This N10-009 practice question tests your understanding of networking concepts. 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.
Which of the following network protocols operates at the Transport layer of the OSI model and provides connection-oriented, reliable data delivery?
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
TCP
TCP (Transmission Control Protocol) operates at the Transport layer (Layer 4) of the OSI model and provides connection-oriented, reliable data delivery through mechanisms such as three-way handshake, sequence numbers, acknowledgments, and retransmission of lost segments. This ensures that data is delivered in order and without errors, making TCP the correct choice for the question.
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.
✗
UDP
Why it's wrong here
UDP is a transport layer protocol, but it is connectionless and unreliable; it does not provide guaranteed delivery.
✓
TCP
Why this is correct
TCP provides connection-oriented, reliable data delivery with features like flow control, error checking, and retransmission of lost packets.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
IP
Why it's wrong here
IP operates at the Network layer (Layer 3) and handles logical addressing and routing, not reliable transport.
✗
ARP
Why it's wrong here
ARP maps IP addresses to MAC addresses and operates at Layer 2/3, not at the Transport layer.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates often confuse IP (Network layer) with a transport protocol or mistakenly think UDP provides reliability because it has checksums, but UDP lacks connection setup and retransmission, making TCP the only correct answer for connection-oriented reliable delivery.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
TCP uses a sliding window mechanism for flow control and congestion avoidance, with RFC 793 defining its core specification. In real-world scenarios, TCP's reliability is critical for applications like HTTP web browsing and file transfers, where lost or out-of-order data would corrupt the session. The three-way handshake (SYN, SYN-ACK, ACK) establishes a virtual circuit before data exchange begins, distinguishing TCP from UDP's stateless behavior.
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 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.
Related glossary terms
Concepts from this question explained
These glossary pages explain the core terms tested in this N10-009 question in full detail.
Networking Concepts — This question tests Networking Concepts — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: TCP — TCP (Transmission Control Protocol) operates at the Transport layer (Layer 4) of the OSI model and provides connection-oriented, reliable data delivery through mechanisms such as three-way handshake, sequence numbers, acknowledgments, and retransmission of lost segments. This ensures that data is delivered in order and without errors, making TCP the correct choice for the question.
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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