Device Connection Interfaces and Peripherals for CompTIA Tech+ (FC0-U71): USB, HDMI, Bluetooth, and NFC Explained

CompTIA Tech+ (FC0-U71) devotes nearly a quarter of the exam to the Infrastructure domain, and a large chunk of that domain comes down to one deceptively simple question: how do devices actually talk to each other and to the people using them? Candidates who can recite CPU specs or RAM types sometimes stumble when asked to pick the right cable for a 4K monitor or explain why a wireless mouse keeps dropping its connection. This guide walks through the wired and wireless connection interfaces Tech+ expects you to know, then covers the peripheral setup skills — printers, scanners, and monitors — that show up just as often on the real exam.

Why Connection Interfaces Matter on the Tech+ Exam

FC0-U71's Infrastructure objectives explicitly call out "device connection interfaces" alongside computing device types and internal hardware, which we covered in our guide to common computing devices and our breakdown of internal components. The exam is not asking you to become a cable engineer. It wants you to recognize connector shapes, match a connector to its typical use case, and know roughly how fast or far each technology can go. That means memorizing a short list of names, speeds, and shapes rather than deep electrical theory.

Wired Interfaces: USB, HDMI, and Ethernet

USB (Universal Serial Bus) is the interface you will see most often, both on the exam and on your desk. Tech+ wants you to recognize that USB versions (2.0, 3.0, 3.1, and USB4) each raise the maximum data transfer speed, and that connector shapes have evolved from the rectangular USB-A, to the smaller USB-B and Micro-USB used on older peripherals, to the reversible USB-C now standard on phones, laptops, and most new accessories. USB also carries power, which is why phone chargers and portable drives use the same family of cables.

HDMI (High-Definition Multimedia Interface) carries both video and audio over a single cable and is the default choice for connecting a computer to a monitor, TV, or projector. Tech+ candidates should also recognize DisplayPort and the older VGA and DVI standards as alternatives; our video connector deep dive breaks down how to tell them apart by pin shape and capability if you want the fuller picture beyond what Tech+ requires.

Ethernet remains the standard for wired networking, using RJ45 connectors and twisted-pair cabling rated in categories like Cat 5e, Cat 6, and Cat 6a. Higher categories support faster speeds and longer reliable runs; our Ethernet Cat standards guide covers the full progression if you need more detail than Tech+ tests directly.

Wireless Interfaces: Bluetooth and NFC

Bluetooth is a short-range wireless technology built for pairing peripherals — keyboards, mice, speakers, and headphones — without cables. It typically works within about 30 feet, trades some speed for low power consumption, and requires a pairing step where two devices exchange a connection request and, often, a PIN or confirmation prompt.

NFC (Near Field Communication) operates over a much shorter range, typically just a few centimeters, and is built for quick taps rather than sustained connections. It powers contactless payment systems like Apple Pay and Google Pay, as well as quick device pairing and access badges. Our NFC explainer goes deeper into the security considerations around relay attacks, which falls more under Security+ territory but is useful context for understanding why NFC's short range is actually a deliberate design choice.

A quick way to remember the difference: Bluetooth connects devices across a room, NFC connects devices across a tabletop.

Setting Up Peripherals: Printers, Scanners, and Monitors

Beyond raw connectivity, Tech+ expects you to understand the basic workflow for getting a peripheral working:

• Printers connect via USB for a direct, single-computer setup or via Wi-Fi/Ethernet for network printing that multiple users can share. Setup typically involves installing a driver, either automatically through the operating system's plug-and-play detection or manually from the manufacturer's installer.
• Scanners follow a similar pattern, often bundled into multifunction printers, and rely on either a direct USB connection or a network address that scanning software on your computer can reach.
• Monitors require both a video connection (HDMI, DisplayPort, or occasionally VGA/DVI on older hardware) and, for modern displays with built-in features, sometimes a USB connection for touch input or integrated webcams and speakers.

The exam likes to test whether you know which connection type a scenario calls for — for example, recognizing that a printer shared across an office needs a network connection rather than a direct USB cable to one PC.

Drivers: The Software Behind the Hardware

A connector only gets you halfway there. The operating system needs a driver to actually communicate with the device, translating generic commands into instructions the hardware understands. Most modern peripherals install automatically the moment you plug them in, pulling a driver from the OS's built-in library. Older or more specialized hardware — certain printers, graphics tablets, or gaming peripherals — may require you to download and run a driver package from the manufacturer's website before the device will function correctly. This connects directly to the OS concepts covered in our basic networking concepts guide, since network printers depend on both a working driver and correct network addressing to function.

Exam Tips for FC0-U71

When you hit a question about connection interfaces on the real exam, keep these points in mind:

• Match the connector to its primary purpose: USB for general peripherals and power, HDMI/DisplayPort for video, Ethernet for wired networking, Bluetooth for short-range wireless pairing, and NFC for very-short-range taps.
• Remember that USB-C is reversible and increasingly used for both data and power delivery, which is why it's replacing older rectangular USB-A and Micro-USB connectors on new devices.
• If a scenario describes a device losing its wireless connection a few feet from the computer, think Bluetooth range limits before troubleshooting anything else.
• Network-shared peripherals (printers, scanners) need a valid network address and driver; locally-connected peripherals need a direct cable and driver. Don't confuse the two troubleshooting paths.
• Expect at least one question that simply asks you to identify a connector by its shape or name — rote recognition is tested directly.

Key Takeaways

• USB, HDMI, and Ethernet are the core wired interfaces Tech+ expects you to recognize, each tied to a specific job: peripherals/power, video, and wired networking.
• Bluetooth and NFC are both short-range wireless technologies, but Bluetooth covers a room while NFC covers a tabletop.
• Printers and scanners can connect directly via USB or indirectly over a network, and the setup/troubleshooting approach differs between the two.
• Drivers bridge the gap between a physical connection and a working device — most install automatically, but older hardware may need a manual install.
• Expect direct recognition questions on connector names and shapes, plus scenario questions that test whether you know which interface fits which use case.