N10-009 Network Operations Practice Test 4 — 15 Questions

Question 1

A network administrator is setting up SNMPv3 on a router for secure monitoring. Which of the following is required for SNMPv3 authentication?

Accepted Answer

Username and password. SNMPv3 introduces a security model that requires a username and password (authentication passphrase) for authentication, moving away from the community-string-based model of SNMPv1/v2c. The password is used with an authentication protocol like MD5 or SHA to verify the identity of the manager before allowing access. Without a valid username and password combination, SNMPv3 will reject the request.

Answer

Community string

Answer

Encryption key

Answer

Public key

Question 2

A network administrator is documenting the network topology. Which of the following tools is best suited for creating a diagram that shows the logical connections between network devices?

Accepted Answer

Microsoft Visio. Microsoft Visio is the correct tool because it is specifically designed for creating professional network topology diagrams, including logical connections between devices. Unlike general-purpose tools, Visio provides network-specific shapes, templates, and layering capabilities that accurately represent logical relationships such as VLANs, subnets, and routing paths.

Answer

Microsoft Excel

Answer

SNMP

Answer

Notepad

Question 3

A network technician needs to back up the configuration file of a managed switch to a central server on a regular basis. The switch supports a simple and widely used protocol for this purpose. Which of the following protocols should the technician use?

Accepted Answer

A: TFTP. TFTP (Trivial File Transfer Protocol) is the correct choice because it is a simple, lightweight protocol designed specifically for transferring configuration files to and from network devices like managed switches. It uses UDP port 69 and requires no authentication or complex session setup, making it ideal for automated backup scripts that run on a regular basis. While it lacks security features, its simplicity and widespread support in network equipment firmware make it the standard for this purpose.

Answer

B: HTTP

Answer

C: SNMP

Answer

D: SSH

Question 4

A network administrator wants to ensure that SNMP traffic between the network monitoring server and managed devices is encrypted and provides authentication of the data origin. Which version of SNMP should be implemented?

Accepted Answer

C: SNMPv3. SNMPv3 is the correct choice because it provides both encryption (via the AuthPriv security level) and data origin authentication (via the AuthNoPriv or AuthPriv levels). Unlike earlier versions, SNMPv3 includes a security model that ensures confidentiality, integrity, and authentication, meeting the administrator's requirements.

Answer

A: SNMPv1

Answer

B: SNMPv2c

Answer

D: SNMPv2

Question 5

A network administrator needs to create a diagram that shows the IP addressing scheme, VLAN assignments, and routing protocols used in the network. This diagram will be used for troubleshooting and future planning. Which type of documentation should the administrator create?

Accepted Answer

Logical topology diagram. A logical topology diagram is correct because it documents the IP addressing scheme, VLAN assignments, and routing protocols—abstract elements that define how data flows through the network, independent of physical device locations. This type of diagram is essential for troubleshooting Layer 3 issues and planning changes to the network's logical design.

Answer

Physical topology diagram

Answer

Rack elevation diagram

Answer

Cable management plan

Question 6

A network technician needs to retrieve the operating system and uptime information from a router for inventory purposes. Which protocol is specifically designed for network management and monitoring?

Accepted Answer

SNMP. SNMP (Simple Network Management Protocol) is the standard protocol specifically designed for network management and monitoring. It allows a network management station to query managed devices (like routers) for system information, including operating system version and uptime, via OIDs (Object Identifiers) in the MIB (Management Information Base).

Answer

SMTP

Answer

HTTP

Answer

FTP

Question 7

A network monitoring system uses SNMP to poll interface statistics from switches every 5 minutes. This polling is causing high CPU utilization on the switches. Which of the following actions would BEST reduce the CPU load on the switches while still providing monitoring data?

Accepted Answer

Use SNMP traps instead of polling. SNMP traps are push-based notifications sent by the switch only when a significant event occurs (e.g., link up/down, threshold crossing), eliminating the need for the NMS to poll every 5 minutes. This reduces CPU load because the switch no longer processes periodic GET requests, which require CPU cycles to gather interface statistics from the MIB. Traps still provide monitoring data by alerting the NMS to changes, though they may not offer the same granularity as polling for all counters.

Answer

Increase the SNMP community string

Answer

Disable SNMP on unused interfaces

Answer

Change the SNMP version to v1

Question 8

A network administrator needs to analyze bandwidth usage by application and identify top talkers on the network. Which protocol or technology should be used to export detailed traffic flow information from routers and switches to a central collector?

Accepted Answer

NetFlow. NetFlow is the correct choice because it is a Cisco-developed protocol designed specifically to export detailed IP traffic flow information—including source/destination IPs, ports, protocols, and byte counts—from routers and switches to a central collector for bandwidth usage analysis and top talker identification. Unlike simpler monitoring tools, NetFlow provides per-flow granularity, enabling administrators to pinpoint which applications and hosts are consuming the most bandwidth.

Answer

SNMP

Answer

ICMP

Answer

SMTP

Question 9

A network administrator is implementing a change management process. Which of the following is the PRIMARY benefit of following this process?

Accepted Answer

It minimizes the impact of changes on network operations and reduces errors. The primary benefit of a change management process is to minimize the impact of changes on network operations and reduce errors. By requiring documented planning, approval, and rollback procedures, change management ensures that modifications are reviewed and tested before implementation, which directly reduces the risk of misconfigurations and unplanned outages.

Answer

It reduces the cost of implementing new hardware

Answer

It ensures that all network changes are automated

Answer

It documents the network topology for future reference

Question 10

A network technician notices a high volume of broadcast traffic on a flat network. Which device will best reduce the size of the broadcast domain?

Accepted Answer

Router. A router is the correct choice because it operates at Layer 3 and uses IP subnetting to segment a network into separate broadcast domains. By default, routers do not forward broadcast traffic (e.g., ARP requests sent to 255.255.255.255 or subnet-directed broadcasts) between interfaces, thus reducing the scope of broadcast propagation.

Answer

Hub

Answer

Switch

Answer

Bridge

Question 11

A network administrator wants to centrally collect and analyze event logs from routers, switches, and firewalls. Which protocol is most commonly used for sending log messages from network devices to a central log server?

Accepted Answer

Syslog. Syslog (RFC 5424) is the standard protocol for sending event messages from network devices like routers, switches, and firewalls to a central log server. It uses UDP port 514 by default and provides a structured format with facility codes and severity levels, enabling centralized collection and analysis of logs. This makes it the most commonly used protocol for this purpose.

Answer

SNMP

Answer

NetFlow

Answer

ICMP

Question 12

A network monitoring tool uses SNMP to collect data from devices. What is the primary purpose of SNMP traps?

Accepted Answer

To enable devices to send unsolicited alerts to the management system. SNMP traps are unsolicited messages sent by an SNMP agent to the network management system (NMS) to immediately notify it of a significant event, such as a link failure or high CPU utilization. This push mechanism allows the NMS to react in real time without having to poll the device, reducing bandwidth and processing overhead. The correct answer is B because traps are specifically designed for asynchronous alerting, not for polling, encryption, or authentication.

Answer

To allow a manager to poll devices for current status

Answer

To encrypt SNMP communications

Answer

To provide authentication for SNMP messages

Question 13

A network administrator wants to implement a protocol to automatically assign IP addresses to devices on the network. Which of the following protocols is used for this purpose?

Accepted Answer

DHCP. DHCP (Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol) is the correct answer because it is specifically designed to automatically assign IP addresses and other network configuration parameters (such as subnet mask, default gateway, and DNS servers) to devices on a network. This eliminates the need for manual IP configuration, reducing administrative overhead and preventing address conflicts.

Answer

DNS

Answer

ARP

Answer

ICMP

Question 14

A network technician needs to discover directly connected network devices and their capabilities for documentation purposes. Which protocol should be used?

Accepted Answer

LLDP. LLDP (Link Layer Discovery Protocol) is the correct choice because it is an IEEE 802.1AB standard protocol specifically designed to discover directly connected network devices and their capabilities, such as system name, port description, VLAN information, and management addresses. Unlike proprietary protocols, LLDP operates at Layer 2 and allows any vendor's equipment to advertise and learn about neighbors without requiring IP connectivity or a management station.

Answer

SNMP

Answer

ICMP

Answer

ARP

Question 15

A network administrator wants to ensure all network devices have synchronized time for accurate log correlation and security event analysis. Which protocol should be implemented?

Accepted Answer

NTP. NTP (Network Time Protocol) is the correct choice because it is specifically designed to synchronize clocks across network devices using a hierarchical system of time sources, ensuring millisecond-level accuracy. Accurate time synchronization is critical for correlating logs and security events across multiple devices, as timestamps must match to reconstruct attack timelines or diagnose faults.

Answer

SNMP

Answer

FTP

Answer

HTTP