This N10-009 practice question tests your understanding of network implementation. The scenario asks you to isolate a root cause — eliminate options that address a different problem before choosing. 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 is connecting two switches to increase bandwidth and provide redundancy. Which technology should be used to combine multiple physical links into a single logical link?
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Link Aggregation Control Protocol
Link Aggregation Control Protocol (LACP) is the correct technology because it allows multiple physical Ethernet links to be combined into a single logical link, increasing aggregate bandwidth and providing redundancy. LACP (IEEE 802.3ad) automatically negotiates and manages the bundling of ports between switches, ensuring that traffic is load-balanced across the member links and that the bundle remains operational even if one physical link fails.
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.
✗
Spanning Tree Protocol
Why it's wrong here
STP prevents loops by blocking redundant links; it does not aggregate bandwidth.
✓
Link Aggregation Control Protocol
Why this is correct
LACP combines multiple physical links into a single logical link, increasing bandwidth and providing failover.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
RSTP is an improvement of STP for faster convergence, not aggregation.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
Cisco often tests the misconception that STP or RSTP can be used to increase bandwidth, but the trap here is that STP and RSTP only provide redundancy by blocking ports to prevent loops, not by actively combining links for higher throughput.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
LACP operates by exchanging Link Aggregation Control Protocol Data Units (LACPDUs) between switches to negotiate the formation of a Link Aggregation Group (LAG). Each LAG can contain up to 8 active links (and up to 8 standby links in some implementations), and traffic is distributed using a hash algorithm based on source/destination MAC, IP, or TCP/UDP port numbers. In a real-world scenario, if one link in the LAG fails, traffic is seamlessly redistributed across the remaining links without requiring STP to reconverge, providing both increased throughput and fault tolerance.
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 help-desk technician troubleshoots why a newly connected PC cannot reach shared printers on the same floor. The cable is good, the switch port is active, but the PC is in VLAN 20 and the printers are in VLAN 10. The uplink trunk only allows VLAN 10. A trunk being up does not mean every VLAN crosses it.
Related glossary terms
Concepts from this question explained
These glossary pages explain the core terms tested in this N10-009 question in full detail.
Network Implementation — This question tests Network Implementation — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Link Aggregation Control Protocol — Link Aggregation Control Protocol (LACP) is the correct technology because it allows multiple physical Ethernet links to be combined into a single logical link, increasing aggregate bandwidth and providing redundancy. LACP (IEEE 802.3ad) automatically negotiates and manages the bundling of ports between switches, ensuring that traffic is load-balanced across the member links and that the bundle remains operational even if one physical link fails.
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.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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Question Discussion
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