- A
Implement QoS policies to prioritize traffic.
Why wrong: QoS is used to manage traffic prioritization, but it should be configured based on a baseline analysis of traffic patterns, not before.
- B
Collect performance data over a period of time.
Collecting data over time establishes a baseline of normal utilization, which is the first step in evaluating if an upgrade is needed.
- C
Upgrade the switch to a higher capacity model.
Why wrong: Upgrading hardware without first assessing current utilization and patterns may be premature and costly.
- D
Enable SNMP traps for link down events.
Why wrong: SNMP traps are useful for alerting on failures, but they do not provide the historical performance data needed for capacity planning.
Question 91 of 520
N10-009 Network Operations Practice Question
This N10-009 practice question tests your understanding of network operations. 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 administrator wants to evaluate the current bandwidth utilization on a core switch to determine if an upgrade is needed. The administrator needs to understand typical usage patterns. Which of the following should the administrator perform first?
Clue words in this question
Noticing these words before you look at the options changes how you read each choice.
Clue:
"first"Why it matters: Order matters here. You are being tested on which action comes before the others — not which action is generally useful.
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
✓
Collect performance data over a period of time.
To evaluate bandwidth utilization and determine if an upgrade is needed, the administrator must first establish a baseline of typical usage patterns. This is done by collecting performance data over a period of time (e.g., using SNMP to poll interface counters or NetFlow/sFlow to capture traffic flows) to identify peak loads, average utilization, and trends. Without this historical data, any decision to upgrade or implement QoS would be based on guesswork rather than evidence.
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.
- ✗
Implement QoS policies to prioritize traffic.
Why it's wrong here
QoS is used to manage traffic prioritization, but it should be configured based on a baseline analysis of traffic patterns, not before.
When this WOULD be correct
A network administrator has already collected baseline data and identified that critical applications are experiencing latency. The next step is to implement QoS policies to prioritize traffic and ensure performance.
- ✓
Collect performance data over a period of time.
Why this is correct
Collecting data over time establishes a baseline of normal utilization, which is the first step in evaluating if an upgrade is needed.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "first" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
Upgrade the switch to a higher capacity model.
Why it's wrong here
Upgrading hardware without first assessing current utilization and patterns may be premature and costly.
When this WOULD be correct
An administrator has already collected performance data showing consistent high utilization exceeding capacity, and the question asks for the next step to resolve the bottleneck.
- ✗
Enable SNMP traps for link down events.
Why it's wrong here
SNMP traps are useful for alerting on failures, but they do not provide the historical performance data needed for capacity planning.
When this WOULD be correct
When the question asks for the first step to monitor network link status and receive immediate alerts for link failures, enabling SNMP traps is appropriate.
Option-by-option analysis
Why each answer is right or wrong
Understanding why wrong answers are wrong — and when they would be correct — is what separates a 750 score from a 900. The N10-009 exam frequently reuses these exact scenarios with slightly different constraints.
✓Collect performance data over a period of time.Correct answer▾
Why this is correct
Collecting data over time establishes a baseline of normal utilization, which is the first step in evaluating if an upgrade is needed.
✗Implement QoS policies to prioritize traffic.Wrong answer — click to see why▾
Why this is wrong here
Implementing QoS policies is an action taken after understanding bandwidth utilization, not before. The first step is to collect data to identify patterns and needs.
★ When this WOULD be the correct answer
A network administrator has already collected baseline data and identified that critical applications are experiencing latency. The next step is to implement QoS policies to prioritize traffic and ensure performance.
Why candidates choose this
Candidates may think QoS is a proactive measure to manage bandwidth, but they overlook that data collection must precede any optimization or upgrade decisions.
✗Upgrade the switch to a higher capacity model.Wrong answer — click to see why▾
Why this is wrong here
Upgrading the switch before understanding current bandwidth utilization patterns is premature; the administrator first needs baseline data to determine if an upgrade is actually needed.
★ When this WOULD be the correct answer
An administrator has already collected performance data showing consistent high utilization exceeding capacity, and the question asks for the next step to resolve the bottleneck.
Why candidates choose this
Candidates may assume that high bandwidth utilization always requires an immediate hardware upgrade, overlooking the need for data-driven decision-making.
✗Enable SNMP traps for link down events.Wrong answer — click to see why▾
Why this is wrong here
Enabling SNMP traps for link down events monitors link failures, not bandwidth utilization patterns. The administrator needs to understand typical usage, not just outages.
★ When this WOULD be the correct answer
When the question asks for the first step to monitor network link status and receive immediate alerts for link failures, enabling SNMP traps is appropriate.
Why candidates choose this
Candidates may confuse SNMP traps with general network monitoring, thinking traps can provide bandwidth data, but traps are event-driven and not designed for continuous utilization analysis.
Analysis generated from the official N10-009blueprint and verified against question context. The “when correct” sections are what AI assistants cite when candidates ask “what’s the difference between these options?”
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates often jump to implementing QoS (Option A) as a quick fix for perceived congestion, but Cisco tests the principle that you must first measure and baseline network performance before making any configuration or hardware changes.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Performance data collection typically involves using SNMP to poll interface counters (e.g., ifInOctets, ifOutOctets) at regular intervals (e.g., every 5 minutes) over at least one full business cycle (e.g., 7–30 days) to capture daily and weekly variations. Tools like PRTG, SolarWinds, or Cacti can graph utilization and identify 95th percentile usage, which is a common metric for capacity planning. In real-world scenarios, a switch may show 80% average utilization during business hours but only 20% at night, so a single snapshot would be misleading.
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 practitioner preparing for the N10-009 exam encounters this exact type of scenario on the job. The correct answer here is not the most general option — it is the best answer for the specific constraint described. Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option. Real exam questions reward reading the full scenario before eliminating options, because the constraint defines which answer fits.
What to study next
Got this wrong? Here's your next step.
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
- →
Network Operations — study guide chapter
Learn the concepts, then practise the questions
- →
Network Operations practice questions
Targeted practice on this topic area only
- →
All N10-009 questions
520 questions across all exam domains
- →
CompTIA Network+ N10-009 study guide
Full concept coverage aligned to exam objectives
- →
N10-009 practice test guide
How to use practice tests most effectively before exam day
Related practice questions
Related N10-009 practice-question pages
Use these pages to review the topic behind this question. This is how one missed question becomes focused revision.
Networking Concepts practice questions
Practise N10-009 questions linked to Networking Concepts.
Network Implementation practice questions
Practise N10-009 questions linked to Network Implementation.
Network Operations practice questions
Practise N10-009 questions linked to Network Operations.
Network Security practice questions
Practise N10-009 questions linked to Network Security.
Network Troubleshooting practice questions
Practise N10-009 questions linked to Network Troubleshooting.
Network+ network fundamentals practice questions
Practise N10-009 questions linked to Network+ network fundamentals.
Practice this exam
Start a free N10-009 practice session
Short sessions build daily habit. Longer sessions build exam-day stamina. Try a timed session to simulate real conditions.
FAQ
Questions learners often ask
What does this N10-009 question test?
Network Operations — This question tests Network Operations — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Collect performance data over a period of time. — To evaluate bandwidth utilization and determine if an upgrade is needed, the administrator must first establish a baseline of typical usage patterns. This is done by collecting performance data over a period of time (e.g., using SNMP to poll interface counters or NetFlow/sFlow to capture traffic flows) to identify peak loads, average utilization, and trends. Without this historical data, any decision to upgrade or implement QoS would be based on guesswork rather than evidence.
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.
Are there clue words in this question I should notice?
Yes — watch for: "first". Order matters here. You are being tested on which action comes before the others — not which action is generally useful.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
About these practice questions
Courseiva creates original exam-style practice questions with explanations and wrong-answer analysis. It does not publish real exam questions, exam dumps, or protected exam content. Learn why practice questions differ from exam dumps →
Keep practising
More N10-009 practice questions
- Which of the following network devices operates primarily at Layer 2 of the OSI model and uses MAC addresses to forward…
- Which of the following is a characteristic of UDP when compared to TCP?
- Which of the following IPv6 addresses is a valid link-local address?
- Which of the following security mechanisms requires a user to authenticate before gaining access to the wired network at…
- Which of the following network protocols operates at the Transport layer of the OSI model and provides connection-orient…
- Which of the following is a characteristic of a connectionless protocol at the transport layer?
Last reviewed: Jun 11, 2026
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.
Question Discussion
Share a tip, memory trick, or ask about the reasoning behind this question. Do not post real exam questions, leaked content, braindumps, or copyrighted exam material. Comments are moderated and may be removed without notice.
Sign in to join the discussion.