What should a technician do NEXT if there are no link lights showing on a secondary NIC connected to a switch?

What should a technician do NEXT if there are no link lights showing on a secondary NIC connected to a switch?

• A. Reboot the server
• B. Replace the NIC
• C. Enable the port on the server
• D. Check the switch configuration

Answer: (C)

If there are no link lights showing on a secondary Network Interface Card (NIC) connected to a switch, the next logical step is to enable the port on the server. This action is essential because the NIC might be disabled within the operating system or the hardware settings, preventing it from establishing a link with the switch. Enabling the port allows the NIC to start communicating with the network, which is crucial for confirming that the hardware is functional. Checking the switch configuration, while important, typically comes after ensuring that the NIC is operational. If the NIC is disabled, no amount of configuration on the switch will bring about a connection. Similarly, rebooting the server is not necessarily the first response to a lack of link lights, as the root cause may simply be that the NIC is not currently active. Replacing the NIC is a more drastic measure required only if there is clear evidence the hardware is malfunctioning. Thus, enabling the port on the server is the most immediate and effective step to take in troubleshooting this issue.

If there are no link lights showing on a secondary Network Interface Card (NIC) connected to a switch, the next logical step is to enable the port on the server. This action is essential because the NIC might be disabled within the operating system or the hardware settings, preventing it from establishing a link with the switch. Enabling the port allows the NIC to start communicating with the network, which is crucial for confirming that the hardware is functional.

Checking the switch configuration, while important, typically comes after ensuring that the NIC is operational. If the NIC is disabled, no amount of configuration on the switch will bring about a connection. Similarly, rebooting the server is not necessarily the first response to a lack of link lights, as the root cause may simply be that the NIC is not currently active. Replacing the NIC is a more drastic measure required only if there is clear evidence the hardware is malfunctioning. Thus, enabling the port on the server is the most immediate and effective step to take in troubleshooting this issue.