Free CompTIA Network+ N10-009 Practice Question

The Authentication Header primarily provides integrity and authentication of IP packets. It does this by appending a header to each packet, which ensures that the packet has not been altered during transit and that the source is authenticated. While encryption might secure a packet's content, AH does not provide encryption services; that is a function of the Encapsulating Security Payload (ESP). Similarly, AH does not specifically optimize network traffic or enhance transmission speed; these are not functions of the IPsec Authentication Header.