- A
A) Configure the router to send SNMP traps to the NMS
Correct. Alerts for interface down events are sent via SNMP traps. The router must be configured with the IP address of the trap receiver (NMS).
- B
B) Perform an SNMP walk of the interface OIDs
Why wrong: Incorrect. An SNMP walk is a polling method used to retrieve a set of variables. It does not provide immediate alerts; it requires the NMS to continuously poll.
- C
C) Use SNMP get to retrieve interface status periodically
Why wrong: Incorrect. SNMP get is a polling operation and does not provide real-time alerts. The administrator would have to poll frequently, which increases overhead.
- D
D) Configure SNMP set to change interface parameters
Why wrong: Incorrect. SNMP set is used to write or modify configuration on the device, not to generate alerts.
N10-009 Network Operations Practice Question
This N10-009 practice question tests your understanding of network operations. This is a configuration task: choose the command set that satisfies every stated requirement. Small differences — like 'secret' vs 'password' or 'transport input ssh' vs 'all' — change whether the answer is correct. 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 wants to be alerted immediately when any interface on a core router goes down. The administrator has already configured SNMP community strings. Which additional configuration is necessary to receive these alerts?
Clue words in this question
Noticing these words before you look at the options changes how you read each choice.
Clue:
"immediately / without restart"Why it matters: Time or reboot constraint — the correct answer must take effect right away without requiring a reboot or reload.
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
A) Configure the router to send SNMP traps to the NMS
SNMP traps are unsolicited notifications sent from the managed device (the router) to the Network Management Station (NMS) when a specific event occurs, such as an interface going down. Since the administrator wants immediate alerts without polling, configuring the router to send SNMP traps to the NMS is the correct approach. The SNMP community strings are already set, so the missing piece is the trap destination and enabling trap generation for interface state changes.
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.
- ✓
A) Configure the router to send SNMP traps to the NMS
Why this is correct
Correct. Alerts for interface down events are sent via SNMP traps. The router must be configured with the IP address of the trap receiver (NMS).
Clue confirmation
The clue word "immediately / without restart" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
B) Perform an SNMP walk of the interface OIDs
Why it's wrong here
Incorrect. An SNMP walk is a polling method used to retrieve a set of variables. It does not provide immediate alerts; it requires the NMS to continuously poll.
When this WOULD be correct
This option would be correct if the question asked: 'A network administrator wants to audit all configurable parameters on a router to ensure no unauthorized changes have been made. Which SNMP operation should be used?' In that case, an SNMP walk would retrieve the entire MIB tree for review.
- ✗
C) Use SNMP get to retrieve interface status periodically
Why it's wrong here
Incorrect. SNMP get is a polling operation and does not provide real-time alerts. The administrator would have to poll frequently, which increases overhead.
When this WOULD be correct
A network administrator needs to monitor interface utilization trends over time. By using SNMP get to periodically retrieve interface OIDs, the NMS can collect historical data for analysis and reporting.
- ✗
D) Configure SNMP set to change interface parameters
Why it's wrong here
Incorrect. SNMP set is used to write or modify configuration on the device, not to generate alerts.
When this WOULD be correct
In a scenario where a network administrator needs to remotely disable an interface on a router via SNMP to mitigate a security incident, configuring SNMP set would be necessary to change the interface status.
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.
✓A) Configure the router to send SNMP traps to the NMSCorrect answer▾
Why this is correct
Correct. Alerts for interface down events are sent via SNMP traps. The router must be configured with the IP address of the trap receiver (NMS).
✗B) Perform an SNMP walk of the interface OIDsWrong answer — click to see why▾
Why this is wrong here
Performing an SNMP walk retrieves all OID values from the router, but it does not configure the router to send unsolicited alerts. The administrator needs the router to proactively send notifications when an interface goes down, which requires configuring SNMP traps, not polling.
★ When this WOULD be the correct answer
This option would be correct if the question asked: 'A network administrator wants to audit all configurable parameters on a router to ensure no unauthorized changes have been made. Which SNMP operation should be used?' In that case, an SNMP walk would retrieve the entire MIB tree for review.
Why candidates choose this
Candidates may confuse the act of monitoring (polling) with receiving alerts (traps). They might think that walking the interface OIDs will somehow trigger notifications, not realizing that traps require explicit configuration on the agent.
✗C) Use SNMP get to retrieve interface status periodicallyWrong answer — click to see why▾
Why this is wrong here
SNMP get retrieves data on demand, not automatically. The administrator wants immediate alerts when an interface goes down, which requires the router to proactively send traps, not periodic polling.
★ When this WOULD be the correct answer
A network administrator needs to monitor interface utilization trends over time. By using SNMP get to periodically retrieve interface OIDs, the NMS can collect historical data for analysis and reporting.
Why candidates choose this
Candidates may confuse proactive alerting (traps) with reactive monitoring (polling). They might think that frequent polling can provide near-real-time alerts, but it cannot guarantee immediate notification and wastes bandwidth.
✗D) Configure SNMP set to change interface parametersWrong answer — click to see why▾
Why this is wrong here
SNMP set is used to modify configuration parameters on a device, not to receive alerts. The question asks for receiving immediate notifications when an interface goes down, which requires traps, not set operations.
★ When this WOULD be the correct answer
In a scenario where a network administrator needs to remotely disable an interface on a router via SNMP to mitigate a security incident, configuring SNMP set would be necessary to change the interface status.
Why candidates choose this
Candidates may confuse SNMP set with SNMP trap configuration, thinking that setting parameters is part of alert configuration, or they may not clearly distinguish between SNMP operations (get, set, trap) and their purposes.
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?”
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
CompTIA often tests the distinction between polling (SNMP get/walk) and event-driven notifications (traps), and candidates mistakenly choose periodic polling (Option C) thinking it provides 'immediate' alerts, not realizing that polling introduces latency and is not truly immediate.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
SNMP traps are defined in RFC 1157 and use UDP port 162 to send event-driven messages from the agent to the manager. For immediate interface down alerts, the router must have the 'snmp-server enable traps' command and a specific 'snmp-server host <NMS-IP> version 2c <community>' configured to direct the traps. In a real-world scenario, missing the 'enable traps' command is a common oversight, causing traps to be configured but never sent.
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.
What to study next
Got this wrong? Here's your next step.
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
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FAQ
Questions learners often ask
What does this N10-009 question test?
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: A) Configure the router to send SNMP traps to the NMS — SNMP traps are unsolicited notifications sent from the managed device (the router) to the Network Management Station (NMS) when a specific event occurs, such as an interface going down. Since the administrator wants immediate alerts without polling, configuring the router to send SNMP traps to the NMS is the correct approach. The SNMP community strings are already set, so the missing piece is the trap destination and enabling trap generation for interface state changes.
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: "immediately / without restart". Time or reboot constraint — the correct answer must take effect right away without requiring a reboot or reload.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
About these practice questions
Courseiva creates original exam-style practice questions with explanations and wrong-answer analysis. It does not publish real exam questions, exam dumps, or protected exam content. Learn why practice questions differ from exam dumps →
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Last reviewed: Jun 30, 2026
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