A mission critical server has faulted with a dead 66 MHz 3.3V PCI-X network interface card. The system administrator has been directed to get the server functional as soon as possible, even if it is connected with less bandwidth. There are no onsite spare cards available and the vendor does not expect to have the parts for at least a week. Which of the following immediately available NICs could be substituted instead?

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A. 33 MHz 3.3V PCI The PCI-X specification was designed with backward compatibility for standard 3.3V PCI cards, meaning a 33 MHz 3.3V PCI card will fit the slot's key notch and run at the lower PCI speed. This satisfies the requirement to restore connectivity immediately at reduced bandwidth when no matching PCI-X spare is available.

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B. 66 MHz 5V PCI 5V PCI cards use a different physical key notch than 3.3V slots and cannot be inserted into a 3.3V PCI-X slot without risk of hardware damage.

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C. 266 MHzx 3.3V PCI-X A 266 MHz 3.3V PCI-X card is electrically compatible but represents a higher-specification upgrade rather than a lower-bandwidth fallback, and the question asks what could substitute given the 'less bandwidth' constraint.

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D. 533 MHz 5V PCI-X 5V PCI-X cards are electrically incompatible with 3.3V PCI-X slots due to voltage keying differences, making physical installation impossible.

A mission critical server has faulted with a dead 66 MHz 3.3V PCI-X network interface card. The system administrator has been directed to get the server functional as soon as possible, even if it is…

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