. While there can still be quality control issues with the actual flash memory mod-
ules that are installed that can cause premature failure, they usually have a finite number
of read and write cycles. This means that it is normally possible to calculate exactly how
long the SSD will last by looking at how many times the SSD has been read/written.
There are two main form factors for SSDs: 2.5 inch, the same size as a laptop hard drive,
and M.2.
56 Cisco Certified Support Technician (CCST) IT Support 100-140 Official Cert Guide

NOTE Hard drives and 2.5-inch SSDs normally plug into the SATA port on a motherboard
for data transfer. However, M.2 is a new form factor for SSDs and can be confusing for those
new to the IT field. M.2 is a port that is on the motherboard. It allows an M.2 drive to be
directly inserted onto the motherboard. This direct insertion means the drive can get power
and transfer data directly from the one M.2 port on the motherboard. Normally, a hard drive
and SSD need a data cable plugged into the motherboard and a power cable from the PSU
plugged into it. With M.2, you don’t need either cable. The often-confusing part for consum-
ers is understanding that M.2 is a form factor. There are two technologies behind M.2. You
can have an SSD M.2 or an NVMe M.2 drive. They look identical, but how they transfer
data is different. An SSD M.2 transfers data over the SATA interface. This means that it is
exactly as fast as what a regular 2.5-inch SSD is because both use the SATA interface. How-
ever, an NVMe M.2 drive uses the PCIe interface. This is the same interface your graphics
card uses and is substantially faster than SATA. Most M.2 ports on motherboards will accept
either technology, so it is important to distinguish between the two. As you can imagine,
SSD M.2 is usually cheaper than NVMe M.2.

Installing and Upgrading Computer Components

With the exception of the PSU, you should always wear an antistatic wrist strap and use
ESD safety when working with computer components. Whether building a new computer
or upgrading components on a computer, it is important to know the relationships between
the components. The two sets of relationships you need to understand are form factor and
compatibility factor. The following information mainly applies to desktop computers and not
laptop/all-in-one computers.

NOTE While technically, you can replace motherboards and processors on laptops and all-
in-one computers (where the computer and the screen are one unit), most of them are propri-
etary. This means that you can replace a motherboard on a laptop, but you will have to buy
the motherboard from the laptop manufacturer because even their form factor is proprietary.
The only items that are replaceable (usually, because there are exceptions) that aren’t propri-
etary are items such as RAM, optical drive, and maybe the ability to swap out a hard drive
with an SSD if both are 2.5-inch form factor.

Form Factor
The form factor relationship is usually defined as the physical dimension relationship
between the motherboard, case (sometimes called tower), and PSU. Motherboards come in
various physical sizes, such as ATX-E, ATX, Micro ATX, and ITX boards (listed from largest
to smallest). As a rule of thumb, the larger the motherboard, the more physical connections
and features it has. If you are building a simple home theater computer to play movies and
music, you probably don’t need an ATX-E but could get away with a smaller board like a
Mini-ITX or Mini PC board like the Intel NUC. The motherboard’s size will determine the
computer case you use as well. A small case designed for a Mini-ITX board will not fit ATX-
sized boards. However, a large computer case could fit an ATX-E board all the way down to
a Mini-ITX board, but you might have a lot of wasted space inside. You will read terms such
as full-sized tower, mid-sized tower, and small form factor cases when researching cases.
Unfortunately, there is no agreed-upon consensus on what physical dimensions make up
 Chapter 2: Hardware 57

these terms. Some mid-sized towers can hold an ATX board or a Micro ATX, whereas some
only support Micro ATX and smaller. Basically, you need to read the case’s dimensions to
see what size motherboard it can hold. The two most common sized desktop motherboards
are ATX and Micro ATX.
In addition to the relationship between the size of the motherboard and the size of the case
to hold it, you also need to look at the size of the PSU. Traditional desktop power supply
2
units are ATX PS/2 form factor. These fit in most mid-sized towers and above. There is
also the smaller SFX PSU form factor for smaller cases like those that might fit a Mini-ITX
board, and the even smaller TFX for some Mini-PC cases. These terms refer only to the
physical dimensions of the PSUs. You need to choose the wattage of the PSU based on what
you’re running inside the computer.

Compatibility Factor
In addition to the form factor compatibility, you also need to look at the compatibility
factor. This is especially important when looking at the CPU, motherboard, and RAM rela-
tionship. With desktop computers, you basically have two manufacturers of CPUs: Intel
and AMD. An Intel CPU will not install on an AMD-compatible motherboard or vice versa.
Furthermore, the specific CPU will run only on certain chipsets and socket types on the
motherboard. Consequently, if you have a computer with an Intel Core i5-9300 CPU, it must
be installed on an Intel-compatible motherboard with an LGA 1151 socket type and a
compatible chipset like the H310 chipset. This makes it much harder to upgrade computer
components. If you wanted to upgrade that same Intel Core i5-9300 CPU to a newer Intel
Core i5-14600, you would also have to replace the motherboard because the socket type
changed from an LGA 1151 to an LGA 1700 in that time, and you would need a newer
600 or 700 series chipset.
Using the same example, in addition to changing the motherboard for the new CPU, you will
also probably need to change the RAM. The Intel Core i5-9300 compatible motherboards
utilized DDR4. Most of the newer Intel boards utilize DDR5. Luckily, the iteration of RAM
is not dependent on whether it’s an Intel or AMD CPU, but rather on the motherboard and
chipset. The new AMD motherboards, utilizing the AM5 CPU socket, have transitioned to
using DDR5 while the newer Intel motherboards are starting that transition over to DDR5
as well. The number after the DDR on the RAM denotes a different generation or iteration
of the RAM. You cannot stick a DDR4 RAM stick in a motherboard designed for DDR5
RAM because it won’t fit. There is a notch in the bottom of the RAM stick that is in a dif-
ferent place on the different generations of RAM. This notch helps to make sure you place
the RAM in the correct orientation and to help with putting the wrong generation of RAM
in (see Figure 2-18). In DDR5 the notch is closer to the center of the RAM stick, so DDR4
RAM will not insert correctly.

Figure 2-18 RAM Stick (the Notch in the Bottom Helps Installation Orientation)
58 Cisco Certified Support Technician (CCST) IT Support 100-140 Official Cert Guide

To simplify, before you start assembling a computer or upgrading parts, make sure that you
understand the physical form factor relationship of the case, motherboard, and power sup-
ply. Additionally, the motherboard, CPU, and RAM must be compatible with each other
whether you’re building new or upgrading.

Installing/Upgrading: Processor/Motherboard
Always read the motherboard manual to see the exact steps to install a motherboard and the
CPU. The model of the motherboard is generally written on the motherboard itself.
To install the motherboard, follow these steps:

1. For new builds, prepare the case: Take the side panel of the case and locate the
standoffs (threaded metal posts). If they’re not preinstalled, screw them into the holes
designated for the motherboard size (ATX, Micro ATX, and so on) according to your
motherboard manual (some cases have labels next to the holes that state ATX, Micro
ATX, and so on, to help with the process).
For existing builds, double-check the standoffs to make sure they are in the correct
position for the replacement motherboard. It is critical that a standoff does not exist
where there is not a hole on the motherboard for a screw; otherwise, the standoff
could be touching the back of the motherboard and possibly short-circuit it!
2. Install the rear input/output (I/O) shield: Some motherboards have this shield or back-
plate preinstalled on the motherboard itself, but most don’t. This metal shield should
come with the motherboard and is placed on the rear of the case matching the cutouts
for your motherboard’s ports.
3. Place the motherboard: Lower the motherboard onto the standoffs while making sure
the motherboard holes align with the standoff screw holes.
4. Secure the motherboard: Screw the motherboard down to the standoffs using the
included screws that come with the case. Don’t overtighten because you risk unscrew-
ing the standoffs when trying to loosen the screws on top of the motherboard if you
need to remove it.
For PGA CPUs, hold the CPU up to the light and carefully look down the rows of pins to
make sure none are bent. Don’t touch the pins or top of the CPU while doing this because
you don’t want your finger oils to create hot spots anywhere on the CPU. There are special
gloves you can wear when handling the CPU, but wearing an antistatic wrist strap and care-
fully holding the CPU only on its sides are usually okay as well. If you see a bent pin, you
can either return the CPU or try to carefully use a razor blade to bend the pin straight again.
Understand that if you do the latter, you run the risk of bending the pin too much and it
breaking off because it’s thin metal!
For LGA CPUs, make sure the pins are not bent on the CPU socket on the motherboard. This
is harder to see than bent pins on a PGA CPU, so you might take a flashlight to shine on the
socket to see if you see any bent pins. Unfortunately, if you see a bent pin on the mother-
board socket, it is nearly impossible to fix. You will probably be returning the motherboard.
To install the CPU, follow these steps:

1. Locate the CPU socket: It’s usually a square socket in the center of the motherboard.
2. Open the socket lever: Carefully release the lever that secures the CPU in place (refer
to your motherboard manual for specifics).
 Chapter 2: Hardware 59

3. Place the CPU: Hold the CPU by the edges, aligning the notches or triangles on the
CPU with the corresponding markers on the socket. Gently lower it into the socket.
a. Use zero-force insertion! This means that you merely lower the CPU onto the
socket and do not press down. Imagine setting a delicate plate down on a hard
counter. You don’t drop it down, you don’t press it down, you just gently place it
down. 2
b. Once you’ve set it down, you can very gently wiggle the CPU from side to side
and front to back to make sure it’s in place. Sometimes, you will feel it fall into
place; this is okay if you didn’t put pressure downward when wiggling it. Make
sure that you still do not touch the top of the CPU.
4. Close the socket lever: Secure the CPU by gently closing the lever.
5. Apply thermal paste (optional): If your CPU cooler doesn’t come with pre-applied
thermal paste, you’ll need to put a small, pea-sized amount in the center of the CPU.
More is not better!
6. Place the active cooling: Install the heat sink/CPU cooler, being sure to follow the
directions that came with it. Aftermarket heat sinks are often for various CPU sockets,
so be sure to read the directions on those extra carefully.

Installing/Upgrading: RAM/Storage Devices/Internal Peripherals

With DDR RAM, you get the most speed by installing them in pairs. The reason is that
motherboards have memory channels. If you are installing a pair of DDR RAM sticks, you
will want to install them in the same channel, which is often color coded on the dual-inline
memory module (DIMM) slots themselves on the motherboard. The DIMM slots are where
you install RAM (see Figure 2-19).

Figure 2-19 DIMM Slots with Color-Coded Channels

60 Cisco Certified Support Technician (CCST) IT Support 100-140 Official Cert Guide

To install the RAM, follow these steps (make sure computer is off):

1. Open the locking mechanisms: On the motherboard, the DIMM slots will have two
locking mechanisms that you need to open by flipping outward. Some motherboard
DIMM slots have only one side that will open; this is normal.
2. Find the notch: RAM sticks have two notches on each side with a single notch on the
bottom. This bottom notch needs to line up with a matching notch or ridge on the
RAM slot. This helps to correctly orient the RAM and make sure you don’t put a
different generation of RAM in.
3. Align and insert: Hold the RAM by the edges, aligning the notch with the slot’s notch
and gently slide in evenly before applying pressure.
4. Apply pressure: Once it is in position and slid down evenly with very little pressure to
just put in position, gently but firmly press the RAM stick further down into the slot
until you hear a click from both locking mechanisms on the sides.
On modern computers, you will connect your hard drives, SSDs, and optical drives to a
SATA port on the motherboard with a SATA data cable. Figure 2-20 shows a SATA port on a
motherboard. In addition to connecting to a SATA data port, you will also need to connect
to a SATA power cable coming from the PSU.

Figure 2-20 SATA Data Port on a Motherboard

For an M.2 form factor drive, you will install it directly on the motherboard with no addi-
tional data or power cable needed. There are different sizes of M.2 with 2280 being the
most common. The M.2 port is often located between the PCIe expansion slots on the
motherboard.
To install an M.2 storage drive, follow these steps (make sure the computer is powered off
and you are using an antistatic wrist strap):
1. Unscrew the M.2 slot cover: The M.2 slot might have two small screws holding
a cover in place. Remove the screws and the cover if present. Some motherboards
 Chapter 2: Hardware 61

have the cover, and some do not. The cover acts as a heatsink to help keep the drive
cool. There is often a thin plastic film on the downward-facing side that needs to be
removed to expose the sticky adhesive before placing it back.
2. Find the correct standoff position: M.2 comes in many sizes with 2280 being the
most common. There should be a standoff located next to a number. This indicates
the size of the M.2 drive and what the drive will rest on and be secured to. Remove 2
the standoff and place it into the correct position if not in it already. Some mother-
boards do not have the standoff preinstalled. If it’s not, it will come in a bag with the
motherboard. Find it and put it in the correct position. The end with the notch will
fit into the actual M.2 port, and the other end will lie down and be secured with one
screw in the standoff.
3. Identify the notch: Both the M.2 drive and the port/slot will have a notch. These
notches must be lined up for proper installation.
4. Insert the drive: Carefully insert the M.2 drive into the port/slot at an angle (between
30 and 45 degrees) while aligning the notch on the drive with the notch on the port/
slot (see Figure 2-21). Apply gentle pressure at the angle to have it fully inserted.
When done correctly, the drive will remain in the angled position when let go.

Figure 2-21 M.2 NVMe Drive Being Installed

5. Tilt and secure: Once it is inserted, gently tilt the drive down until it lies flat on the
standoff on the opposite side of the port. Secure it with the screw in the standoff or
from the motherboard bag that contains the standoff and screw. Don’t overtighten
because it is easy to snap off the standoff.
62 Cisco Certified Support Technician (CCST) IT Support 100-140 Official Cert Guide

While some CPUs come with a built-in graphics processing unit (GPU) to output video to
the monitor, many do not. In this case, you would need to install a graphics or video card.
This would be considered an internal peripheral expansion card. Other expansion cards you
might want to install would be wireless NICs to connect wirelessly to the Internet if your
motherboard doesn’t have one built in, video capture cards for editing video, Bluetooth
cards for Bluetooth connectivity, audio cards for higher-quality audio output, and more.
While external peripherals are usually connected to USB, internal peripherals are usually
connected to PCI or PCIe slots/ports located directly on the motherboard. Peripheral Com-
ponent Interconnect (PCI) is an older technology to connect expansion cards to. It is being
replaced by PCI Express (PCIe). PCIe is capable of much faster data transfer as well as more
bandwidth of data transfer. There are four PCIe expansion slots you might find on a mother-
board: PCIe x1, PCIe x4, PCIe x8, and PCIe x16. The x and the number refer to the number
of lanes of data communication the port can use. Typical motherboards often have one or
two PCIe x16 slots and one or two PCIe x1 slots. Graphics cards will use PCIe x16 slots
because they need more bandwidth than a wireless NIC, which might need only a PCIe x1
slot. If you have a PCIe x8 expansion card and no PCIe x8 slot/port on the motherboard, it
will not fit in a PCIex1 slot, but you can use a PCIe x16 slot. It won’t fill all the pins, but it
will work. See Figure 2-22 for a motherboard with both PCIe x16 and PCIe x1 slots.

Figure 2-22 PCIe Expansion Slots (Bottom Three Are Older PCI Slots; Above Bottom
Three Is PCIe x1, Followed by PCIe x16, and Top Is PCIe x1)
 Chapter 2: Hardware 63

NOTE To know if a CPU includes onboard graphics, you need to look at the processor suf-
fix. For example, you might buy an Intel Core i5-14400F. The i5-14400 is the specific model
number. The F is the suffix. In this case, with Intel, F means it does not include onboard
graphics and you must buy a dedicated graphics card. If you see a K, it means unlocked and
can be overclocked for faster performance, which is not covered in this certification and 2
generally advised against because it can cause stability issues. There are many other Intel-
specific suffixes, but F and K are common ones. As a rule of thumb, if the Intel CPU does
not have an F, it includes at least basic graphic capabilities.
Conversely, no AMD includes graphics unless it has the G suffix. The X suffix means over-
clockable and roughly equivalent to Intel’s K suffix. As with all technology, this is true as of
the time of this writing, but both companies are changing and adding suffixes for marketing
purposes with each new generational launch of CPUs.

To install an expansion card, follow these steps (make sure the computer is powered off):

1. Remove the cover screw: Some cases may have a small screw holding a metal cover
plate over the empty expansion slot on the back of the computer case. Remove this
screw and the cover plate if present.
2. Align the card: Carefully hold the expansion card by its edges or mounting bracket.
Align the gold connector edge of the card with the corresponding slot on the
motherboard.
3. Insert and secure: Gently but firmly press the card straight down into the slot until
it’s fully seated. You should hear a click from the latch on the slot. Secure the card in
place with the screw you removed earlier (if applicable). Don’t force the card.

Post Installation Checklist

After you are finished installing or upgrading your PC, there are a couple of steps you should
follow:

1. Power on the computer after double-checking all cables and parts are correctly
positioned or installed.
2. If a new build, you will need to install an operating system at this point.
3. If you installed Windows, you will need to go to Device Manager to make sure you
have no missing drivers or issues with your hardware (see Figure 2-23).
a. In Windows, click the Start menu icon and type device manager in the search
bar to find it. You can also press Windows+R on your keyboard to open the Run
dialog box. Then type devmgmt.msc in the open box and press Enter/OK. Other
ways to reach Device Manager include right-clicking the Windows logo and
selecting Device Manager from the context menu. They will all get you to the
same place.
64 Cisco Certified Support Technician (CCST) IT Support 100-140 Official Cert Guide

Figure 2-23 Windows Device Manager

b. You will see device categories listed here. If you see a yellow exclamation mark
next to an item, you are missing a driver or Windows is using a generic driver. You
might also see the yellow exclamation point with the words “Unknown Device”
by it. Either way, you will need to fix this. There are two ways to approach this
issue.
i. Right-click the item with the yellow exclamation point and choose Update
Driver Software from the context menu (the context menu is the right-click
menu in Windows). Then choose Search Automatically for Updated Driver
Software from the next menu. This sometimes will allow Windows to find
the correct driver, but you must be connected to the Internet.
ii. If the previous method didn’t work and the device is listed, but it has a yel-
low exclamation mark by it, you can go to the motherboard manufacturer’s
website, or the company website if a prebuilt computer, and search for the
specific driver. If it states something like Biometric reader, look on the moth-
erboard support website for your specific model and see if there is a finger-
print driver or the like. Download and install the driver and look to see if it is
resolved in Device Manager.
iii. For stubborn drivers or unknown devices, you can right-click the item
and choose Properties. From there, choose the Details tab and select
Hardware Ids. You can then copy the value and paste it into a search engine.
 Chapter 2: Hardware 65

You will often find what the device is from various sites that cross-reference
the hardware ID with the actual device. Do not download a driver from a
random site! Always use the motherboard’s official support site or the
manufacturer’s site.
4. After making sure your drivers are installed correctly, update your operating system
for optimum performance. 2
5. Do not throw old parts in the trash! Many computer components contain dangerous
chemicals and elements that are harmful to the environment. Always follow e-waste
best practices to dispose of old parts. Often, your city’s website or local fire
department can help direct you to e-waste centers for proper disposal.

Hardware and Peripheral Issues

When you’re troubleshooting hardware issues, it is always important to follow the problem-
solving process as outlined in the “Problem-Solving Process” section in Chapter 1, “Help
Desk.” The following sections cover some common issues IT technicians might encounter
with hardware and peripheral devices.

Basic Hardware/Software Troubleshooting

One of the most demanding skills of the IT technician is to learn how to troubleshoot hard-
ware and software. These are some basic issues you might encounter. It is by no means a
complete list, but more of an example of some issues you might encounter.
Power and Connectivity:

■■ Verify the device is plugged in securely to a functioning power outlet.

■■ Ensure all cables (power, data) are properly connected to both the device and the
computer.

■■ Check for any physical damage to the cables or ports.

■■ Ensure the computer is powered on if it has a power switch.

■■ Check to make sure the PSU switch is also in the 1 (or on) position.

■■ If the power button on the computer case doesn’t seem to work, double-check that
the front panel header cables that connect from the case to the motherboard are
connected correctly.

■■ If you’re working on a laptop, ensure it’s plugged in or has sufficient battery life.
Sometimes, if a laptop battery is malfunctioning or completely dead, the laptop will
not turn on even if plugged in. Disconnect the battery from the laptop and plug the
laptop into a wall outlet with no battery attached. If the laptop turns on, you need
to replace your battery.
Device Status Indicators:

■■ Many devices have LED lights that indicate their status (e.g., blinking for errors, solid
for power on). Consult the device’s manual to understand the meaning of the lights
particular to the device.
66 Cisco Certified Support Technician (CCST) IT Support 100-140 Official Cert Guide

Firmware Updates:

■■ The most common firmware update for computer hardware is the BIOS of the
motherboard. The basic input/output system, or BIOS, is a minimalistic operating sys-
tem that allows a computer to turn on and understand basic devices. It allows various
configuration settings including system clock/date, RAM overclocking settings called
XMP/DOCP/EXPO depending on the manufacturer, boot order selection, and more.
The settings are stored in another chip called the CMOS chip, and the BIOS reads set-
ting changes from the CMOS upon boot. It is important to note that the changes or
settings you adjust in BIOS are actually stored in the CMOS chip. The BIOS itself is
a special type of read-only memory (ROM) chip called an EEPROM, which is short
for electrically erasable programmable read-only memory. You can easily cause your
computer to not boot if incorrect settings are applied in the BIOS. Therefore, if you do
cause an issue, you can unplug your computer, pull the CMOS battery, and clear those
configurations. Without a BIOS chip on the motherboard, your computer would do
nothing when you turn it on. When you turn on your computer, the BIOS recognizes
basic devices like a monitor, keyboard, mouse, RAM, and storage devices, and then
does a power-on self test (POST) to make sure the devices are working. POST then
passes on the startup process to the boot loader on your storage device that begins
actual loading of the operating system.

Having a basic understanding of BIOS is important because it is vital to your

computer’s performance. It used to be that you would not update your BIOS firmware
unless you were having a problem. This is called flashing. Unfortunately, in the past
decade, motherboard manufacturers are racing to put out new motherboard models
for the seemingly endless choices of CPUs and chipsets that Intel and AMD have
been releasing. As such, many new motherboards have critical errors upon release.
Therefore, you might have to flash, or update the firmware, of your BIOS.

■■ Benefits of firmware updates involve improved performance, bug fixes, and new
features added to the hardware.

■■ Possible dangers of firmware updates include faulty updates that can brick your
device. Bricking is a term meaning to cause it to become permanently nonoperational.
Also, not obtaining the firmware from a trusted source like the motherboard manu-
facturer’s website directly could open the possibility of malware being installed at the
hardware level, which is extremely dangerous.

NOTE If you are going to flash your motherboard to update the BIOS, make sure to get the
update only from the manufacturer’s website. Also, it is advisable to have it plugged into an
uninterruptable power supply (UPS) while performing the update. If power cuts out during
the process, you could end up with a device that is completely dead. Luckily, many mother-
board manufacturers have backup BIOS files and ways to restore the BIOS if the updating
process goes bad. However, you should never rely on those mechanisms because they can
fail too.
 Chapter 2: Hardware 67

Software Compatibility:

■■ If devices are working properly on Windows, check the Device Manager to see if the
drivers are loaded and working (refer to Figure 2-23).

■■ Check whether the software you’re trying to use meets your system’s specifications.
Look for information on processor type (32 bit versus 64 bit), minimum RAM, 2
graphics card compatibility, and required disk space.

Peripheral Troubleshooting
A multitude of issues can arise with peripherals. While the following list is not exhaustive,
here are some common issues:

■■ Printers:

■■ Drivers: Always install your printer driver before plugging in or setting up your
printer.

■■ Connectivity: Ensure the printer is connected properly (USB, Wi-Fi) and turned on.

■■ Multifunction Devices: Consult the printer’s manual for specific instructions on

using its scanning, copying, and faxing functions. Drivers have notoriously been
problematic for all-in-one or multifunction printers.

■■ Loading Paper: Refer to the manual for instructions on loading paper based on the
paper size and type (tray selection).

■■ Paper Jams: Carefully follow the manufacturer’s instructions on clearing paper jams
to avoid damaging the printer. As a rule, never pull jammed paper out the opposite
way as it was going through the rollers. Paper jams are often caused by rollers that
are losing their special coating that grips the paper; you might have to replace the
worn printer roller.

■■ Print Queue: Access the print queue from your computer (Settings > Printers &
Scanners) to view and manage printing jobs. You can cancel or restart stuck jobs
there.

■■ Ink Replacement: For inkjet printers, consult the manual for instructions on replac-
ing ink cartridges specific to your printer model. Before replacing inkjet cartridges,
try to run Clean Printhead from your printer’s menu. This will often help alleviate
streaking or faded text/graphics.

■■ Toner Replacement: For laser printers, consult the manual for instructions on
replacing toner cartridges specific to your printer model.

■■ Fax:

■■ Most modern computers lack built-in fax functionality. If you need to fax from
your computer, you can rely on websites that will allow you to upload a document
to be faxed from their service, or you will need to buy a dedicated fax machine or a
multifunction printer that includes fax capabilities.
68 Cisco Certified Support Technician (CCST) IT Support 100-140 Official Cert Guide

■■ If you have a multifunction printer with fax capabilities, but you cannot send a fax
out, check that your printer is plugged into a telephone port with an RJ-11 cable.
Also note that many Internet-based telephones (IP telephones) can be problematic
when faxing because they can have jitter, or unevenness in transmission speed, that
faxes can’t account for.

■■ Headphones/Microphones:

■■ Check the connection (wired or wireless) and ensure the volume is turned up on
both the device and your computer.

■■ Test the microphone using the Sound Settings in Windows.

■■ Make sure the right Sound Output is selected in Sound Settings in Windows. For
example, if you have speakers built into your monitor, you will want to make sure
the Sound Output is HDMI or DisplayPort and not speaker output.

■■ External Drives:

■■ Verify the drive is properly connected and recognized in File Explorer.

■■ Some external drives require additional power (a separate power adapter).

■■ Scanners:

■■ Like printers, scanners often need specific software to function. Install the scanner
driver and software from the manufacturer’s website.

■■ Webcams:

■■ Ensure the webcam is enabled in your computer’s settings and privacy settings.

■■ Check whether applications have permission to access the webcam.

■■ Keyboard/Mouse (wired/wireless):

■■ Try using a different USB port for wired connections.

■■ Replace batteries for wireless keyboards/mice.

■■ If using a Bluetooth wireless keyboard/mouse, ensure you have a Bluetooth receiver

on your computer because not all desktop computers come with a Bluetooth
expansion card built in. Begin by pairing the device to get it to work.

■■ For wireless keyboards/mice, move your wireless router away from your computer
because many wireless peripherals operate in the 2.4 GHz range, which is one Wi-Fi
frequency your router uses for network connectivity.

■■ Teleconferencing Devices:

■■ One main issue you might encounter with teleconferencing devices such as Cisco’s
Webex Desk Pro screens is insufficient bandwidth. If the video call is lagging or
dropping out, try to switch from a wireless connection to a wired connection.
If this doesn’t help, you might need to check your Internet speed and possibly
upgrade your Internet plan for a faster connection.
 Chapter 2: Hardware 69

■■ If the device is not recognized by your operating system, try updating drivers and/
or using a different port for connection.

■■ Tactile/Interactive Input Devices:

■■ Touch screens can lose calibration, which can cause inaccurate touches. Use the
device’s built-in settings to recalibrate the screen. 2
■■ Clean dirty or wet input devices with a microfiber cloth.

■■ Check for physical damage to the device itself.

■■ Check for loose cables.

■■ Check for outdated drivers.

■■ Check for firmware updates to the device itself.

Exam Preparation Tasks

As mentioned in the Introduction, you can customize your strategy for exam preparation.
Suggested tasks include the exercises here, Chapter 9, “Final Preparation,” and the exam
simulation questions on the companion website.

Review All Key Topics

Review the most important topics in this chapter, noted with the Key Topic icon in the outer
margin of the page. Table 2-2 lists a reference of these key topics and the page numbers on
which each is found.

Table 2-2 Key Topics for Chapter 2

Key Topic Element Description Page Number
Paragraph Electrical shock 34
Paragraph ESD 36
List How to use a fire extinguisher; P.A.S.S. 38
Paragraph Repetitive Strain Injuries 38
Paragraph Ergonomics 38
Paragraph Interfaces 39
Paragraph Ports 40
Paragraph HDMI 42
Paragraph DisplayPort 42
Paragraph DVI 43
Paragraph VGA 44
Paragraph USB Form Factors 45
Paragraph USB-C 46
Paragraph Ethernet cables 47
Paragraph Power cords 49
Paragraph Adapters 50
70 Cisco Certified Support Technician (CCST) IT Support 100-140 Official Cert Guide

Key Topic Element Description Page Number

Paragraph Converters 50
Paragraph Processor 51
Paragraph Motherboard 53
Paragraph Checking processor and motherboard 53
Paragraph RAM 54
Paragraph Peripherals 55
Paragraph Storage devices 55
Paragraph SSD 55
Paragraph Form factor of computer components 56
Paragraph Physical form factors and compatibility factors 58
List Installing a motherboard 58
List Installing the CPU 58
List Installing RAM 60
Paragraph Built-in GPU or dedicated graphics card 62
List Post-installation checklist 63
List Basic hardware/software troubleshooting 65
Paragraph Firmware updates 66
Paragraph Software compatibility 67
Section Peripheral Troubleshooting 67

Define Key Terms

Define the following key terms from this chapter and check your answers in the glossary:

adapter, amps, ARM, BIOS, chipset, converter, Device Manager, DisplayPort, driver, DVI,
ergonomics, ESD, flashing, GPU, hard drive, HDMI, input/output device, interface, LGA,
M.2, motherboard, Ohm’s law, P.A.S.S., PCIe, peripheral, PGA, pixel, port, processor,
proprietary, PSU, RAM, RJ-45, RSI, serial port, SSD, STP, threat actors, Thunderbolt, USB,
USB form factors, USB-C, UTP, VGA, volts, x86/x64

References
Anker Innovations, “How to Identify Different Types of USB Cables: A Brief Guide,”
https://www.anker.com/blogs/cables/how-to-identify-different-types-of-usb-
cables-a-brief-guide
Cisco, “What Is Power over Ethernet (PoE)?,” https://www.cisco.com/c/en/us/solutions/
enterprise-networks/what-is-power-over-ethernet.html
Geeks for Geeks, “Types of Computer Ports,” https://www.geeksforgeeks.org/
types-of-computer-ports/
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Index

Numerics verifying, 147

viewing, 147–148
1000BASE-T, 48 resetting passwords, 145
active listening, 12, 220–221, 249
A Activity Monitor, 167–168, 249
adapter, 50, 249
AAA security framework, 141, 211, ADGPUpdate, 143
212, 249 AI (artificial intelligence), 184,
acceptable use policy, 212, 249 228–229
access point, 87 chatbot, 231, 249–250
accessibility features, Windows, 126 generative, 230
dexterity and mobility, 131–132 limitations, 231–232
hearing, 128–130 predictive, 229
Live Captions, 130–131 Amazon S3 Bucket, 153, 250
on-screen keyboard, 132–133 amps, 35
vision, 126–128 antistatic wrist straps, 37, 56
AC/DC converter, 50 API integration, 17
Active Directory, 141, 249 APIPA (Automatic Private IP
adding passwords, 144–145 Addressing), 90, 250
ADGPUpdate, 143 application layer, OSI model, 76
creating new users, 143 application/s
enabling and disabling user accounts, closing in MacOS, 164
143–144 collaboration, troubleshooting, 136
GPUpdate, 142–143 productivity, troubleshooting,
Group Policy, 141–142, 249 136–138
groups, 145–147 updates, 115–116
local security policy, 143 app/s, 167
mapping cloud drives, 149 Console, 169–170
permissions installing
modifying, 148 from the Microsoft Store, 133
 not in the Microsoft Store, brute-force attack, 208, 251
134–135 BSD (Berkely Software Distribution),
MFA, 100 163
architecture, CPU, 52
ARM (Advanced RISC Machine), 52,
250
C
ARP (Address Resolution Protocol), 96, C13 power cord, 49
249 cable
assertiveness, customer service, 13 adapter, 50
ATX, 56–57 charging, 49
audio controls, Windows, 129–130 cable/s
authentication Ethernet, 47–48
Active Directory, 141 plenum, 48
multifactor, 99 power, C13, 49
apps, 100 cache, 117, 251
FIDO token, 99 call center, versus help desk, 6
SMS, 100 captions. See Live Captions
usernames and passwords, 99 carpal tunnel syndrome, 38
AWS (Amazon Web Services), 153, CCST IT Support 100–140 Official
186, 187, 250 Cert Guide exam
free online resources, 236–237
B study tips, 237
updates, 238–240
bandwidth, 68
CDN (content delivery network), 184
Bernes-Lee, Tim, 205
charging cable, 49
BGA (ball grid array), 52
chatbot, 231, 249–250
binary, 40, 250
chipset, 53, 251
BIOS, 123, 250
Chrome Remote Desktop, 223–224,
flashing, 66 251
updating, 66 CISA (Cybersecurity and Infrastruc-
BitLocker, 113–114, 250 ture Security Agency), 205
boot sequence, 122–123, 250 CISC (complex instruction set com-
BOOTP protocol, 89 puter), 51–52
botnet, 207, 250 Cisco WebEx, 225, 251
Box, 153, 250 Citrix Hypervisor, 194
bricking, 66 Classic Mac OS, 163. See also macOS
brightness, display, 112–113 clearing the browser cache, 117–118
browser, cache, 117
270 CLI, macOS

CLI, macOS, 170. See also command/s; VMs (virtual machines), 183, 195
tools collaboration applications, 136, 251
Close button, macOS, 164 color filter, 127–128, 251
closing an application in macOS, 164 command/s
cloud/cloud computing, 182, 251. ifconfig, 83, 170–171
See also Dropbox; Google Drive;
ip, 95–96
OneDrive; SDN (software-defined
networking) ip address add, 96
backing up to the, 120, 122 ip neighbor show, 96
Dropbox, 122 ipconfig/all, 83
Google Drive, 121–122 ipconfig/all command, 139–141
OneDrive, 121 lscpu, 80–81
-based tools, 184 macOS, 171–172
benefits, 183 netsh interface show address, 84
Box, 153 netstat, 95
community, 191 nslookup, 78–79, 94–95
drive mapping, 149 ping, 92–93
Dropbox, 151–152 ping6, 92–93
Google Drive, 151 resetpassword, 175
hybrid, 191, 255 ss, 97
IaaS (Infrastructure as a Service), 189 systeminfo, 53–54
IDrive’s Cloud Drive, 106–152 traceroute, 93–94
models, 191–192 tracert, 93–94
OneDrive, 151 communication
PaaS (Platform as a Service), 189 active listening, 220–221
pay-as-you-go model, 183, 184 nonverbal, 220
versus on-premises data centers, professionalism, 217–218, 219–220
184–186 technical terminology, 221–222
private, 191 community cloud, 191
providers, 186–189 computer, 54
public, 191 bricking, 66
SaaS (Software as a Service), 189 compatibility factor, 57–58
services, 189–190 CPU, 51
virtualization, 183, 192–193, 266 architecture, 52
hypervisor, 193–195 ARM, 52
SDN (software-defined network- CISC, 51–52
ing), 195–197 core, 51
 cybercriminal 271

installing, 58–59 tracert command, 93–94

multithreading, 51 Console app, 169–170, 252
onboard graphics, 63 Control Panel, 138, 252
RISC, 51–52 control plane, SDN (software-defined
socket, 52 networking), 197
form factor, 56–57 converter, 50, 252
GPU (graphics processing unit), 62 copyright, 222, 252
hard drive, 55 core, 51
installing and upgrading components, CPU (central processing unit)
56 architecture, 52
motherboard, 53 ARM (Advanced RISC Machine), 52
chipset, 53 CISC, 51–52
installing, 58 compatibility, 57–58
peripherals, 55, 62 core, 51
M.2 storage drive, installing, finding information about, 79–81
60–61 installing, 58–59
PCI (Peripheral Component multithreading, 51
Interconnect), 62
onboard graphics, 63
storage devices, 55
RISC, 51–52
troubleshooting, 67–69
socket, 52
post installation checklist, 63–65
crowdsourcing, 252
RAM, 54
customer service, 12. See also
computing requirements, 54 professionalism
DDR standards, 54 required skills
installing, 60 active listening, 12
static, 54 assertiveness, 13
stick, 54 clarity and simplicity, 13
confidentiality, 212, 222, 252 conflict resolution, 13
conflict resolution, 13, 232, 252 empathy, 12
Confluence, 17 follow-up, 13
connectivity, troubleshooting patience, 13
netstat command, 95 positive language, 13
nslookup command, 94–95 time management, 14
ping command, 92–93 technical terminology, 221–222
ping6 command, 92–93 customer types, 218–219
traceroute command, 93–94 cybercriminal, 205
272 DAD (Duplicate Address Detection), messages

D multiple, 111
screen magnifier, 127
DAD (Duplicate Address Detection), settings, 108–109
messages, 91 troubleshooting, 108–111
Dark Web, 208 DNS (Domain Name System), 78,
DARPA (Defense Advanced Research 88–89, 253
Projects Agency), 205 DNS poisoning, 209
data documentation, 13, 232, 253. See also
confidential, 222 ticketing systems
proprietary, 222 help desk, 23–24
data centers, on-premises, 184–186 summarizing your solution, 232–233
data lake, 153 domain controller, 141, 253
data link layer, OSI model, 76 dotted decimal notation, 81
data plane, SDN (software-defined net- driver, 40, 67, 253
working), 197 Dropbox, 122, 151–152, 253
DDOS (distributed denial-of-service) DVI, 43–44, 253
attack, 207, 252
default gateway, 82, 252
degausser, 55
E
device. See also firewall/s EC2 (Elastic Compute Cloud), 187
host name, 78–79 EEPROM, 66
icons, 86 electricity, 34
power management, 125 AC to DC converter, 50
status indicators, 65 amps, 35
Device Manager, 252 ESD (electrostatic discharge), 36–37
DHCP (Dynamic Host Configuration hazards, 35
Protocol), 89–90, 253, 253 Ohm's law, 35
DHCPv6, 90 PSU (power supply unit), 35
dialog box safety tips, 36–52
About This Mac, 79–80, 164–166 voltage, 35
System Information, 79–80, 138–139 email
disaster recovery, 223 phishing attack, 208, 211
Disk utility, 253 spam, 208
DisplayPort, 42–43, 253 troubleshooting, 135
display/s, 253 empathy, 12, 254
brightness, 112–113, 250 encryption, 211
connecting to a wireless, 111–112 BitLocker, 113–114
 groups 273

FileVault, 173, 254 firewall/s, 97, 254

end task, 119 connectivity issues, 98
Energy Recommendations screen, icon, 97
Windows, 124–125 next-generation, 98
ergonomics, 38–39, 254 proxy, 98
errors, 79 stateful inspection, 98
escalation, trouble ticket, 8 threat-focused, 98
ESD (electrostatic discharge), 36–37, UTM (Unified Threat Management),
254 98
Ethernet virtual, 97, 99
cable, 47–48 firmware, updating, 65
cable, 1000BASE-T, 48 five nines, 254
port, 46–47 flashing, 66, 254
Power over, 49 follow-up skills, 13
Event Viewer, 139, 254 form factor, computer, 56–57
expansion card, installing, 63 forums, 24
FQDN (fully qualified domain name),
F 78, 254
Freshdesk, 17
facial recognition, 254 Full Screen button, macOS, 164
fax, troubleshooting, 67–68
feedback, user, 24
FERPA (Family Educational Rights and
G
Privacy Act), 222 Gatekeeper, 173–174, 254
FIDO token, 99, 254 gateway router, 82
File Explorer GCP (Google Cloud Platform), 187,
Dropbox, 151–152 188
mapping cloud drives, 149 generative AI, 230, 254
mapping Internet-based drives, 150 gesture, 131, 254
SMB drives, 149–150 Google Chrome, update, 115–116
File Manager Google Drive, 121–122, 151
Google Drive, 151 GPU (graphics processing unit), 62,
OneDrive, 151 255
FileVault Disk Encryption, 173, 254 GPUpdate, 142–143
Finder, macOS, 166–167 Group Policy, 141–142
fire safety, 37–38 groups, AD, 145–147
Firewall, macOS, 173
274 hacktivist

H support tiers, 10–11

system dashboard, 7
hacktivist, 205 trouble ticket, 7–9
hard drive, 55, 255 hexadecimal, 255
hardware. See also peripherals HIPAA (Health Insurance Portability
and Accountability Act), 222
driver, 40
host name, 78–79, 255
input device, 40
hybrid cloud, 191, 255
interface, 39–40
hyperthreading, 51
mouse, 40
hypervisor, 255
output device, 40
Type 1, 193–194
port, 39–40
Type 2, 194–195
charging, 49–50
Hz, 42
USB, 40, 49–50
video. See video port
virtual, 40 I
troubleshooting, 67
IaaS (Infrastructure as a Service), 189,
device status indicators, 65 256
firmware updates, 65 ICMP echo request/reply, 255
power and connectivity, 65 icon/s
HD (high definition), 41 device, 86
HDMI (High Definition Multimedia firewall, 97
Interface), 42, 255
wireless network, 87
help desk, 6, 255. See also IT support
IDrive’s Cloud Drive, 106–152
technician
ifconfig command, 83, 170–171
AI chatbot, 231
impersonation, 207, 256
versus call center, 6
information gathering, 27
customer types, 218–219
input device, 40, 256
documentation, 23–24
insider threat, 205–206, 256
queue management
installing/installation
KPIs (key performance indica-
tors), 20–21 apps
queue levels, 18 from the Microsoft Store, 133
SLAs, 18–20 not in the Microsoft Store,
134–135
ticketing systems, 16–17, 21–23
checklist, 63–65
triaging, 15–16
computer components, 56
script, 227
CPU, 58–59
size, 6–7
 KPIs (key performance indicators) 275

expansion card, 63 IT support technician, 7, 9

M.2 storage drive, 60–61 problem-solving process, 25–26
motherboard, 58 define the problem, 26–27
RAM, 60 devise a plan to resolve the
VM (virtual machine), 195 problem, 28
interface, 39–40, 256 document changes made to
resolve the problem, 30
loopback, 84–85
gathering information, 27
MAC address, 84
identify the cause of the prob-
network, 83
lem, 27–28
SATA, 56
if problem remains unsolved,
Internet, 150, 205 repeat the process, 29–30
ip address add command, 96 make necessary changes to
ip command, 95–96 implement the plan, 28–29
ip neighbor show command, 96 observe the results of the
ipconfig/all command, 83, 139–141 changes, 29
iproute2, 256 skills required, 9–10
IPv4, 256 customer service communi-
cation, 12–13. See also
APIPA (Automatic Private IP Address-
communication
ing), 90
queue management, 15–21
DHCP, 89–90
time management, 14
dotted decimal notation, 81
support tiers, 10–11
localhost, 84–85
trouble ticket, 7–9
loopback interface, 84–85
NAT (Network Address Translation),
82–83 J-K
octet, 81
Jira, 16
private addresses, 82
Jobs, Steve, 163
public addresses, 82
subnet mask, 81–82 keyboard
IPv6, 83 on-screen, 132–133
link-local address, 91 troubleshooting, 68
loopback interface, 84–85 keychain access, 256
private networks, 91 Keychain Access, macOS, 173
shortening addresses, 83 knowledge base, 17, 227, 257
SLAAC (Stateless Address Autocon- KPIs (key performance indicators),
figuration), 90–91 20–21, 256
276 Lambda

L About This Mac screen, 79–80,

164–166
Activity Monitor, 167–168
Lambda, 187
CLI commands, 171–172
LAN (local area network), 86, 257
Close, Minimize, and Full Screen but-
language pack, 257
tons, 164
laptop, charging cable, 49. See also
closing an application, 164
computer
Console app, 169–170, 252
launching, Task Manager, 117–119
Disk utility, 253
layers
FileVault Disk Encryption, 173
OSI model, 76
Finder, 166–167
TCP/IP model, 77
finding IP address information, 83
lease, DHCP, 89
Firewall, 173
LGA (land grid array), 52, 257
Gatekeeper, 173–174
link-local address, 91
Keychain Access, 173
Linux
Parallels Desktop, 194
finding information about the CPU,
80–81 Recovery Mode, 174–175, 262
finding IP address information, 83 Reset Password assistant, 175
iproute2 Spotlight Search window, 166
ip address add command, 96 System Settings, 168–169
ip command, 95–96 Terminal, 170
ip neighbor show command, 96 Time Machine, 175
ss, 97 malware, 204, 206, 210, 257
Live Captions, 130–131 botnet, 207
local group, 257 ransomware, 206
local security policy, 143 rootkit, 206
localhost, 84–85 spyware, 206
loopback interface, 84–85, 257 Trojan horse, 206
lscpu command, 80–81 virus, 204, 206
worm, 206

M memory
cache, 251
M.2 storage drive, installing, 60–61 finding information about, 79–81
MAC (media access control) address, RAM, 54
84, 257 computing requirements, 54
macOS, 163 DDR standards, 54
static, 54
 online search engine 277

stick, 54
messages
N
DAD (Duplicate Address Detection), NAT (Network Address Translation),
91 82–83, 258
DHCP, 89 NDA (nondisclosure agreement), 222,
metrics, performance, 19 259
MFA (multifactor authentication), 99, NDP (Neighbor Discovery Protocol),
258 258
apps, 100 neighbor advertisement, 258
FIDO token, 99 netsh interface show address command,
SMS (Short Message Service), 100 84
usernames and passwords, 99 netstat command, 95, 258
Microsoft Azure, 187 network layer, OSI model, 76
Microsoft Hyper-V, 194 network/ing. See also IPv4; IPv6
Microsoft OneDrive. See OneDrive content delivery, 184
Microsoft Remote Desktop, 17 interface, 83
Microsoft Store, installing apps from, local area, 86
133 private IPv6, 91
mini-ITX, 56–57 software-defined, 195–196
Minimize button, macOS, 164 advantages, 197
monitor, 108–109. See also display control plane, 197
motherboard, 53, 258 data plane, 197
BIOS chip, 66 wireless local area, 86–88
flashing, 66 NeXT, 163
updating, 66 NGFW (next-generation firewall), 98,
chipset, 53, 251 258
compatibility, 57–58 NIC (network interface card), 46, 62
expansion card, installing, 63 nonverbal communication, 220
form factor, 56–57 Northbridge, 53
installing, 58 nslookup command, 78–79, 94–95,
259
replacing, 56
mouse, 40
settings, 126 O
troubleshooting, 68 octet, 81, 83
MuleSoft, 17 Ohm's law, 35, 259
multithreading, 51 OneDrive, 121, 151, 258
online search engine, 259
278 on-screen keyboard

on-screen keyboard, 132–133, 259 physical security keys, 260

operating system, 79, 259. See also PII (personally identifiable informa-
Linux; macOS; Windows tion), 222–223, 260
finding information about, 79–81 PIN (personal identification number),
NeXTSTEP, 163 260
Oracle VirtualBox, 194 ping command, 92–93, 260
OSI (Open Systems Interconnect) ping flood, 92
model, 75–76, 259 ping6 command, 92–93
output device, 40, 256 pixel, 260
plenum cable, 48
P PoE (Power over Ethernet), 49
policy
PaaS (Platform as a Service), 189, 260 acceptable use, 212
pagefile.sys, 54 confidentiality, 212
Parallels Access, 17 local security, 143
Parallels Desktop, 194 password, 212, 259
password/s, 99, 259 port/s, 39–40, 260
adding, 144–145 charging, 49–50
policy, 212 Ethernet, 46–47
resetting, 145 serial, 262
spraying, 208, 259 USB, 40, 45, 49–50
patent, 222 -C, 46–47
pay-as-you-go model, 183, 184 form factors, 45–46
PC Anywhere, 226 video, 40–41
PCI (Peripheral Component Intercon- DisplayPort, 42–43
nect), 62
DVI, 43–44
PCIe (PCI Express), 62, 259
HDMI (High Definition Multi-
performance, metrics, 19 media Interface), 42
peripherals, 55, 67–69, 260 USB-C, 44
permissions, AD VGA, 44
modifying, 148 virtual, 40
verifying, 147 post installation checklist, 63–65
viewing, 147–148 power management, Windows, 124
PGA (pin grid array), 52 Energy Recommendations screen,
phishing attack, 208, 211, 260 124–125
script spoofing, 209 per-device, 125
physical layer, OSI model, 76 power scheme, 260
physical safety, 38–39 predictive AI, 229, 260
 RISC (reduced instruction set computer) 279

on-premises data centers, 184–186 KPIs (key performance indicators),

presentation layer, OSI model, 76 20–21
principle of least privilege, 260 queue levels, 18
printer, troubleshooting, 67–68. See SLAs (service-level agreements), 18–20
also peripherals ticketing systems, 16–17, 21–23
private cloud, 191, 260 time management, 14
private IPv4 addresses, 82 triaging, 15–16
problem-solving process, 25–26, 246, Quick Assist, 224–225
261
define the problem, 25–26
devise a plan to resolve the problem,
R
28 RAM (random access memory), 54
document changes made to resolve the compatibility, 57
problem, 30
computing requirements, 54
gathering information, 27
DDR standards, 54
identify the cause of the problem,
installing, 60
27–28
static, 54
if problem remains unsolved, repeat
the process, 29–30 stick, 54
make necessary changes to implement ransomware, 206, 261
the plan, 28–29 recovery keys, BitLocker, 113–114
observe the results of the changes, 29 Recovery Mode, macOS, 174–175,
process, 167 262
processor, 51, 261 remote access, 197–200
productivity applications, trouble- remote diagnostic tools, 17
shooting, 136–138, 261 remote management, 223–226, 262
professionalism, 217–218, 219–220, research tools
261 AI, 228–229
proprietary data, 222 chatbot, 231
proxy firewall, 98, 261 generative, 230
PSU (power supply unit), 35, 261 predictive, 229
public cloud, 191, 261 knowledge base, 227
public IPv4 addresses, 82 search engine, 227–228
PVC (polyvinyl chloride), 48 technical forums, 227–228
Reset Password assistant, macOS, 175
Q resetpassword command, 175
resetting passwords, 145
QEMU, 194
RISC (reduced instruction set
queue management, 261 computer), 51–52
280 RJ-45

RJ-45, 262 session layer, OSI model, 76

rockyou.txt, 208 skills, IT support technician. See IT
rootkit, 206, 262 support technician, skills required
router, gateway, 82 SLAAC (Stateless Address Autocon-
figuration), 90–91, 263–264
RSI (repetitive strain injury), 38, 262
SLA (service-level agreement), 6–7,
18–20, 262
S SMB (Server Message Block) drive,
149–150, 263
S3 (Simple Storage Service), 187
SMS (Short Message Service), 100,
SaaS (Software as a Service), 189, 263 263
Safe Mode, 123–124, 262 social engineering, 207, 210, 263
safety socket, CPU, 52
electrical, 34 software
ESD, 36–37 -defined networking, 195–196
Ohm's law, 35 advantages, 197
PSU (power supply unit), 35 control plane, 197
fire, 37–38 data plane, 197
physical, 38–39 remote management, 223–226
threat actors, 38 Southbridge, 53
Salesforce Service Cloud, 17 spam, 208, 263
screen magnifier, 262 spear phishing, 208, 263
screen reader, 128, 262 special identity group, 263
script, help desk, 227 spoofing attack, 209, 211, 263
script spoofing, 209 Spotlight Search window, Mac OS, 166
SDN (software-defined networking), spyware, 206, 263
195–196, 223, 263
SRAM (static random-access memory),
advantages, 197 54
control plane, 197 ss command, 97
data plane, 197 SSD (solid-state drive), 55–56, 263
search engine, 227–228 SSID (service set identifier), 86, 262
security, 262. See also authentication; staff
threat/s
call center, 6
serial port, 262
help desk, 6
server
stateful inspection firewall, 98, 263
DNS, 88–89
storage devices, 55
room, 184–185
STP (shielded twisted pair), 48, 264
serverless computing, 187
subnet mask, 264
ServiceNow, 17
 troubleshooting 281

support tier, help desk, 10–11, 264 Time Machine, macOS, 175, 264
Symantec’s PC Anywhere, 264 time management, 14, 264
sync, 264 time to live, 93
System Information dialog box, 79–80, tool/s
138–139, 168–169 AI, 184
systeminfo command, 53–54 cloud-based, 184
documentation, 232–233
T knowledge base, 17
remote access, 198–200
Task Manager, 117, 264
remote diagnostic, 17
end task, 119
remote management, 223–226
launching, 117–119
research
run new task, 119
AI, 228–232
switch to a task, 119
knowledge base, 227
tabs, 119–120
search engine, 227–228
TCP/IP (Transmission Control Proto-
technical forums, 227–228
col/Internet Protocol) model, 77–78,
265 Windows security, 141
TeamViewer, 226, 264 touchscreen, recalibrating, 69
technical forum, 227–228, 264 traceroute command, 93–94
teleconferencing, troubleshooting, tracert command, 93–94, 265
68–69 transport layer, OSI model, 76
Terminal, macOS, 170 triaging, 14, 265
text-to-speech voice recognition, 128 Trojan horse, 206, 265
threat/s. See also malware trouble ticket, 7–9, 265
actor, 38, 205, 264 troubleshooting
-focused NGFW, 98 collaboration applications, 136
insider, 205–206 connectivity
malware, 206–207, 210 netstat command, 95
mitigation, 210–212 nslookup command, 94–95
phishing attack, 208, 211 ping command, 92–93
social engineering, 207, 210 ping6 command, 92–93
spoofing attack, 209, 211 traceroute command, 93–94
unauthorized access, 208, 211 tracert command, 93–94
Thunderbolt, 46, 264 display issues, 108–111
TIBCO, 17 email, 135
ticketing systems, 16–17, 21–23 hardware
tier, IT support, 10–11 device status indicators, 65
282 troubleshooting

drivers, 67 USB (Universal Serial Bus), 40, 45, 265

firmware updates, 66 -C, 44, 46–47, 49–50
power and connectivity, 65 form factor, 45–46
peripherals, 67–69 user feedback, 24
problem-solving process, 25–26, 246 username, 99
define the problem, 26–27 UTM (Unified Threat Management)
devise a plan to resolve the prob- firewall, 98, 265
lem, 28 UTP (unshielded twisted pair), 48, 265
document changes made to
resolve the problem, 30
gathering information, 27
V
identify the cause of the prob- VGA, 44, 266
lem, 27–28 video, tutorial, 24
if problem remains unsolved, video port, 40
repeat the process, 29–30
DisplayPort, 42–43
make necessary changes to
DVI, 43–44
implement the plan, 28–29
HDMI (High Definition Multimedia
observe the results of the
Interface), 42
changes, 29
USB-C, 44
productivity applications, 136–138
VGA, 44
tutorials, 24
virtual firewall, 97, 99, 266
Type 1 hypervisor, 193–194
virtual port, 40
Type 2 hypervisor, 194–195
virtualization, 182, 192–193, 266

U hypervisor
Type 1, 193–194
UEFI, 123, 265 Type 2, 194–195
unauthorized access, 208, 211, 265 SDN (software-defined networking),
195–196
universal group, 265
advantages, 197
UNIX, 163
control plane, 197
update/updating
data plane, 197
application, 115–116
virus, 204, 206, 266
CCST IT Support 100–140 Official
Cert Guide exam, 238–240 visual aids, 24
firmware, 65 VM (virtual machine), 183, 195, 266
macOS, 165–166 VMware ESXi, 193–194
Windows, 114–115, 266 VMware Fusion, 194
upgrading, computer components, 56 VMware Workstation Pro, 194
 Zoho Desk 283

VNC (Virtual Network Computing), per-device, 125

226 Recovery Environment, 124, 266
VNC Connect, 17 Safe Mode, 123–124
voltage, 35, 266 security tools, 141
System Information dialog box, 79–80,
W 138–139
Task Manager, 117, 264
web browser, cache, 117 end task, 119
webcam, troubleshooting, 68 launching, 117–119
Windows. See also Active Directory run new task, 119
accessibility features, 126 switch to a task, 119
dexterity and mobility, 131–132 tabs, 119–120
hearing, 128–130 Update, 114–115
Live Captions, 130–131 Windows Remote Assistance/Quick
on-screen keyboard, 132–133 Assist, 224–225
text-to-speech voice recognition, Windows Remote Desktop, 223
128 wireless display, 111–112, 267
vision, 126–128 wireless network
backing up to the cloud access point, 87
Dropbox, 122 icons, 87
Google Drive, 121–122 WLAN (wireless local area network),
OneDrive, 121 86–88, 267
BitLocker, 113–114 World Wide Web, 205
boot sequence, 122–123, 250 worm, 206, 267
Control Panel, 138, 252 WSUS (Windows Server Update
Device Manager, 252 Service), 266
Display Settings, 108–109, 253
Event Viewer, 139, 254 X-Y-Z
File Explorer
x86/x64, 267
mapping cloud drives, 149
mapping Internet-based drives, Zapier, 17
150
Zendesk, 16
SMB drives, 149–150
ZenDesk, 226
power management, 124
Zendesk Guide, 17
Energy Recommendations
Zoho Desk, 17
screen, 124–125