This FC0-U61 practice question tests your understanding of infrastructure. Read the scenario carefully and evaluate each option against the stated constraints before committing to an answer. After answering, compare your reasoning against the explanation and wrong-answer breakdown below. Once you have made your selection, read the full explanation to reinforce the concept and understand why each distractor is designed to mislead on exam day.
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?
Hub
Why wrong: Hubs are outdated and less efficient; they broadcast data to all ports.
Switch
Switches forward data based on MAC addresses, ideal for creating a local network.
Modem
Why wrong: Modems connect to the internet service provider, not for local LAN connectivity.
Router
Why wrong: Routers connect different networks; for a single LAN, a switch is more appropriate.
Answer choices
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.
Key principle: Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Answer analysis
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
Hub
Why it's wrong here
Hubs are outdated and less efficient; they broadcast data to all ports.
Switch
Why this is correct
Switches forward data based on MAC addresses, ideal for creating a local network.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Modem
Why it's wrong here
Modems connect to the internet service provider, not for local LAN connectivity.
Router
Why it's wrong here
Routers connect different networks; for a single LAN, a switch is more appropriate.
Common exam traps
The trap here is that 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.
Detailed technical explanation
A switch builds a MAC address table by learning the source MAC address of each frame received on a port, then uses that table to make forwarding decisions. In a small office, using a switch instead of a hub eliminates collisions entirely because each port is a separate collision domain, allowing full-duplex communication at wire speed. Real-world scenario: if the five computers are transferring large files simultaneously, a switch allows each pair to communicate at full bandwidth, whereas a hub would force them to contend for the medium, drastically reducing performance.
Key takeaway
Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Real-world example
A small business has 20 workstations on the 192.168.1.0/24 network and one public IP from its ISP. The router uses PAT (NAT overload) so all 20 devices share one public address using different source ports. NAT questions test whether you understand the four address terms and which direction each translation applies.
What to study next
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FAQ
Infrastructure — This question tests Infrastructure — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
The correct answer is: 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.
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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Last reviewed: Jun 25, 2026
This FC0-U61 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-U61 exam.
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