CompTIA Network+ Practice Test (N10-009)

RJ11 cables are commonly used for telephone connections, including devices like fax machines that connect to a standard telephone line. RJ45 is the standard connector for Ethernet networks and is physically larger than RJ11. RJ48 connectors are typically used for specialized data lines like T1 and are not for analog fax machines. Coaxial cables are generally used for television and broadband internet connections, not for telephone-based devices.

The 'Blocking' state is a normal operational state within the Spanning Tree Protocol (STP). STP intentionally places redundant ports in this state to prevent Layer 2 loops, which can cause broadcast storms and destabilize the network. A port that is shut down due to a security violation typically enters an 'err-disabled' state, not a 'blocking' state. An overloaded port might also be placed in an 'err-disabled' state or simply drop traffic. The term 'provisional state' is too vague and does not represent a standard STP state.

The Management Information Base (MIB) is the correct answer because it contains hierarchical descriptions of all the network objects that can be managed. The MIB allows administrators to gather detailed information about device performance and status efficiently, unlike SNMP Traps, which are used for asynchronous event notification, or Community strings, which authenticate access to a device's saved data, without providing detailed information themselves. Access Control Lists (ACLs) are used primarily for security to control traffic flow, not for information retrieval about device performance and status.

In a star topology, all nodes (computers, printers, etc.) are individually connected to a central networking device, such as a switch or hub, using a separate cable. This setup enhances fault tolerance, as the failure of a single cable only affects one node's connection to the network, not the entire network. The hub-and-spoke model is functionally the same as a star topology.

Class B addresses are used where medium-sized networks are required. The default subnet mask for Class B is 255.255.0.0, enabling up to 65,536 addresses (2^16), which fits the requirement of needing up to 65,000 addresses. Class A is typically too large, offering up to approximately 16 million addresses which can be excessive and inefficient for the scenario. Class C, on the other hand, provides only 256 addresses, which would be insufficient for the requirement.

The correct choice is the Local connector (commonly abbreviated as LC) which is known for its small form factor and locking tab mechanism, making it suitable for high-density applications such as data centers. Other connectors like SC, ST, and MPO have different physical designs and mechanisms which might not be compatible with the device requiring a small form factor and locking tab.

Links that are saturated during specific periods indicate congestion: the offered traffic exceeds the designed capacity, creating a bottleneck that reduces throughput and increases latency. This situation is typically caused by high traffic volume. A duplex mismatch would introduce collisions or CRC errors (not observed), a faulty transceiver would raise interface errors, and an incorrect default gateway would break connectivity rather than merely slow it down.

The correct answer emphasizes that the primary purpose of NTP is to synchronize the clocks of all network devices. This synchronization is critical to network operations for timestamping in log files, which is essential for security, troubleshooting, and compliance with various standards. Although setting the timezone also involves time, it does not provide synchronization across devices. Debugging and traffic analysis might benefit indirectly from time synchronization but are not the direct purpose of NTP.

The IPv4 loopback address, 127.0.0.1, routes packets back to the host itself. Pinging this address confirms that the local TCP/IP stack is installed and functioning, but it does not traverse the physical network interface card. Using other private, APIPA, or gateway-style addresses (192.168.1.1, 10.0.0.1, 169.254.0.1) would place traffic on the actual network segment, defeating the purpose of an internal stack test.

When applying the bottom-to-top (bottom-up) approach in the OSI model, the technician starts at the Physical layer. This layer encompasses the network's tangible components-cables, connectors, and hardware interfaces-making it the first place to check for link lights, proper terminations, or damaged media before examining higher-layer configurations and protocols.

Configuring the transport agnostic feature is crucial as it allows the SD-WAN system to function efficiently across various types of network connections (MPLS, broadband, LTE, etc.) without needing specific adjustments for each type. This feature abstracts the details of the underlying transport mechanisms, allowing seamless connectivity and management. Other options listed either do not relate directly to managing diverse transport mechanisms or involve security, not operational connectivity.

RADIUS primarily functions as a protocol that provides centralized Authentication, Authorization, and Accounting management for users who connect and use a network service. Authentication verifies who the user is, Authorization determines what a user can and cannot access, and Accounting keeps track of the consumption of network resources by the user. The other options, while plausible-sounding, are incorrect because they do not describe the main functionalities provided by RADIUS.

Central policy management allows for the centralized control and enforcement of policies within a software-defined network, streamlining configuration and compliance across the network. This enables administrators to apply policies from a single point, enhancing consistency and ease of management. The incorrect options are related network functions or strategies, but they do not define the role of central policy management in SDNs.

In an active-passive configuration, one system (the passive) remains idle while the other (the active) handles all the workload. The passive system only takes over if the active system fails, ensuring minimal downtime and providing a reliable backup. The correct answer explains this scenario. Alternative answers, though plausible, describe configurations or setups that don't align accurately with a true active-passive model.

HTTPS (Hypertext Transfer Protocol Secure) is the best choice for secure client-server communications involving sensitive data because it incorporates SSL/TLS to encrypt data in transit and authenticate the server. This ensures that all data sent between the client and server is protected. In contrast, HTTP (Hypertext Transfer Protocol) is incorrect as it does not include encryption and sends data in cleartext. LDAP (Lightweight Directory Access Protocol) is used for accessing and maintaining distributed directory information services and does not inherently encrypt data in its standard form. SNMP (Simple Network Management Protocol) is used for network management; while newer versions have security features, its primary purpose is not for general secure data exchange.

Port Address Translation (PAT) enables multiple devices on a local network to make outbound connections over the internet using the same public gateway address by tracking and mapping each session to a unique port number. This feature allows for the effective sharing of a single public IP address.

• Allocating unique gateway addresses to each workstation (incorrect) is not feasible as the scenario explicitly states the office is limited to a single external address.
• The Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) (incorrect) is primarily involved with allocating IP addresses and network configuration parameters to clients on the internal network; it does not manage the translation of addresses for internet access.
• Standard Network Address Translation (NAT) (incorrect) refers to methods like static or dynamic NAT. Static NAT creates a one-to-one mapping. Dynamic NAT uses a pool of public IPs but still typically requires one public IP for each active internal device. Since there is only one available public address for multiple workstations, these forms of NAT are unsuitable. PAT is the specific type of NAT required for a many-to-one translation.

A channel width of 160 MHz in a 5 GHz network provides the highest data throughput by enabling more data to be transferred simultaneously. However, using such a wide bandwidth can greatly increase the risk of interference in areas where many networks are operating, due to the broader range of frequencies being utilized.

The correct answer is 'Baseline/golden configuration' because this refers to a benchmark configuration set that is known to work well under tested conditions and is used as a standard template to build new systems or restore existing systems after an outage. 'Development configuration' and 'Trial configuration' are not standard established terms in network management. 'Backup configuration' is used for recovery purposes and may not prescriptively be set as a standard template that is optimized and tested.

A hot site is the correct choice because it is a fully duplicated, operational environment with all the necessary hardware, software, and real-time data synchronization from the primary location. This allows for an almost immediate failover with minimal data loss. A warm site has hardware but requires data to be restored from backups, resulting in a longer recovery time. A cold site is a basic facility with power and cooling but no equipment or data, requiring a complete setup post-disaster. A mirrored site is a form of a hot site, but 'hot site' is the standard industry term for a DR facility with this level of readiness.

A collapsed core design combines the functionality of both the core and distribution layers into a single layer. This model is advantageous in smaller networks due to reduced hardware needs and simplified management. While all of the other answers describe possible configurations in a network, they either describe other types of networks, mix up hierarchical layers, or add elements not specific to collapsed core networks, such as direct connections from devices to a centralized hub.