- A
Immediately block the port to prevent potential network congestion from affecting other users.
Why wrong: Blocking the port without investigation could disrupt legitimate traffic and is not a best practice. The correct first step is to investigate.
- B
Check the monitoring system logs to identify the traffic source and destination.
Reviewing logs provides context on what is causing the high utilization, enabling informed decision-making about subsequent actions.
- C
Reboot the switch to clear any temporary errors that might be causing the alert.
Why wrong: Rebooting the switch is an aggressive step that would cause network disruption and is not appropriate as an initial response to a bandwidth threshold alert.
- D
Increase the bandwidth on the port to accommodate the higher traffic load.
Why wrong: Increasing bandwidth may be a solution, but it should be done through proper change management after investigating the cause of the traffic increase.
Quick Answer
The correct first step when bandwidth utilization exceeds threshold is to check the monitoring system logs to identify the traffic source and destination. This is because network operations best practices emphasize “verify before acting”—jumping to shut down the port or reconfigure settings without understanding the traffic could disrupt legitimate operations like scheduled backups or large file transfers. By examining the logs, you can determine whether the spike is from a benign process or a malicious attack such as a DoS, which directly aligns with the troubleshooting methodology tested on the CompTIA Network+ N10-009 exam. A common trap on this exam is choosing “immediately disable the port” or “increase the bandwidth limit,” but the correct approach is always to gather data first. Remember the memory tip: “Logs before locks”—always check the logs before locking down or changing a port.
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 receives an automated alert from the network monitoring system indicating that the bandwidth utilization on a specific switch port has exceeded the threshold for the past 10 minutes. According to best practices for network operations, what should the administrator do FIRST?
Clue words in this question
Noticing these words before you look at the options changes how you read each choice.
Clue:
"best"Why it matters: Signals that multiple options may be partially correct. Choose the option that most directly solves the exact problem described, not the one that sounds most complete.
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
Check the monitoring system logs to identify the traffic source and destination.
Option B is correct because the first step in responding to a bandwidth utilization alert is to investigate the traffic causing the spike. Checking the monitoring system logs allows the administrator to identify the source and destination of the traffic, which is essential for determining whether the utilization is legitimate (e.g., a backup or large file transfer) or malicious (e.g., a DoS attack). This aligns with the network operations best practice of 'verify before acting' to avoid unnecessary disruptions.
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.
- ✗
Immediately block the port to prevent potential network congestion from affecting other users.
Why it's wrong here
Blocking the port without investigation could disrupt legitimate traffic and is not a best practice. The correct first step is to investigate.
- ✓
Check the monitoring system logs to identify the traffic source and destination.
Why this is correct
Reviewing logs provides context on what is causing the high utilization, enabling informed decision-making about subsequent actions.
Clue confirmation
The clue words "best", "first" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
Reboot the switch to clear any temporary errors that might be causing the alert.
Why it's wrong here
Rebooting the switch is an aggressive step that would cause network disruption and is not appropriate as an initial response to a bandwidth threshold alert.
- ✗
Increase the bandwidth on the port to accommodate the higher traffic load.
Why it's wrong here
Increasing bandwidth may be a solution, but it should be done through proper change management after investigating the cause of the traffic increase.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates panic and choose 'immediately block the port' (Option A) thinking it's a proactive security measure, but Cisco tests the principle that network operations require analysis before action to avoid disrupting legitimate traffic.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Under the hood, SNMP-based monitoring systems (e.g., using MIB-II ifInOctets) poll interface counters at intervals (e.g., 5 minutes) to calculate average utilization. A sustained 10-minute threshold breach suggests a continuous flow, which could be a backup job, a streaming service, or a DDoS amplification attack. In a real-world scenario, the administrator would use NetFlow or sFlow data from the logs to pinpoint the offending IP and port, then decide whether to apply a rate-limit or an ACL, not blindly block or reboot.
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.
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.
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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: Check the monitoring system logs to identify the traffic source and destination. — Option B is correct because the first step in responding to a bandwidth utilization alert is to investigate the traffic causing the spike. Checking the monitoring system logs allows the administrator to identify the source and destination of the traffic, which is essential for determining whether the utilization is legitimate (e.g., a backup or large file transfer) or malicious (e.g., a DoS attack). This aligns with the network operations best practice of 'verify before acting' to avoid unnecessary disruptions.
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: "best", "first". Signals that multiple options may be partially correct. Choose the option that most directly solves the exact problem described, not the one that sounds most complete.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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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.
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