easyMultiple Choice
FC0-U71 Practice Question: A small office has five desktop computers that…
A small office has five desktop computers that need to be connected to share files and a printer. Which network device should be used to create a local area network?
⚠ Common exam trap
Watch out — candidates often confuse a hub with a switch because both have multiple Ethernet ports, but the hub's lack of intelligence and shared collision domain makes it obsolete for any practical LAN beyond legacy or lab use.
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
✓
Switch
A switch is the correct device because it operates at Layer 2 of the OSI model, using MAC addresses to forward frames only to the specific port where the destination device is connected. This creates a dedicated, collision-free path between any two communicating devices, which is essential for a small office LAN where five computers need to share files and a printer efficiently.
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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Hub
Why it's wrong here
A hub repeats every incoming frame out of all other ports, so all five desktops share one collision domain and contend for bandwidth. It would suit a tiny legacy segment, but a switch forwards frames only to the destination MAC address, which the shared-printer LAN requires.
- ✓
Switch
Why this is correct
A switch forwards frames between the five desktops on the same LAN, letting them share files and the printer. It provides the multiple wired ports needed for a small office, unlike a router, which would instead join separate networks.
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Modem
Why it's wrong here
A modem converts signals between a carrier network and a local connection, terminating a WAN link rather than forwarding frames between the five desktops. It would be the right device when connecting the office to an ISP, but it provides no switching fabric for the LAN.
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Router
Why it's wrong here
A router connects multiple networks (e.g., a LAN to the internet) using Network Address Translation and routing tables, but it does not provide the direct, collision-domain-free switching between local devices that a switch offers. For five desktops sharing files and a printer on a single LAN, a switch is required to forward frames based on MAC addresses. The router is tempting because it is commonly used in home networks to combine LAN switching with internet access, but in this scenario, a router alone lacks the necessary port density and switching fabric for local traffic.
Quick reference
Access Control Model Comparison
| Model | Acronym | Who Controls Access? | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| Discretionary Access Control | DAC | Resource owner | Small teams, file shares |
| Mandatory Access Control | MAC | System / security labels | Classified govt / military |
| Role-Based Access Control | RBAC | Administrator (via roles) | Enterprise environments |
| Attribute-Based Access Control | ABAC | Policy engine (user + resource attributes) | Fine-grained, dynamic policies |
| Rule-Based Access Control | RuBAC | System rules / ACLs | Firewall rules, network ACLs |
Go deeper
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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.