This N10-009 practice question tests your understanding of networking concepts. 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 network device receives a frame on one port and forwards it out to all other ports. The device does not examine the destination MAC address. Which type of device is being described?
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Hub
A hub operates at Layer 1 (physical layer) of the OSI model and simply repeats incoming electrical or optical signals out all other ports without any processing of the frame's destination MAC address. This behavior matches the description exactly: the device receives a frame on one port and forwards it out all other ports without examining the MAC address.
Key principle: Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
✗
Switch
Why it's wrong here
Switches examine the destination MAC address and forward frames only to the specific port, not to all ports (except for broadcasts).
✓
Hub
Why this is correct
Hubs are Layer 1 devices that forward signals to all ports without any intelligence. They do not read MAC addresses.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
Bridge
Why it's wrong here
Bridges operate at Layer 2 and use MAC addresses to segment traffic, forwarding only to the necessary segment.
✗
Router
Why it's wrong here
Routers operate at Layer 3 and use IP addresses to determine the best path, not forwarding blindly to all ports.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
Cisco often tests the distinction between Layer 1 (hub) and Layer 2 (switch/bridge) devices by describing the 'flooding' behavior of a switch when the MAC address is unknown, which can trick candidates into thinking a switch forwards to all ports without examining the MAC address, but a switch always examines the destination MAC address first.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Hubs are essentially multiport repeaters that regenerate and retransmit all incoming signals to every other port, creating a single collision domain and half-duplex environment. This behavior leads to inefficiencies such as collisions and bandwidth sharing, which is why hubs have been largely replaced by switches in modern networks. In contrast, switches break up collision domains by micro-segmenting each port and using store-and-forward or cut-through switching to forward frames intelligently.
KKey Concepts to Remember
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Find the constraint that changes the correct option.
Eliminate answers that are true in general but not in this case.
TExam Day Tips
→Watch for words such as best, first, most likely and least administrative effort.
→Review why wrong options are wrong, not only why the correct option is correct.
Key takeaway
Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Real-world example
How this comes up in practice
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.
Related glossary terms
Concepts from this question explained
These glossary pages explain the core terms tested in this N10-009 question in full detail.
Networking Concepts — This question tests Networking Concepts — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Hub — A hub operates at Layer 1 (physical layer) of the OSI model and simply repeats incoming electrical or optical signals out all other ports without any processing of the frame's destination MAC address. This behavior matches the description exactly: the device receives a frame on one port and forwards it out all other ports without examining the MAC address.
What should I do if I get this N10-009 question wrong?
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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Question Discussion
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