mediummultiple choiceObjective-mapped

During an internal penetration test, a tester is trying to identify live hosts on a network segment. The tester wants to avoid generating a high volume of traffic or alerts. Which scanning technique is most appropriate for this task?

Question 1mediummultiple choice
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During an internal penetration test, a tester is trying to identify live hosts on a network segment. The tester wants to avoid generating a high volume of traffic or alerts. Which scanning technique is most appropriate for this task?

Answer choices

Why each option matters

Good practice is not just finding the correct option. The wrong answers often show the exact trap the exam wants you to fall into.

A

Distractor review

Full TCP connect scan on common ports

Full connect scans complete the three-way handshake, creating more traffic and being easily detected.

B

Distractor review

ICMP echo request sweep

ICMP echo requests are often blocked by firewalls or monitored, and they are not reliable in modern networks.

C

Distractor review

SYN stealth scan on port 80 and 443

SYN scans are stealthier than full connects but still generate TCP packets that can trigger alerts.

D

Best answer

ARP ping scan

ARP scans are local, low-traffic, and often not monitored, making them ideal for stealthy host discovery on the same subnet.

Common exam trap

Common exam trap: usable hosts are not the same as total addresses

Subnetting questions often tempt you into counting all addresses. In normal IPv4 subnets, the network and broadcast addresses are not usable host addresses.

Technical deep dive

How to think about this question

Subnetting questions test whether you can identify the network, broadcast address, usable range, mask and correct subnet. Slow down enough to calculate the block size correctly.

KKey Concepts to Remember

  • CIDR notation defines the prefix length.
  • Block size helps identify subnet boundaries.
  • Network and broadcast addresses are not usable hosts in normal IPv4 subnets.
  • The required host count determines the smallest suitable subnet.

TExam Day Tips

  • Write the block size before choosing the subnet.
  • Check whether the question asks for hosts, subnets or a specific address range.
  • Do not confuse /24, /25, /26 and /27 host counts.

Related practice questions

Related PT0-002 practice-question pages

Use these pages to review the topic behind this question. This is how one missed question becomes focused revision.

More questions from this exam

Keep practising from the same exam bank, or move into a focused topic page if this question exposed a weak area.

FAQ

Questions learners often ask

What does this PT0-002 question test?

CIDR notation defines the prefix length.

What is the correct answer to this question?

The correct answer is: ARP ping scan — ARP ping scans are extremely efficient for discovering live hosts on a local subnet because they operate at Layer 2 and generate minimal traffic. They are also less likely to be logged by IDS/IPS because they do not involve TCP or UDP connections. Full TCP connect scans generate more traffic and are easily detected. ICMP echo requests may be blocked or filtered. SYN stealth scans are stealthy but still generate TCP traffic that can be monitored.

What should I do if I get this PT0-002 question wrong?

Then try more questions from the same exam bank and focus on understanding why the wrong options are tempting.

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