- A
Star
In a star topology, each device has a dedicated cable to a central switch, so a cable failure only affects that single device.
- B
Ring
Why wrong: In a ring topology, a single cable break can disrupt the entire ring unless redundant paths or resilient protocols are used.
- C
Bus
Why wrong: In a bus topology, all devices share a single cable. A break anywhere in the backbone can cause the entire segment to fail.
- D
Mesh
Why wrong: A full mesh provides high fault tolerance but requires many cables and is expensive and unnecessary for a small office.
Question 462 of 520
N10-009 Networking Concepts Practice Question
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.
A network administrator is designing a small office network with 40 workstations. The design must ensure that a single cable failure only affects the connected workstation. Which logical topology should the administrator implement?
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
✓
Star
A star topology connects each workstation directly to a central switch or hub, so a cable failure only affects the single connected workstation, not the rest of the network. This meets the requirement for fault isolation at the workstation level, which is the core design goal in a small office with 40 devices.
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.
- ✓
Star
Why this is correct
In a star topology, each device has a dedicated cable to a central switch, so a cable failure only affects that single device.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
Ring
Why it's wrong here
In a ring topology, a single cable break can disrupt the entire ring unless redundant paths or resilient protocols are used.
When this WOULD be correct
A question that asks for a topology providing redundancy and fault tolerance where each device has multiple paths, or one that requires deterministic token-passing access method for time-sensitive traffic.
- ✗
Bus
Why it's wrong here
In a bus topology, all devices share a single cable. A break anywhere in the backbone can cause the entire segment to fail.
When this WOULD be correct
A network administrator needs to connect a small number of devices in a temporary setup with minimal cost and simple installation, where a single cable break is acceptable because the network is not critical.
- ✗
Mesh
Why it's wrong here
A full mesh provides high fault tolerance but requires many cables and is expensive and unnecessary for a small office.
When this WOULD be correct
A network administrator needs to design a network for a data center where high availability and fault tolerance are critical, and each server must have redundant paths to all other servers. In this scenario, a full mesh topology would be correct because it provides multiple redundant links, ensuring no single point of failure.
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.
✓StarCorrect answer▾
Why this is correct
In a star topology, each device has a dedicated cable to a central switch, so a cable failure only affects that single device.
✗RingWrong answer — click to see why▾
Why this is wrong here
In a ring topology, each workstation is connected to two neighbors, forming a closed loop. A single cable failure can break the ring, affecting all workstations beyond the break, not just the connected one.
★ When this WOULD be the correct answer
A question that asks for a topology providing redundancy and fault tolerance where each device has multiple paths, or one that requires deterministic token-passing access method for time-sensitive traffic.
Why candidates choose this
Candidates may confuse logical topology with physical layout, or think ring topology isolates failures because each device has two connections, but they overlook that the ring is a single point of failure for the entire segment.
✗BusWrong answer — click to see why▾
Why this is wrong here
In a bus topology, a single cable failure (the backbone) can disrupt connectivity for multiple workstations, not just the connected workstation, because all devices share the same communication line.
★ When this WOULD be the correct answer
A network administrator needs to connect a small number of devices in a temporary setup with minimal cost and simple installation, where a single cable break is acceptable because the network is not critical.
Why candidates choose this
Candidates may confuse physical topology with logical topology, or recall that bus topology uses less cabling, leading them to think it isolates failures when it actually does not.
✗MeshWrong answer — click to see why▾
Why this is wrong here
A mesh topology requires multiple connections per workstation, which does not ensure that a single cable failure only affects the connected workstation; in fact, mesh provides redundancy, but a cable failure still only affects the directly connected device, but the design is overkill and not cost-effective for 40 workstations.
★ When this WOULD be the correct answer
A network administrator needs to design a network for a data center where high availability and fault tolerance are critical, and each server must have redundant paths to all other servers. In this scenario, a full mesh topology would be correct because it provides multiple redundant links, ensuring no single point of failure.
Why candidates choose this
Candidates may confuse mesh with star because both involve central connections, or they may think mesh provides the best fault isolation, but they overlook the cost and complexity for a small office.
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 physical and logical topology—candidates may confuse a physical star with a logical bus (e.g., early Ethernet using a hub) and incorrectly assume a cable failure only affects one workstation, but a hub-based star is logically a bus where a collision domain spans all ports, though the physical cable break still isolates only the connected device.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
In a star topology, the central device (typically a Layer 2 switch) uses MAC address tables to forward frames only to the destination port, so a cable fault on one access port only removes that single host from the forwarding table. The switch's Spanning Tree Protocol (STP) or Rapid PVST+ ensures loop-free paths, but a simple cable break on an edge port does not trigger a topology change that affects other workstations. In a real-world small office, this design also simplifies troubleshooting because link LEDs and port statistics immediately identify the failed cable.
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?
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: Star — A star topology connects each workstation directly to a central switch or hub, so a cable failure only affects the single connected workstation, not the rest of the network. This meets the requirement for fault isolation at the workstation level, which is the core design goal in a small office with 40 devices.
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.
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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