CompTIA Network+ Practice Test

What does Alien Crosstalk (AXT) refer to?

1. Interference from light signals

2. Natural signal degradation

3. Interference from other cables

4. Interference from wireless devices

The correct answer is: Interference from other cables

Alien Crosstalk (AXT) refers to interference that occurs when unwanted signals from one cable disrupt the transmissions in another nearby cable. This phenomenon is particularly relevant in environments where multiple cables are bundled together, such as in data centers or networks with extensive cabling. AXT can degrade the performance and reliability of the network, as the unintended interference makes it more challenging for the receivers to distinguish between the intended signals and the noise introduced by external cables. The other options pertain to different types of interference or degradation. Interference from light signals specifically refers to optical signals, which is not the focus of AXT. Natural signal degradation generally describes the loss of signal strength over distance or through various media, but it doesn’t specifically involve crosstalk between different cables. Interference from wireless devices deals with the impact of wireless communications on nearby systems but does not relate to the crosstalk occurring between cables. Thus, the nature of Alien Crosstalk is appropriately captured by identifying it as interference from other cables.