Quick Answer
The answer is SNMP, or Simple Network Management Protocol. This protocol is the correct choice because it is specifically designed to collect performance data from network devices by polling objects stored in the Management Information Base (MIB), and it can generate traps or inform requests to send alerts when predefined thresholds are exceeded. On the CompTIA Network+ N10-009 exam, this question tests your understanding of how SNMP enables proactive monitoring and threshold-based alerting, often appearing alongside distractors like ICMP (used for reachability, not data collection) or Syslog (used for log aggregation, not polling). A common trap is confusing SNMP traps with Syslog messages—remember that SNMP traps are alert-driven and tied to MIB thresholds, while Syslog is a separate logging standard. For a quick memory tip: think of SNMP as the "Snoop" that polls and pings for performance, then "Traps" the threshold.
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 collect performance data from network devices over time and receive alerts when thresholds are exceeded. Which protocol should be used?
syslog
Why wrong: Syslog is used for collecting log messages, not for performance metrics or alert thresholds.
SNMP
SNMP allows polling of MIB objects and sending traps when thresholds are exceeded.
NetFlow
Why wrong: NetFlow provides traffic flow statistics but is not typically used for threshold-based alerts.
ICMP
Why wrong: ICMP is used for ping and traceroute, not for continuous monitoring and alerts.
Answer choices
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
SNMP
SNMP (Simple Network Management Protocol) is designed to collect performance data from network devices by polling MIB (Management Information Base) objects and can generate traps or inform requests to send alerts when thresholds are exceeded. This makes it the correct choice for proactive monitoring and threshold-based alerting.
Key principle: Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Answer analysis
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
syslog
Why it's wrong here
Syslog is used for collecting log messages, not for performance metrics or alert thresholds.
SNMP
Why this is correct
SNMP allows polling of MIB objects and sending traps when thresholds are exceeded.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
NetFlow
Why it's wrong here
NetFlow provides traffic flow statistics but is not typically used for threshold-based alerts.
ICMP
Why it's wrong here
ICMP is used for ping and traceroute, not for continuous monitoring and alerts.
Common exam traps
The trap here is that candidates confuse syslog (which can also send alerts via log messages) with SNMP's dedicated alerting mechanism (traps/informs), but syslog lacks the structured polling and MIB-based threshold monitoring that SNMP provides for performance data collection.
Detailed technical explanation
SNMP uses a manager-agent model where the manager polls agents via GET requests to retrieve OID values from the MIB, and agents can send unsolicited traps or informs to the manager when thresholds defined in RMON (Remote Monitoring) or custom MIBs are crossed. In real-world deployments, SNMPv3 with authentication and encryption is often used to secure the monitoring traffic, and tools like PRTG or SolarWinds leverage SNMP to graph CPU, memory, and interface utilization over time.
Key takeaway
Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Real-world example
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
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
Network Operations — This question tests Network Operations — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
The correct answer is: SNMP — SNMP (Simple Network Management Protocol) is designed to collect performance data from network devices by polling MIB (Management Information Base) objects and can generate traps or inform requests to send alerts when thresholds are exceeded. This makes it the correct choice for proactive monitoring and threshold-based alerting.
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
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 →
Same concept, more angles
These questions test the same concept from different angles. Work through them to make sure you can recognise it however the exam phrases it.
Variation 1. A network administrator wants to be notified immediately when any interface on a core router goes down. The administrator has already configured SNMP community strings on the router. What additional configuration is necessary to receive these notifications?
mediumWhy B: SNMP traps are unsolicited notifications sent from a managed device (the router) to a Network Management System (NMS) when a specific event occurs, such as an interface going down. Since the administrator already configured SNMP community strings (which provide authentication for SNMP messages), the missing piece is configuring the router to send traps to a specific trap receiver (the NMS) and ensuring the NMS is set up to listen for those traps. Without this trap receiver configuration, the router will not generate or forward the event-driven alerts.
Variation 2. A network administrator needs to be notified immediately when the CPU utilization on a core router exceeds 90%. Which SNMP mechanism should be configured on the router?
mediumWhy B: B is correct because SNMP traps are unsolicited notifications sent from an SNMP agent (the router) to the manager when a predefined condition occurs, such as CPU utilization exceeding 90%. This allows immediate notification without waiting for the manager to poll, which is essential for urgent alerts.
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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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