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 needs to monitor network traffic to identify which hosts are consuming the most bandwidth. Which of the following tools is BEST suited for this task?
Clue words in this question
Noticing these words before you look at the options changes how you read each choice.
Clue: "best"
Why it matters: Signals that multiple options may be partially correct. Choose the option that most directly solves the exact problem described, not the one that sounds most complete.
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
NetFlow
NetFlow is the best tool for monitoring network traffic to identify bandwidth consumption by hosts because it collects and analyzes IP traffic flow data, providing detailed visibility into source/destination IPs, protocols, and byte counts. Unlike simple interface counters, NetFlow allows an administrator to pinpoint which specific hosts are generating the most traffic, making it ideal for bandwidth usage analysis.
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.
✓
NetFlow
Why this is correct
NetFlow analyzes traffic flows and provides detailed usage statistics to identify top talkers and bandwidth hogs.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "best" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
Syslog server
Why it's wrong here
Syslog collects device logs and events, not traffic bandwidth usage.
✗
SNMP trap
Why it's wrong here
SNMP traps are unsolicited notifications from devices, not a continuous monitoring tool for bandwidth per host.
✗
Traceroute
Why it's wrong here
Traceroute shows the path packets take to a destination, not bandwidth consumption.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
Cisco often tests the distinction between monitoring tools by making candidates confuse SNMP (which polls interface counters for aggregate bandwidth) with NetFlow (which provides per-flow granularity for identifying specific hosts).
Trap categories for this question
Command / output trap
Traceroute shows the path packets take to a destination, not bandwidth consumption.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
NetFlow operates by sampling packet headers on a router or switch, aggregating them into flows based on a 7-tuple (source/destination IP, source/destination port, protocol, ToS, and input interface), and exporting flow records to a collector for analysis. A subtle behavior is that NetFlow can be configured with different sampling rates (e.g., 1:1000) to reduce CPU impact on high-throughput links, which may affect accuracy for low-volume flows. In a real-world scenario, a network administrator might use NetFlow to identify a single host running a peer-to-peer application that is saturating a WAN link, even when overall interface utilization appears normal.
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.
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 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: NetFlow — NetFlow is the best tool for monitoring network traffic to identify bandwidth consumption by hosts because it collects and analyzes IP traffic flow data, providing detailed visibility into source/destination IPs, protocols, and byte counts. Unlike simple interface counters, NetFlow allows an administrator to pinpoint which specific hosts are generating the most traffic, making it ideal for bandwidth usage analysis.
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: "best". Signals that multiple options may be partially correct. Choose the option that most directly solves the exact problem described, not the one that sounds most complete.
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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