N10-009 Networking Concepts Practice Test 5 — 15 Questions

Question 1

A network technician is explaining network segmentation to a junior technician. Which of the following devices increases the number of collision domains but does not increase the number of broadcast domains?

Choose an answer to begin — your selection is scored in the full session.

Accepted Answer

Switch. A switch creates a separate collision domain for each port, so multiple devices can transmit simultaneously without collisions, but it does not segment broadcast domains; all ports remain in the same broadcast domain unless VLANs are configured. This directly matches the question's requirement: increasing collision domains without increasing broadcast domains.

Answer

Hub

Answer

Router

Answer

Repeater

Question 2

A network technician is explaining the process of resolving Layer 2 addresses to Layer 3 addresses on a local network. Which protocol is used by a host to determine the MAC address of another host given its IP address?

Accepted Answer

ARP. ARP (Address Resolution Protocol) is the correct answer because it is specifically designed to resolve a known Layer 3 (IP) address to an unknown Layer 2 (MAC) address on a local network. When a host needs to send a frame to another host, it first checks its ARP cache; if no entry exists, it broadcasts an ARP request containing the target IP, and the host with that IP responds with its MAC address. This process is defined in RFC 826 and operates at the data link layer, enabling direct communication within the same broadcast domain.

Answer

DNS

Answer

DHCP

Answer

ICMP

Question 3

A network engineer needs to create subnets for four departments, each requiring at least 50 host addresses. The available network is 192.168.1.0/24. Which subnet mask should be used to satisfy the requirements while minimizing wasted addresses?

Accepted Answer

/26 (255.255.255.192). A /26 subnet mask (255.255.255.192) provides 62 usable host addresses per subnet (2^(32-26) - 2 = 62), which meets the requirement of at least 50 hosts per department. With a /24 network, you can create exactly four /26 subnets (192.168.1.0/26, 192.168.1.64/26, 192.168.1.128/26, 192.168.1.192/26), perfectly matching the four departments while minimizing wasted addresses.

Answer

/25 (255.255.255.128)

Answer

/27 (255.255.255.224)

Answer

/24 (255.255.255.0)

Question 4

Which of the following best describes the primary function of the transport layer in the OSI model?

Accepted Answer

Providing end-to-end communication and data flow control. The transport layer (Layer 4) is responsible for end-to-end communication between hosts, including segmentation, reassembly, and flow control. Protocols like TCP use windowing and acknowledgments to manage data flow, ensuring reliable delivery. This distinguishes it from lower layers that handle routing or physical signaling.

Answer

Routing packets across networks

Answer

Encoding data into electrical signals

Answer

Determining the best path for data transmission

Question 5

A network engineer is designing a subnet to accommodate 50 devices in a single broadcast domain. The engineer uses a /26 subnet mask. How many usable host addresses are available?

Accepted Answer

62. A /26 subnet mask provides 2^(32-26) = 64 total addresses. Subtracting the network and broadcast addresses leaves 62 usable host addresses. This is sufficient for 50 devices in a single broadcast domain.

Answer

30

Answer

126

Answer

254

Question 6

A network technician is explaining the difference between connection-oriented and connectionless protocols to a junior technician. Which of the following protocols is connectionless at the transport layer?

Accepted Answer

UDP. UDP (User Datagram Protocol) is the correct answer because it is a connectionless transport-layer protocol. It does not establish a session or guarantee delivery, instead sending datagrams independently without handshaking or acknowledgments, which makes it suitable for real-time applications like VoIP and streaming.

Answer

TCP

Answer

ICMP

Answer

ARP

Question 7

A network engineer is designing a network for a large organization. The engineer needs to ensure that broadcast traffic from one VLAN does not propagate to other VLANs while still allowing inter-VLAN communication. Which of the following devices is required to route between VLANs?

Accepted Answer

Router. A router is required to route between VLANs because VLANs segment a Layer 2 broadcast domain, and inter-VLAN communication must occur at Layer 3. The router performs routing by receiving frames tagged with the source VLAN, stripping the tag, making a forwarding decision based on the destination IP, and then re-encapsulating the frame with the destination VLAN tag. This process is often implemented using a router-on-a-stick configuration with 802.1Q trunking.

Answer

Layer 2 switch

Answer

Bridge

Answer

Firewall

Question 8

Which of the following best describes the purpose of the TCP three-way handshake?

Accepted Answer

To establish a reliable connection between two hosts. The TCP three-way handshake is the process by which two hosts synchronize sequence numbers and establish a reliable connection before data transfer begins. It involves the exchange of SYN, SYN-ACK, and ACK segments, ensuring both sides are ready to communicate and agree on initial sequence numbers (ISNs) as defined in RFC 793.

Answer

To terminate a connection gracefully

Answer

To resolve an IP address to a MAC address

Answer

To encrypt data between two devices

Question 9

Which of the following best describes the function of a default gateway on a host?

Accepted Answer

It forwards packets destined for networks other than the local subnet. The default gateway is the router interface on the local subnet that a host uses to send packets destined for IP addresses outside its own subnet. When a host determines that the destination IP is not reachable via ARP on the local link, it forwards the packet to the default gateway's MAC address, which then routes the packet toward the remote network. This is essential for inter-subnet communication in any IP network.

Answer

It resolves domain names to IP addresses

Answer

It assigns IP addresses to devices on the local network

Answer

It filters traffic based on MAC addresses

Question 10

Which of the following best describes the primary difference between a hub and a switch?

Accepted Answer

A hub broadcasts all frames to all ports; a switch forwards frames only to the destination port. A hub operates at Layer 1 (physical layer) and simply repeats electrical signals out all ports, causing all connected devices to receive every frame. A switch operates at Layer 2 (data link layer) and uses the MAC address table to forward frames only to the specific port where the destination device resides, reducing unnecessary traffic and improving network efficiency.

Answer

A switch is faster than a hub because it operates at Layer 3

Answer

A hub can segment collision domains; a switch cannot

Answer

Both hubs and switches operate at the same OSI layer but use different frame types

Question 11

At which layer of the OSI model does end-to-end communication and data segmentation occur?

Accepted Answer

Transport layer. The transport layer (Layer 4) is responsible for end-to-end communication between source and destination hosts, as well as data segmentation and reassembly. Protocols such as TCP and UDP operate at this layer, with TCP providing reliable, connection-oriented service by segmenting data into segments and managing flow control and error recovery.

Answer

Session layer

Answer

Network layer

Answer

Data link layer

Question 12

At which layer of the OSI model does logical addressing (e.g., IP addresses) and routing occur?

Accepted Answer

Network layer. The Network layer (Layer 3) of the OSI model is responsible for logical addressing, such as IPv4 and IPv6 addresses, and for routing packets between different networks. Routers operate at this layer, using routing tables and protocols like OSPF, BGP, or static routes to determine the best path for data. This layer provides end-to-end delivery and handles packet fragmentation and reassembly when necessary.

Answer

Data Link layer

Answer

Transport layer

Answer

Physical layer

Question 13

Which of the following network devices operates at Layer 1 of the OSI model and forwards all incoming electrical signals to all of its ports?

Accepted Answer

Hub. A hub operates at Layer 1 (Physical layer) of the OSI model and is a multiport repeater. It regenerates and forwards every incoming electrical signal out of all ports except the incoming port, regardless of the intended destination, because it has no intelligence to process MAC addresses or frames.

Answer

Router

Answer

Switch

Answer

Bridge

Question 14

A network administrator wants to automate IP address assignment for client devices. Which protocol should be used?

Accepted Answer

DHCP. DHCP (Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol) automates IP address assignment by leasing IP configurations to client devices from a defined pool. This eliminates the need for manual static IP configuration, making it the correct protocol for automated IP address management.

Answer

DNS

Answer

ARP

Answer

ICMP

Question 15

Which device is used to connect two different network segments and makes forwarding decisions based on IP addresses?

Accepted Answer

Router. A router is the correct device because it operates at Layer 3 (Network layer) of the OSI model and makes forwarding decisions based on destination IP addresses. It connects two different network segments (subnets) and uses routing tables to determine the best path for packet delivery, often employing protocols like OSPF or BGP.

Answer

Switch

Answer

Hub

Answer

Bridge