Drag a concept onto its matching description — or click a concept then click the description.
Concepts
Matches
100 meters
100 meters (55 meters for 10GBASE-T)
Up to 550 meters (depending on standard)
Up to 40 km or more
N10-009 Network Operations Practice Question
Match each cable type to its maximum segment length (Ethernet).
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
✓
Cat5e: 100 meters
The correct matches are: Cat5e=100m, 10BASE2=185m, Multimode fiber=550m. Common confusions involve swapping lengths between copper and fiber types.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✓
Cat5e: 100 meters
Why this is correct
Category 5e (Cat5e) unshielded twisted-pair (UTP) cabling is a widely adopted standard for Ethernet networks. It reliably supports data rates up to 1 Gigabit Ethernet (1000BASE-T) over a maximum segment length of 100 meters (328 feet). This distance limitation is crucial for maintaining signal integrity and minimizing attenuation and crosstalk within the specified performance parameters, ensuring stable network operation.
- ✓
10BASE2: 185 meters
Why this is correct
10BASE2, also known as "ThinNet," utilizes RG-58 coaxial cable and was an early Ethernet standard operating at 10 Mbps. Its maximum segment length is precisely 185 meters (607 feet), significantly longer than twisted-pair copper for its time. This standard allowed for easier installation and daisy-chaining of devices compared to its thicker counterpart, 10BASE5, before UTP became dominant.
- ✗
Cat6: 185 meters
Why it's wrong here
Category 6 (Cat6) UTP cabling is designed to support higher bandwidths, up to 10 Gigabit Ethernet (10GBASE-T) over shorter distances, but for typical 1 Gigabit Ethernet, its maximum segment length remains 100 meters. The specified 185 meters is incorrect for Cat6; that distance is characteristic of the older 10BASE2 thin coaxial Ethernet standard, not modern twisted-pair copper, which adheres to a 100-meter limit for most applications.
- ✗
10BASE5: 100 meters
Why it's wrong here
10BASE5, known as "ThickNet," utilized thick RG-8 coaxial cable and was one of the original Ethernet implementations. This robust cabling system was capable of much longer segments, supporting a maximum length of 500 meters (1,640 feet) per segment. Therefore, stating its maximum segment length as 100 meters is significantly incorrect, as 100 meters is typical for modern twisted-pair copper, not this legacy coaxial standard.
- ✓
Multimode fiber: 550 meters
Why this is correct
Multimode fiber optic cable, particularly for standards like 1000BASE-SX (Gigabit Ethernet over short wavelength), typically has a maximum segment length of 550 meters (1,804 feet). This limitation arises because the multiple light paths within the fiber cause modal dispersion, which degrades the signal over longer distances and higher speeds, making it unsuitable for very long-haul transmissions.
- ✗
Single-mode fiber: 550 meters
Why it's wrong here
Single-mode fiber optic cable is designed for long-distance data transmission because it allows only a single path for light, virtually eliminating modal dispersion. Consequently, it supports significantly greater distances, often exceeding 5 kilometers (3.1 miles) for Gigabit Ethernet (e.g., 1000BASE-LX) and much further for higher speeds. The specified 550 meters is a limitation for multimode fiber, not single-mode, which offers superior reach.
Go deeper
Related to this question
Learn chapter
Network Diagram Types: Physical, Logical, Wiring
Key term
Multimode fiber
A type of optical fiber that carries multiple light signals simultaneously over short to medium distances, commonly used in local area networks and data centers.
Key term
UTP
Unshielded Twisted Pair (UTP) is a copper cabling type with pairs of twisted wires and no shielding, used for Ethernet networks.
About these practice questions
This N10-009 question is part of Courseiva's 464-question bank — original exam-style content with full explanations and wrong-answer analysis, never real exam questions or exam 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.