Lesson14

Question 1

What are network locations on Mac?

Answer 1

Saved sets of network configurations for easily switching between network setups.

Question 2

Why use network locations?

Answer 2

To switch quickly between different network environments that require unique settings.

Question 3

What is network service order?

Answer 3

The priority list macOS uses to choose which network interface to use first.

Question 4

Which interface will macOS try first?

Answer 4

The service at the top of the network service order.

Question 5

What happens if the top network service isn’t available?

Answer 5

macOS attempts the next service in the list.

Question 6

Why might a user adjust network service order?

Answer 6

To prioritize a specific connection like Ethernet over Wi-Fi.

Question 7

Does changing service order help troubleshoot issues?

Answer 7

Yes, it ensures macOS uses the correct network interface.

Question 8

Where can you edit service order?

Answer 8

System Settings → Network → … → Service Order.

Question 9

What happens when Ethernet is placed above Wi-Fi in service order?

Answer 9

macOS prefers Ethernet for all connectivity when available.

Question 10

Example of when to use different locations?

Answer 10

Office network vs. home network with different proxies/DNS.

Question 11

How are VPNs handled in service order?

Answer 11

They appear beneath physical interfaces and can’t be reordered.

Question 12

Why do VPNs stay below physical interfaces?

Answer 12

Because VPN tunnels depend on an underlying network connection.

Question 13

Who controls VPN priority?

Answer 13

The VPN app unless the Mac is supervised.

Question 14

Why might VPN connectivity fail?

Answer 14

Wrong credentials, DNS issues, network not reachable, misconfiguration.

Question 15

What is the purpose of the ping command?

Answer 15

To test basic connectivity to another device or server.

Question 16

What info does ping return?

Answer 16

Response time, packet loss, and reachability.

Question 17

How do you stop a ping test?

Answer 17

Press Control + C.

Question 18

What does 0% packet loss indicate?

Answer 18

Stable, successful connection.

Question 19

What does “Request timeout” usually mean?

Answer 19

The target is unreachable or blocking ICMP.

Question 20

What’s a common ping use case?

Answer 20

Testing if the internet or a server is reachable.

Question 21

What is Wireless Diagnostics?

Answer 21

A built-in tool to analyze and troubleshoot Wi-Fi issues on Mac.

Question 22

How do you open Wireless Diagnostics?

Answer 22

Hold Option, click Wi-Fi icon → Open Wireless Diagnostics.

Question 23

What issues can Wireless Diagnostics detect?

Answer 23

Weak signals, interference, poor configuration, dropped connections.

Question 24

What is a Diagnostics Report?

Answer 24

A detailed technical report with logs and wireless data.

Question 25

Why generate a Diagnostics Report?

Answer 25

Useful for engineers or Apple Support to analyze deeper issues.

Question 26

What does the 'Continue' function in Wireless Diagnostics do?

Answer 26

Runs an automated test for general Wi-Fi issues.

Question 27

What does the Performance tab show?

Answer 27

Signal strength, noise, and transmit/receive rates.

Question 28

What does a high noise level indicate?

Answer 28

Wireless interference from devices or crowded channels.

Question 29

Why use Terminal commands for network issues?

Answer 29

They provide deeper diagnostics beyond the GUI.

Question 30

What info does ifconfig provide?

Answer 30

Interface configurations, IPs, MAC addresses, status.

Question 31

What does netstat help with?

Answer 31

Viewing active connections and routing tables.

Question 32

What does traceroute show?

Answer 32

The path packets take to reach a destination.

Question 33

What would a sudden '* * *' in traceroute mean?

Answer 33

A hop is not replying or is firewalled.

Question 34

Why check Wi-Fi channel?

Answer 34

To avoid overcrowded or noisy channels.

Question 35

What causes intermittent Wi-Fi drops?

Answer 35

Interference, weak signal, router issues, private Wi-Fi MAC issues.

Question 36

What is a private Wi-Fi address?

Answer 36

A rotating MAC address used to prevent tracking.

Question 37

Why can private Wi-Fi addresses cause issues?

Answer 37

Networks using MAC filtering may deny access.

Question 38

When should a user disable private Wi-Fi address?

Answer 38

On networks requiring MAC authentication.

Question 39

What does Wi-Fi 'No Internet' mean?

Answer 39

Connected to router but router has no internet.

Question 40

What does 'Weak Security' on Wi-Fi mean?

Answer 40

The network uses outdated encryption.

Question 41

Why check DNS settings during issues?

Answer 41

Bad DNS can break browsing even with active internet.

Question 42

What is a symptom of DNS failure?

Answer 42

Ping by IP works but domain name fails.

Question 43

Why reset Wi-Fi module?

Answer 43

Fixes corrupted preferences or misconfigured Wi-Fi states.

Question 44

What behavior indicates DHCP exhaustion?

Answer 44

Mac gets self-assigned IP (169.x.x.x).

Question 45

What does a self-assigned IP mean?

Answer 45

DHCP server didn’t provide an IP; no network access.

Question 46

Why might Ethernet show 'cable unplugged'?

Answer 46

Physically disconnected cable or bad adapter.

Question 47

What is a network interface?

Answer 47

Any hardware or virtual component connecting the Mac to a network.

Question 48

What is service order used for?

Answer 48

Determining which interface macOS uses first.

Question 49

Why test with another device?

Answer 49

To determine if the issue is Mac-specific or network-wide.

Question 50

When should you escalate to a network admin?

Answer 50

When issues exceed user-level fixes.