FC0-U71 Infrastructure Practice Question
A network administrator is setting up a small office network with 20 computers. The network must be easy to troubleshoot and resilient to a single cable failure affecting only one device. Which topology is most appropriate?
Answer choices
Why each option matters
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Star
Star topology connects each device to a central switch. If one cable fails, only that device is affected, making it easy to troubleshoot. It is the most common for modern networks.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Ring
Why it's wrong here
In a ring, each node depends on its neighbours, so one cable or node failure can disrupt the entire loop unless dual rings are used. It tempts because ring topologies offer predictable performance, and would be correct where deterministic throughput matters more than isolating a single cable fault.
- ✗
Bus
Why it's wrong here
A bus topology shares one backbone, so a single cable break can isolate multiple devices or the whole segment, failing the resilience requirement. It tempts because it is cheap and simple for small offices, and would suit a scenario prioritising low cabling cost over fault isolation.
- ✓
Star
Why this is correct
A star topology connects every node to a central switch, so a single cable failure isolates only that one device while all others keep communicating. This directly satisfies the resilience constraint and centralises troubleshooting at one point.
- ✗
Mesh
Why it's wrong here
A mesh topology requires each device to maintain multiple direct links to others, creating excessive cabling and configuration overhead for a 20-device network. This fails the stem’s need for easy troubleshooting, as tracing faults across numerous interconnections is cumbersome. The option is tempting because mesh offers high resilience to cable failures, and in a critical data-centre environment where maximum redundancy is essential, it would be the correct choice.
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Same concept, more angles
3 more ways this is tested on FC0-U71
These questions test the same concept from different angles. Work through them to make sure you can recognise it however the exam phrases it.
Variation 1. Which network topology connects all devices to a single central cable?
medium- A.Mesh
- B.Ring
- ✓ C.Bus
- D.Star
Why C: In a bus topology, all devices are connected to a single backbone cable. However, star topology is more common today.
Variation 2. A small office has a network with all devices connected to a central switch. If one device fails, only that device is affected and the rest of the network continues to function. Which network topology does this describe?
easy- ✓ A.Star topology
- B.Ring topology
- C.Bus topology
- D.Mesh topology
Why A: A star topology connects every device to a central switch or hub, so each device has its own dedicated point-to-point link to the center. If one endpoint device fails, only that device loses connectivity; the central switch continues forwarding traffic among the remaining devices, so the rest of the network is unaffected. This matches the scenario described.
Variation 3. A small business office has a network where each device is connected to a central switch. If the switch fails, all devices lose connectivity. Which network topology does this describe?
hard- A.Bus topology
- B.Mesh topology
- ✓ C.Star topology
- D.Ring topology
Why C: In a star topology, every device connects to a central device such as a switch or hub, and all traffic passes through that central point. If the central switch fails, every connected device loses connectivity simultaneously, which matches the scenario described. This single point of failure is the defining characteristic of a star topology.
JA
Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
This FC0-U71 practice question is part of Courseiva's free CompTIA certification practice question bank. Courseiva provides original exam-style practice questions with explanations, topic-based practice, mock exams, readiness tracking, and study analytics to help learners prepare for the FC0-U71 exam.