- A
A) Configure the router to send SNMP traps to the NMS
Correct. Alerts for interface down events are sent via SNMP traps. The router must be configured with the IP address of the trap receiver (NMS).
- B
B) Perform an SNMP walk of the interface OIDs
Why wrong: Incorrect. An SNMP walk is a polling method used to retrieve a set of variables. It does not provide immediate alerts; it requires the NMS to continuously poll.
- C
C) Use SNMP get to retrieve interface status periodically
Why wrong: Incorrect. SNMP get is a polling operation and does not provide real-time alerts. The administrator would have to poll frequently, which increases overhead.
- D
D) Configure SNMP set to change interface parameters
Why wrong: Incorrect. SNMP set is used to write or modify configuration on the device, not to generate alerts.
Quick Answer
The answer is to configure the router to send SNMP traps to the NMS. This is correct because SNMP traps are unsolicited, event-driven notifications sent directly from the managed device to the Network Management Station, allowing the administrator to receive immediate interface down alerts without waiting for a polling cycle. Since the community strings are already set, the missing step is defining the trap destination and enabling trap generation for interface state changes. On the CompTIA Network+ N10-009 exam, this question tests your understanding of the difference between SNMP traps and polling—traps push alerts, while polling pulls data. A common trap is confusing traps with informs or forgetting that community strings alone do not send alerts. Remember the mnemonic: “Traps Trigger, Polling Pulls”—if you need instant notification, configure the trap destination.
N10-009 Network Operations Practice Question
This N10-009 practice question tests your understanding of network operations. This is a configuration task: choose the command set that satisfies every stated requirement. Small differences — like 'secret' vs 'password' or 'transport input ssh' vs 'all' — change whether the answer is correct. 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 be alerted immediately when any interface on a core router goes down. The administrator has already configured SNMP community strings. Which additional configuration is necessary to receive these alerts?
Clue words in this question
Noticing these words before you look at the options changes how you read each choice.
Clue:
"immediately / without restart"Why it matters: Time or reboot constraint — the correct answer must take effect right away without requiring a reboot or reload.
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
A) Configure the router to send SNMP traps to the NMS
SNMP traps are unsolicited notifications sent from the managed device (the router) to the Network Management Station (NMS) when a specific event occurs, such as an interface going down. Since the administrator wants immediate alerts without polling, configuring the router to send SNMP traps to the NMS is the correct approach. The SNMP community strings are already set, so the missing piece is the trap destination and enabling trap generation for interface state changes.
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.
- ✓
A) Configure the router to send SNMP traps to the NMS
Why this is correct
Correct. Alerts for interface down events are sent via SNMP traps. The router must be configured with the IP address of the trap receiver (NMS).
Clue confirmation
The clue word "immediately / without restart" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
B) Perform an SNMP walk of the interface OIDs
Why it's wrong here
Incorrect. An SNMP walk is a polling method used to retrieve a set of variables. It does not provide immediate alerts; it requires the NMS to continuously poll.
- ✗
C) Use SNMP get to retrieve interface status periodically
Why it's wrong here
Incorrect. SNMP get is a polling operation and does not provide real-time alerts. The administrator would have to poll frequently, which increases overhead.
- ✗
D) Configure SNMP set to change interface parameters
Why it's wrong here
Incorrect. SNMP set is used to write or modify configuration on the device, not to generate alerts.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
CompTIA often tests the distinction between polling (SNMP get/walk) and event-driven notifications (traps), and candidates mistakenly choose periodic polling (Option C) thinking it provides 'immediate' alerts, not realizing that polling introduces latency and is not truly immediate.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
SNMP traps are defined in RFC 1157 and use UDP port 162 to send event-driven messages from the agent to the manager. For immediate interface down alerts, the router must have the 'snmp-server enable traps' command and a specific 'snmp-server host <NMS-IP> version 2c <community>' configured to direct the traps. In a real-world scenario, missing the 'enable traps' command is a common oversight, causing traps to be configured but never sent.
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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Network Operations — study guide chapter
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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: A) Configure the router to send SNMP traps to the NMS — SNMP traps are unsolicited notifications sent from the managed device (the router) to the Network Management Station (NMS) when a specific event occurs, such as an interface going down. Since the administrator wants immediate alerts without polling, configuring the router to send SNMP traps to the NMS is the correct approach. The SNMP community strings are already set, so the missing piece is the trap destination and enabling trap generation for interface state changes.
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: "immediately / without restart". Time or reboot constraint — the correct answer must take effect right away without requiring a reboot or reload.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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Last reviewed: Jun 30, 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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