N10-009 NIC Teaming Practice Question
A network administrator wants to ensure that a critical file server is always reachable via a single IP address, even if the server's NIC fails. The server has a single NIC. Which technique should be used to provide high availability for this IP address?
⚠ Common exam trap
Candidates often mistake VRRP as a solution for server NIC redundancy, but VRRP is a protocol for router redundancy, not server NIC failover. NIC teaming is the appropriate technique, even though it requires multiple NICs.
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
✓
Implement NIC teaming
NIC teaming allows multiple NICs to be combined into a single logical interface with one IP address, providing redundancy in case a NIC fails. Although the server currently has only one NIC, this is the correct technique to achieve the goal, as it can be implemented by adding a second NIC. VRRP provides router redundancy, not server NIC redundancy, so it does not solve the problem of a server NIC failure. Load balancers distribute traffic across multiple servers, and DNS round robin does not provide automatic failover.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Configure a load balancer in front of multiple servers
Why it's wrong here
Load balancers distribute traffic across multiple servers, but the scenario involves a single server. Load balancing does not provide NIC redundancy for a single server.
- ✓
Implement NIC teaming
Why this is correct
NIC teaming combines multiple NICs into one logical interface with a single IP. If one NIC fails, traffic continues through the other, providing the required high availability.
- ✗
Use VRRP to create a virtual IP address
Why it's wrong here
VRRP is used for router redundancy, not server NIC redundancy. It allows a backup router to take over a virtual IP if the primary router fails, but does not protect against a server NIC failure.
- ✗
Use DNS round robin
Why it's wrong here
DNS round robin distributes traffic across multiple IPs, but it does not provide automatic failover; if the server's NIC fails, clients may still attempt to reach the unresponsive IP.
When this WOULD be correct
DNS round robin would be correct for load balancing traffic across multiple redundant servers without requiring a virtual IP, such as when distributing web requests among several identical web servers to improve scalability and fault tolerance at the DNS level.
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.
✓Implement NIC teamingCorrect answer▾
Why this is correct
NIC teaming combines multiple NICs into one logical interface with a single IP. If one NIC fails, traffic continues through the other, providing the required high availability.
✗Use DNS round robinWrong answer — click to see why▾
Why this is wrong here
DNS round robin distributes traffic across multiple IP addresses, but it does not provide a single, always-reachable IP address for a single server. If the server's NIC fails, DNS round robin would still direct traffic to the failed IP, causing downtime.
★ When this WOULD be the correct answer
DNS round robin would be correct for load balancing traffic across multiple redundant servers without requiring a virtual IP, such as when distributing web requests among several identical web servers to improve scalability and fault tolerance at the DNS level.
Why candidates choose this
Candidates may think DNS round robin offers high availability by distributing traffic, but they overlook that it lacks automatic failover and does not solve the single point of failure of a single NIC.
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?”
Go deeper
Related to this question
Learn chapter
Network Documentation and Diagrams
Key term
Availability
Availability is the measure of how often a system or service is operational and accessible when needed, typically expressed as a percentage of uptime.
Key term
High availability
High availability is a system design approach that aims to keep applications and services operational and accessible with minimal downtime, even when some components fail.
About these practice questions
Courseiva writes every N10-009 question from scratch — 464 in total, each with an explanation and a wrong-answer breakdown. None are copied from real exams or dumps. Learn why practice questions differ from exam dumps →
JA
Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
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.