CompTIA Network+ N10-009 Practice Questions

1. Which of the following protocols is used to securely transfer files between networked systems?

a) FTP
b) TFTP
c) SCP
d) SNMP

Correct Answer: c) SCP
Explanation: SCP (Secure Copy Protocol) is based on SSH and provides encrypted file transfers. FTP and TFTP do not provide security, and SNMP is used for network monitoring.

2. What is the primary function of a switch in a network?

a) Routes packets between networks
b) Directs traffic based on MAC addresses
c) Assigns IP addresses dynamically
d) Converts between IPv4 and IPv6

Correct Answer: b) Directs traffic based on MAC addresses
Explanation: Switches operate at Layer 2 (Data Link) of the OSI model and use MAC addresses to forward frames within a local network.

3. Which type of IPv6 address is used for one-to-many communication?

a) Unicast
b) Anycast
c) Multicast
d) Broadcast

Correct Answer: c) Multicast
Explanation: IPv6 does not support broadcast addresses. Instead, multicast addresses are used to send packets to multiple destinations.

4. What is the default administrative distance for an OSPF route?

a) 90
b) 110
c) 120
d) 100

Correct Answer: b) 110
Explanation: OSPF (Open Shortest Path First) has an administrative distance of 110, which determines the trustworthiness of a routing source.

5. What is the primary advantage of fiber-optic cable over twisted pair?

a) Lower cost
b) Immunity to electromagnetic interference
c) Requires less power
d) Uses electrical signals

Correct Answer: b) Immunity to electromagnetic interference
Explanation: Fiber-optic cables use light signals, making them resistant to EMI, unlike twisted pair cables that use electrical signals.

6. Which protocol is responsible for resolving IP addresses to MAC addresses?

a) DNS
b) DHCP
c) ARP
d) ICMP

Correct Answer: c) ARP
Explanation: The Address Resolution Protocol (ARP) resolves IP addresses to MAC addresses within a local network.

7. A company needs to segment its network to improve performance. What should they use?

a) VLANs
b) Hubs
c) Repeaters
d) Bridges

Correct Answer: a) VLANs
Explanation: VLANs (Virtual LANs) logically separate network traffic to reduce congestion and enhance security.

8. Which of the following is an example of a hybrid network topology?

a) Star
b) Bus
c) Mesh
d) Tree

Correct Answer: d) Tree
Explanation: A tree topology combines star and bus topologies, making it a hybrid.

9. What is the purpose of the Spanning Tree Protocol (STP)?

a) Increase bandwidth
b) Prevent loops in Ethernet networks
c) Prioritize network traffic
d) Encrypt network traffic

Correct Answer: b) Prevent loops in Ethernet networks
Explanation: STP prevents switching loops in networks by dynamically disabling redundant links.

10. Which device provides the best security for remote access?

a) Proxy server
b) VPN concentrator
c) Router
d) Hub

Correct Answer: b) VPN concentrator
Explanation: A VPN concentrator provides secure remote access by encrypting VPN traffic.

11. What is a primary advantage of SDN (Software-Defined Networking)?

a) Hardware-based configuration
b) Centralized network management
c) Requires no network devices
d) Only works with IPv6

Correct Answer: b) Centralized network management
Explanation: SDN centralizes control and allows dynamic network management via software.

12. What type of attack involves overwhelming a network device with excessive traffic?

a) Phishing
b) DDoS
c) Spoofing
d) Man-in-the-middle

Correct Answer: b) DDoS
Explanation: A Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attack floods a target with excessive traffic to disrupt operations.

13. What protocol is used for secure remote access to network devices?

a) Telnet
b) SSH
c) SNMP
d) HTTP

Correct Answer: b) SSH
Explanation: SSH encrypts remote management traffic, unlike Telnet, which sends data in plaintext.

14. What is the main function of a firewall?

a) Assign IP addresses
b) Filter network traffic
c) Provide Wi-Fi access
d) Store logs

Correct Answer: b) Filter network traffic
Explanation: Firewalls control inbound and outbound traffic based on security rules.

15. Which wireless security protocol is most secure?

a) WEP
b) WPA
c) WPA2
d) WPA3

Correct Answer: d) WPA3
Explanation: WPA3 provides stronger encryption than WPA2, WEP, and WPA.

16. Which layer of the OSI model does a router operate at?

a) Data Link
b) Network
c) Transport
d) Application

Correct Answer: b) Network
Explanation: Routers operate at the Network layer (Layer 3) to direct traffic between different networks.

17. What command is used to display the IP configuration of a system in Windows?

a) ifconfig
b) ipconfig
c) netstat
d) ping

Correct Answer: b) ipconfig
Explanation: ipconfig displays the current IP configuration of a Windows system.

18. What is the default port number for HTTPS?

a) 80
b) 443
c) 21
d) 22

Correct Answer: b) 443
Explanation: HTTPS (secure HTTP) operates on port 443.

19. What type of cable is commonly used for 10GbE connections over short distances?

a) Cat 5e
b) Cat 6a
c) Coaxial
d) Fiber-optic

Correct Answer: b) Cat 6a
Explanation: Cat 6a supports 10GbE up to 100 meters.

20. What does a DHCP server provide?

a) MAC address filtering
b) Dynamic IP addressing
c) Data encryption
d) Traffic analysis

Correct Answer: b) Dynamic IP addressing
Explanation: DHCP assigns IP addresses dynamically to devices on a network.

21. What type of attack involves capturing and replaying authentication traffic?

a) Man-in-the-middle
b) ARP poisoning
c) Replay attack
d) DNS spoofing

Correct Answer: c) Replay attack
Explanation: A replay attack involves intercepting and retransmitting authentication data to gain unauthorized access.

22. Which IEEE standard is used for PoE (Power over Ethernet)?

a) 802.11
b) 802.3af
c) 802.1X
d) 802.3ad

Correct Answer: b) 802.3af
Explanation: IEEE 802.3af and 802.3at define Power over Ethernet (PoE) standards for supplying power over network cables.

23. Which protocol is used to send email?

a) POP3
b) IMAP
c) SMTP
d) SNMP

Correct Answer: c) SMTP
Explanation: SMTP (Simple Mail Transfer Protocol) is used to send emails, while POP3 and IMAP are used for retrieval.

24. What kind of address does NAT (Network Address Translation) typically translate?

a) IPv6 to IPv4
b) Private IP to Public IP
c) MAC address to IP address
d) IP address to domain name

Correct Answer: b) Private IP to Public IP
Explanation: NAT translates private IP addresses to a public IP for internet access.

25. What is the main benefit of subnetting?

a) Reduces latency
b) Increases bandwidth
c) Enhances network security and performance
d) Enables IPv6

Correct Answer: c) Enhances network security and performance
Explanation: Subnetting divides networks into smaller, manageable sections, reducing congestion and improving security.

26. What is the maximum data rate of 802.11ac Wi-Fi?

a) 300 Mbps
b) 1 Gbps
c) 3.5 Gbps
d) 6.93 Gbps

Correct Answer: d) 6.93 Gbps
Explanation: 802.11ac supports speeds up to 6.93 Gbps with multiple antennas.

27. Which device operates at the transport layer of the OSI model?

a) Switch
b) Router
c) Firewall
d) Hub

Correct Answer: c) Firewall
Explanation: Firewalls inspect traffic at the transport layer to allow or block specific communication.

28. What is the primary function of MPLS (Multiprotocol Label Switching)?

a) Encrypts data
b) Prioritizes traffic for efficient routing
c) Blocks unauthorized traffic
d) Assigns IP addresses

Correct Answer: b) Prioritizes traffic for efficient routing
Explanation: MPLS assigns labels to packets for faster and more efficient network routing.

29. What type of connector is used with fiber-optic cables?

a) RJ-45
b) SC
c) BNC
d) STP

Correct Answer: b) SC
Explanation: SC (Subscriber Connector) is commonly used for fiber-optic connections.

30. What is the primary function of ICMP?

a) Encrypts network traffic
b) Provides network diagnostics and error reporting
c) Assigns IP addresses dynamically
d) Filters web traffic

Correct Answer: b) Provides network diagnostics and error reporting
Explanation: ICMP (Internet Control Message Protocol) is used for network troubleshooting (e.g., ping).

31. What is the default port number for DNS?

a) 22
b) 53
c) 443
d) 80

Correct Answer: b) 53
Explanation: DNS operates over port 53 to resolve domain names to IP addresses.

32. What is the primary purpose of a load balancer?

a) Encrypts data transmissions
b) Distributes network traffic across multiple servers
c) Filters spam emails
d) Converts between IPv4 and IPv6

Correct Answer: b) Distributes network traffic across multiple servers
Explanation: Load balancers distribute workloads across multiple resources to ensure efficiency.

33. Which of the following uses an eight-position, eight-contact (8P8C) connector?

a) Coaxial cable
b) Fiber-optic cable
c) Ethernet cable
d) Serial cable

Correct Answer: c) Ethernet cable
Explanation: Ethernet cables use RJ-45 connectors, which have 8P8C configurations.

34. What type of firewall filters traffic based on application-layer data?

a) Packet-filtering firewall
b) Stateful firewall
c) Application-layer firewall
d) Circuit-level gateway

Correct Answer: c) Application-layer firewall
Explanation: Application-layer firewalls inspect data at Layer 7, filtering traffic based on applications.

35. What device is used to physically connect multiple devices in a network but does not filter traffic?

a) Router
b) Switch
c) Hub
d) Bridge

Correct Answer: c) Hub
Explanation: Hubs broadcast data to all connected devices without filtering.

36. What kind of address is FF02::1 in IPv6?

a) Anycast
b) Unicast
c) Multicast
d) Broadcast

Correct Answer: c) Multicast
Explanation: FF02::1 is an IPv6 multicast address for all nodes on a local network.

37. Which command tests connectivity between two devices on a network?

a) tracert
b) nslookup
c) ping
d) netstat

Correct Answer: c) ping
Explanation: ping sends ICMP echo requests to verify connectivity.

38. What is the purpose of port forwarding?

a) Block malicious websites
b) Route specific traffic to an internal network device
c) Encrypt data transmission
d) Assign private IP addresses

Correct Answer: b) Route specific traffic to an internal network device
Explanation: Port forwarding allows external access to services inside a private network.

39. Which of the following is NOT a valid IPv4 address?

a) 192.168.1.1
b) 10.0.0.256
c) 172.16.0.5
d) 8.8.8.8

Correct Answer: b) 10.0.0.256
Explanation: IPv4 addresses range from 0-255 per octet. “256” is not valid.

40. What is the maximum cable length for a standard Cat 6 Ethernet cable?

a) 50 meters
b) 100 meters
c) 150 meters
d) 200 meters

Correct Answer: b) 100 meters
Explanation: Cat 6 supports up to 100 meters (328 feet).

41. Which protocol dynamically assigns IP addresses?

a) DNS
b) DHCP
c) ICMP
d) SNMP

Correct Answer: b) DHCP
Explanation: DHCP (Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol) assigns IP addresses automatically.

42. Which command in Linux displays all active network connections?

a) ifconfig
b) ipconfig
c) netstat
d) nslookup

Correct Answer: c) netstat
Explanation: netstat provides details about active network connections.

43. Which of the following best describes the purpose of a DMZ in network security?

a) A segment that isolates internal networks from the internet
b) A subnet used for storing backup data
c) A VPN tunnel between two private networks
d) A reserved space for guest Wi-Fi access

Correct Answer: a) A segment that isolates internal networks from the internet
Explanation: A Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) is a buffer network that contains public-facing services while protecting internal resources.

44. Which layer of the OSI model does SSL/TLS operate at?

a) Network
b) Transport
c) Presentation
d) Application

Correct Answer: c) Presentation
Explanation: SSL/TLS encrypts data before transmission and operates at the Presentation Layer (Layer 6) of the OSI model.

45. What does 802.1X authentication provide in a wired or wireless network?

a) Access control based on user identity
b) Increased bandwidth
c) Secure data encryption
d) A method for VLAN assignment

Correct Answer: a) Access control based on user identity
Explanation: 802.1X is a port-based authentication standard used to control access to a network via RADIUS or other authentication services.

46. What is the primary purpose of a site-to-site VPN?

a) Encrypt end-user web traffic
b) Secure communication between multiple networks
c) Allow employees to work remotely
d) Speed up data transfers between locations

Correct Answer: b) Secure communication between multiple networks
Explanation: A site-to-site VPN connects two remote networks securely over the internet.

47. What is the primary difference between TCP and UDP?

a) UDP is connection-oriented, while TCP is connectionless
b) TCP provides reliable data transmission, while UDP does not
c) UDP requires handshaking before sending data, while TCP does not
d) TCP is faster than UDP

Correct Answer: b) TCP provides reliable data transmission, while UDP does not
Explanation: TCP is a connection-oriented protocol that ensures reliable delivery, while UDP is faster but does not guarantee delivery.

48. What command is used to identify the route packets take to a destination in Windows?

a) ping
b) tracert
c) nslookup
d) arp

Correct Answer: b) tracert
Explanation: tracert (Windows) and traceroute (Linux) show the path packets take to a destination.

49. Which network device is responsible for connecting two different IP networks?

a) Hub
b) Switch
c) Router
d) Bridge

Correct Answer: c) Router
Explanation: A router forwards packets between different IP networks, while a switch operates at the MAC address level.

50. Which of the following is an example of multifactor authentication?

a) Entering a username and password
b) Using a fingerprint scanner and a password
c) Typing a CAPTCHA before logging in
d) Using an IP address filter

Correct Answer: b) Using a fingerprint scanner and a password
Explanation: Multifactor authentication (MFA) requires two or more factors from different categories, such as something you know (password) and something you are (biometrics).