FC0-U71 Infrastructure Practice Question
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?
⚠ Common exam trap
Many candidates confuse the star topology's central switch with a bus topology's shared backbone, since both can cause widespread outages when the central component fails; candidates must recognize that a switch at the center defines a star, not a bus.
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 topology
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.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
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Bus topology
Why it's wrong here
Bus topology shares a single backbone cable with terminators, not a central switch, so devices tap the medium rather than connect to one device. It is tempting because a bus also has a single failure point, but the stem names a central switch, which defines a star.
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Mesh topology
Why it's wrong here
Mesh topology interconnects every node with redundant paths, so no single device failure isolates the network, contradicting the stated single point of failure. It is tempting because mesh offers high resilience, and would be correct where fault tolerance across multiple links is the design goal.
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Star topology
Why this is correct
A star topology connects every device to a central switch, so the switch is a single point of failure: if it fails, all connected devices lose connectivity simultaneously. This directly matches the scenario's described constraint, where one switch failure disrupts the entire office network.
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Ring topology
Why it's wrong here
Ring topology passes data node-to-node around a closed loop, so a failed switch breaks the ring rather than every device depending on one central device. It is tempting because rings also fail as a unit, but the stem describes direct star connections to one switch.
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Written and reviewed by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
Last reviewed September 2026 · checked against the official CompTIA exam blueprint
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.