N10-009 Network Troubleshooting Practice Question
A network technician receives reports that users on the third floor cannot reach the file server at 172.16.5.10, while users on other floors are unaffected. The technician suspects an issue with the access switch on that floor. Which two commands should the technician use to verify the switch's interface status and VLAN configuration? (Choose two.)
⚠ Common exam trap
The trap here is assuming that because the file server is unreachable, the problem must be at Layer 3, leading to commands like show ip route, when the issue is actually at Layer 2 on the access switch.
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
✓
show interfaces status
The correct commands are show interfaces status and show vlan brief. These directly address the likely causes: a port being down or a VLAN misconfiguration on the third-floor switch. Other commands like show ip route, show arp, and show running-config are less targeted for verifying interface and VLAN status on a Layer 2 access switch.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
show running-config
Why it's wrong here
This command displays the current configuration of the switch. While it could reveal misconfigurations, it is not as focused as the specific show commands for interface status and VLANs. It would provide a large amount of information, making it less efficient for quickly pinpointing the issue.
- ✓
show interfaces status
Why this is correct
This command displays the status of all switch ports, including connected/disconnected state, speed, duplex, and VLAN assignment. On the third floor switch, it would quickly reveal whether the port connected to the file server or uplink is down or in the wrong VLAN, helping isolate the connectivity issue.
- ✗
show arp
Why it's wrong here
This command displays the ARP cache, mapping IP addresses to MAC addresses. It could help identify connectivity problems, but it does not directly show interface status or VLAN configuration, which are the primary suspects when users on a single floor lose access to a server.
- ✓
show vlan brief
Why this is correct
This command lists all VLANs and their associated ports. It would confirm whether the ports on the third floor switch are correctly assigned to the VLAN that has access to the file server subnet, which is essential for troubleshooting VLAN misconfigurations causing the reported issue.
- ✗
show ip route
Why it's wrong here
This command shows the routing table on a router or Layer 3 switch. While it could help diagnose routing problems, the scenario points to a switch-specific issue on one floor. The access switch is likely Layer 2 only and would not have a routing table, so this command would not provide useful information.
Visual reference
Go deeper
Related to this question
Learn chapter
Interface Error Types: CRC, Runts, Giants
Key term
VLAN
A VLAN (Virtual Local Area Network) is a logical grouping of network devices that behave as if they are on the same physical network segment, regardless of their actual physical location.
Key term
Interface
An interface is a point of connection or interaction between two systems, devices, or software components that allows them to exchange information or signals.
About these practice questions
This N10-009 question is part of Courseiva's 472-question bank — original exam-style content with full explanations and wrong-answer analysis, never real exam questions or exam dumps. Learn why practice questions differ from exam dumps →
JA
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 N10-009 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 N10-009 exam.