- A
VPN concentrator
A VPN concentrator terminates VPN connections from remote clients, providing encrypted tunnels for secure access to internal resources.
- B
Firewall
Why wrong: A firewall filters traffic based on rules but does not provide encrypted tunnels for remote access. It can be used in conjunction with a VPN.
- C
DMZ
Why wrong: A DMZ is a network segment that exposes external-facing services (e.g., web servers) while protecting the internal network. It does not provide remote user access.
- D
Intrusion detection system (IDS)
Why wrong: An IDS monitors network traffic for suspicious activity but does not provide encrypted remote access.
Question 61 of 520
N10-009 Network Security Practice Question
This N10-009 practice question tests your understanding of network security. 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 company wants to allow employees to securely access internal resources (email, file servers) when working from home over the internet. Which technology should be implemented to create an encrypted tunnel between the employee's remote computer and the corporate network?
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
✓
VPN concentrator
A VPN concentrator is the correct technology because it terminates VPN tunnels from remote users, creating an encrypted tunnel (using protocols like IPsec or TLS) between the employee's remote computer and the corporate network. This ensures that all traffic to internal resources such as email and file servers is securely encapsulated and protected from interception over the internet.
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.
- ✓
VPN concentrator
Why this is correct
A VPN concentrator terminates VPN connections from remote clients, providing encrypted tunnels for secure access to internal resources.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
Firewall
Why it's wrong here
A firewall filters traffic based on rules but does not provide encrypted tunnels for remote access. It can be used in conjunction with a VPN.
When this WOULD be correct
A firewall would be the correct answer for a question asking which device should be placed at the network perimeter to filter incoming and outgoing traffic based on security policies, such as blocking unauthorized access from the internet.
- ✗
DMZ
Why it's wrong here
A DMZ is a network segment that exposes external-facing services (e.g., web servers) while protecting the internal network. It does not provide remote user access.
When this WOULD be correct
A company wants to host a public web server that must be accessible from the internet while protecting the internal network. Which network architecture should be used?
- ✗
Intrusion detection system (IDS)
Why it's wrong here
An IDS monitors network traffic for suspicious activity but does not provide encrypted remote access.
When this WOULD be correct
A company needs to monitor its internal network for malicious activity and receive alerts when potential intrusions are detected, but does not require active prevention or encrypted remote access.
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.
✓VPN concentratorCorrect answer▾
Why this is correct
A VPN concentrator terminates VPN connections from remote clients, providing encrypted tunnels for secure access to internal resources.
✗FirewallWrong answer — click to see why▾
Why this is wrong here
A firewall controls traffic based on rules but does not create encrypted tunnels; it lacks the encryption and encapsulation capabilities needed for secure remote access over the internet.
★ When this WOULD be the correct answer
A firewall would be the correct answer for a question asking which device should be placed at the network perimeter to filter incoming and outgoing traffic based on security policies, such as blocking unauthorized access from the internet.
Why candidates choose this
Candidates may think a firewall provides security for remote access because it is a common security device, but they overlook that it does not establish encrypted connections or tunnels.
✗DMZWrong answer — click to see why▾
Why this is wrong here
A DMZ is a network segment that exposes external-facing services to the internet while isolating the internal network, but it does not create encrypted tunnels for individual remote user access.
★ When this WOULD be the correct answer
A company wants to host a public web server that must be accessible from the internet while protecting the internal network. Which network architecture should be used?
Why candidates choose this
Candidates may confuse DMZ with a secure remote access method because DMZs are often used in conjunction with VPNs or firewalls, leading them to think DMZ alone provides encrypted remote access.
✗Intrusion detection system (IDS)Wrong answer — click to see why▾
Why this is wrong here
An intrusion detection system (IDS) monitors network traffic for suspicious activity but does not create encrypted tunnels or provide remote access connectivity.
★ When this WOULD be the correct answer
A company needs to monitor its internal network for malicious activity and receive alerts when potential intrusions are detected, but does not require active prevention or encrypted remote access.
Why candidates choose this
Candidates may confuse IDS with VPN because both involve network security, or mistakenly think IDS provides secure remote access due to its role in protecting network boundaries.
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
The trap here is that candidates may confuse a firewall's ability to allow or block VPN traffic (e.g., permitting UDP 500 for IPsec) with the firewall itself being the device that terminates the VPN tunnel, but only a VPN concentrator or VPN gateway performs the actual encryption and tunnel management.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
A VPN concentrator typically supports multiple concurrent tunnels using protocols such as IPsec (IKEv2 with AES-256 encryption) or SSL/TLS (e.g., OpenVPN), and it authenticates users via certificates or RADIUS. In a real-world scenario, the concentrator can be configured with split tunneling to allow remote users to access the internet directly while only encrypting traffic destined for the corporate network, reducing bandwidth load on the VPN gateway.
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.
Quick reference
VPN Protocol Comparison
| Protocol | Port | Encryption | Authentication | Use Case |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| IKEv2 / IPsec | UDP 500 / 4500 | AES-256 | Certificates / PSK | Site-to-site & remote access |
| SSL / TLS VPN | TCP 443 | TLS 1.3 | Certificates / MFA | Clientless remote access |
| L2TP / IPsec | UDP 1701 | AES (IPsec) | PSK / Certificates | Legacy remote access |
| WireGuard | UDP 51820 | ChaCha20 | Public keys | Modern high-performance VPN |
| PPTP | TCP 1723 | MPPE (weak) | MS-CHAPv2 | Legacy — avoid in production |
PPTP is considered insecure. IKEv2/IPsec and SSL VPN are the current recommended options.
What to study next
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FAQ
Questions learners often ask
What does this N10-009 question test?
Network Security — This question tests Network Security — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: VPN concentrator — A VPN concentrator is the correct technology because it terminates VPN tunnels from remote users, creating an encrypted tunnel (using protocols like IPsec or TLS) between the employee's remote computer and the corporate network. This ensures that all traffic to internal resources such as email and file servers is securely encapsulated and protected from interception over the internet.
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 11, 2026
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.
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