Chapter 2 - Networking Flashcards
You are installing a fiber- optic cable between two buildings. To install the cable, you must
run it through a conduit between the buildings, and access to the conduit is not easy. Before
you run the cable, you want to ensure that it’s working properly. Which tool should you use?
A. Cable tester
B. Multimeter
C. Loopback plug
D. Tone generator and probe
A. Cable testers are indispensable tools for any network technician. Usually you would use
a cable tester before you install a cable to make sure it works. Of course, you can test them
after they’ve been run as well. Multimeters are used to test power supplies and wall outlets.
Loopback plugs are used to test network interface cards, and tone generators and probes are
used to locate a wire among other wires.
Which TCP/IP protocol, designed to download email, allows for multiple clients to be
simultaneously connected to the same mailbox?
A. SMTP
B. POP3
C. IMAP
D. SMB
C. Internet Message Access Protocol (IMAP) is a secure protocol designed to download email. It has several advantages over the older Post Office Protocol 3 (POP3). First,
IMAP4 works in connected and disconnected modes. Second, it lets you store the email on
the server, as opposed to POP3, which requires you to download it. Third, IMAP4 allows multiple clients to be simultaneously connected to the same inbox. Simple Mail Transfer Protocol (SMTP) is used for sending mail, and Server Message Block (SMB) is used in sharing
files across a network.
You are using your laptop on the company network. In your web browser, you type
www.google.com and press Enter. The computer will not find Google. You open the
browser on your phone, and using your cellular connection, you can open Google without
a problem. Your laptop finds internal servers and can print without any issues. What is the
most likely reason you can’t open Google?
A. DNS server problem
B. DHCP server problem
C. Missing subnet mask
D. Duplicate IP address
A. The Domain Name System (DNS) server is responsible for resolving hostnames, such as
www.google.com, to IP addresses to enable communication. If it’s not working properly
or you can’t connect to it, you won’t be able to browse the Internet using friendly website
names. Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) is used to assign IP addresses to net-
work clients. The subnet mask might be incorrect, but it wouldn’t be missing, and a duplicate
IP address would provide an error message stating that.
Which one of the following TCP/IP protocols was designed as a replacement for Telnet?
A. SMB
B. SSH
C. SFTP
D. FTPS
B. Secure Shell (SSH) can be used to set up a secure session over port 22 for remote logins or
for remotely executing programs and transferring files. Because it’s secure, it was originally
designed to be a replacement for the unsecure telnet command. Server Message Block
(SMB), File Transfer Protocol (FTP), and FTP Secure (FTPS) protocols are used for sharing
files across a network.
Which of the following network connectivity devices operates at Layer 2 of the OSI model?
A. Hub
B. Switch
C. Cable
D. Router
B. A switch operates at layer 2 of the open systems interconnection (OSI) model. Layers of
the OSI model are (1) physical, (2) datalink, (3) network, (4) transport, (5) session, (6) pre-
sentation, and (7) application. The physical layer encompasses transmission media such as
unshielded twisted pair (UTP), shielded twisted pair (STP), fiber optic, and so on. The data-
link layer deals with transmitting frames on a LAN, so it includes the network interface card
(NIC) and switch. Routers operate on OSI layer 3, because they transmit data between net-
works. Hubs work on OSI layer 1 because they merely connect devices in the same collision
domain without regard to packet header information. The OSI model is not listed as an
objective on the CompTIA A+ exam, but understanding it will help you understand network
communications.
Which of the following TCP/IP protocols is connection-oriented and attempts to guarantee
packet delivery?
A. IP
B. TCP
C. UDP
D. ICMP
B. Transmission Control Protocol (TCP) guarantees packet delivery through the use of a
virtual circuit and data acknowledgments, and User Datagram Protocol (UDP) does not.
Because of this, TCP is often referred to as connection-oriented, whereas UDP is connection-
less. Internet Protocol (IP) is used to get packets to their destination across the Internet, and
Internet Control Message Protocol (ICMP) is used by connectivity devices to diagnose prob-
lems and send messages.
Which TCP/IP protocol allows a user to log into a remote computer and manage files as if
they were logged in locally?
A. FTP
B. SFTP
C. SMB
D. RDP
D. Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP) is a replacement for the older Telnet protocol, which
is not secure. RDP, as its name implies, lets users log into a local machine and use a remote
machine almost as if they were sitting at it. RDP uses port 3389. File Transfer Protocol (FTP),
Secure File Transfer Protocol (SFTP), also called Secure Shell (SSH) FTP, and Server Message
Block (SMB) protocols are all used for sharing files across a network.
Which Wi- Fi standard is the fastest, operating in both the 2.4 and 5 GHz frequencies?
A. 802.11a
B. 802.11ac
C. 802.11ax
D. 802.11n
C. 802.11ax (Wi- Fi 6) is considered a replacement for 802.11ac (Wi- Fi 5). 802.11ac operates
in the 5 GHz frequency, while 802.11ax can operate between 1 and 7.125 GHz frequencies,
encompassing the 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz bands. 802.11ac can send data at over 1 Gbps, while
Bob has a device that operates at 5 GHz. He is unable to connect his device to a LAN that he
hasn’t accessed before, although he has verified that he has the correct password. What type
of network might pose this problem?
A. 802.11g
B. 802.11n
C. 802.11ac
D. 802.11ax
A. If Bob is trying to connect to an 802.11g network, his device will not be able to con-
nect because 802.11g operates on the 2.4 GHz frequency only. 802.11n and 802.11ax both
operate on 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz. 802.11ac operates only on the 5 GHz frequency.
Which TCP/IP protocol is used to provide shared access to files and printers on the network?
A. FTP
B. SSH
C. SMB
D. SMTP
C. SMB
What port does the Telnet protocol use?
A. 21
B. 22
C. 23
D. 25
C. Telnet lets users log into another machine and “see” the remote computer in a window on
their screen. Although this vision is text only, users can manage files on that remote machine
just as if they were logged in locally. Telnet uses port 23. Telnet has been largely replaced by
Secure Shell (SSH), and SSH (over port 22) is more secure than Telnet. Port 21 is used by File
Transfer Protocol (FTP), and port 25 is used by Simple Mail Transfer Protocol (SMTP).
You have just installed a wireless 802.11ac network for a client. The IT manager is concerned
about competitors intercepting the wireless signal from outside the building. Which tool is
designed to test how far your wireless signal travels?
A. Tone generator and probe
B. Protocol analyzer
C. Packet sniffer
D. Wi- Fi analyzer
D. A wireless locator, or a Wi-F i analyzer, can be either a handheld hardware device or spe-
cialized software that is installed on a laptop, smartphone, or other mobile device and whose
purpose is to detect and analyze Wi- Fi signals. It can detect where signals are strong or weak
to determine whether there are potential security issues. A tone generator and probe are used
for locating a wire. Protocol analyzers and packet sniffers are tools used for capturing and
analyzing network traffic.
Some of your network users are concerned about submitting confidential information to an
online website. What should you tell them?
A. It’s fine, because all Internet traffic is encrypted.
B. If the website address starts with TLS://, it should be OK to submit confidential
information to a trusted site.
C. If the website address starts with HTTPS://, it should be OK to submit confidential
information to a trusted site.
D. Don’t ever submit confidential information to any online website.
C. Internet traffic is not encrypted by default. Websites that are secure and encrypt their
transmissions will start with HTTPS:// rather than HTTP://. These sites can be trusted to
encrypt the data, and their identity is verified.
Which TCP/IP Internet layer protocol is responsible for delivering error messages if commu-
nication between two computers fails?
A. ICMP
B. IP
C. TCP
D. UDP
A. The main Internet layer protocol is Internet Protocol (IP), and it’s the workhorse of TCP/
IP. Another key protocol at this layer is Internet Control Message Protocol (ICMP), which is
responsible for delivering error messages. If you’re familiar with the ping utility, you’ll know
that it utilizes ICMP to send and receive packets. Transmission Control Protocol (TCP) and
User Datagram Protocol (UDP) are both communication protocols; TCP guarantees delivery
but UDP does not.
Which type of IPv6 address identifies a single node on the network?
A. Multicast
B. Anycast
C. Unicast
D. Localcast
C. There are three types of addresses in IPv6: unicast, anycast, and multicast. A unicast
address identifies a single node on the network. An anycast address refers to one that has
been assigned to multiple nodes, and a packet will be delivered to one of them. A multicast
address is one that identifies multiple hosts, and a packet will be sent to all of them.
What type of network covers large geographical areas and often supports thousands of users,
often using lines owned by other entities?
A. LAN
B. WAN
C. PAN
D. MAN
B. A wide area network (WAN) covers large geographical areas and often supports thou-
sands of users. A WAN can be for different locations of a single company, or a WAN may
connect several different companies together to share information. WAN lines are often
leased from a WAN provider. The Internet is considered to be a very large WAN. A local
area network (LAN) covers a relatively small area such as a home or business. A personal
area network (PAN) is usually used by one person and consists of their computer and its
Bluetooth devices. A metropolitan area network (MAN) is similar to a WAN, but the area
covered is much smaller, such as a university or a city.
Which TCP/IP protocol, developed by Microsoft, uses port 3389 to connect to a
remote computer?
A. RDP
B. SMB
C. CIFS
D. Telnet
A. Developed by Microsoft, the Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP) allows users to connect to
remote computers and run programs on them as if they were sitting at the computer. It uses
port 3389. A port is associated with a specific protocol and must be “opened” on a router
to allow traffic from the program or protocol to enter the LAN. The combination of an IP
address and a port is considered a socket. The IP address gets the data to the right destina-
tion, and the port number tells the transmission layer of the OSI model which application the
data is to be sent to. Server Message Block (SMB) and Common Internet File System (CIFS)
What port does the SSH protocol use?
A. 21
B. 22
C. 23
D. 25
B. Secure Shell (SSH) can be used to set up a secure session for remote logins or for remotely
executing programs and transferring files. SSH uses port 22. SSH has largely replaced the
insecure Telnet, which uses port 23. Port 21 is used by File Transfer Protocol (FTP), and port
25 is used by Simple Mail Transfer Protocol (SMTP).
Which of the following IP addresses is not routable on the Internet?
A. 10.1.1.1
B. 11.1.1.1
C. 12.1.1.1
D. 13.1.1.1
A. Private IP addresses are not routable on the Internet. IPv4 network numbers were
arranged in classes, and classes A, B, and C each have their own private range. The private
IP address range for Class A networks is 10.0.0.0/8. The /8 means that the first 8 bits of
the subnet mask denote the network number. Expressing a subnet mask this way is known as
CIDR (pronounced cider) notation. CIDR stands for classless interdomain routing. While the
term CIDR doesn’t appear on the objectives for this CompTIA A+ exam, you may still run
into it while working in IT.
Which network connectivity device does not forward broadcast messages, thereby creating
multiple broadcast domains?
A. Hub
B. Switch
C. Bridge
D. Router
D. One of the key features of routers is that they break up broadcast domains. Broad-
cast traffic from one port of the router will not get passed to the other ports, which greatly
reduces network traffic. Bridges, hubs, and switches will all forward broadcast packets.
What type of address does a router use to get data to its destination?
A. IP
B. MAC
C. Memory
D. Loopback
A. Routers are OSI model Layer 3 devices. They keep a chart containing the IP address of the
device connected to each port, whether that device is a computer or another router’s external
address. A media access control (MAC) address is the address of a network interface card
(NIC). Memory addresses identify where information is stored, and a loopback address is
used to test TCP/IP on the local host. The loopback address for IPv4 is 127.0.0.1, and for
IPv6 it is ::1.
You have a desktop computer that is behaving erratically on the network. The wired connec-
tion will often disconnect without warning. Which tool should you use to troubleshoot the
network adapter?
A. Multimeter
B. Tone generator and probe
C. Loopback plug
D. Cable tester
C. A loopback plug is for testing the ability of a network adapter to send and receive. The
plug gets plugged into the network interface card (NIC), and then a loopback test is per-
formed using troubleshooting software. You can then tell whether the card is working prop-
erly. Multimeters are used for testing power supplies and wall outlets, a tone generator and
probe help the technician to find a specific wire, and a cable tester checks that an Ethernet
wire was configured correctly and that it can make an end- to- end connection.
Your company just expanded and is leasing additional space in an adjacent office building.
You need to extend the network to the new building. Fortunately, there is a conduit between
the two. You estimate that the cable you need to run will be about 300 meters long. What
type of cable should you use?
A. CAT- 5e
B. CAT- 7
C. CAT- 8
D. MMF
D. Category 5, 6, and 7 UTP cables are limited to 100 meters, while Category 8 is limited to
only 100 feet, so none of the UTP cables listed will work. You need fiber, and multimode fiber
(MMF) can span distances of 300 meters. MMF is also known as OM1, OM2, OM3, OM4,
and OM5. OM stands for optical mode. Specifications for each type of multimode fiber are
available in the ISO/IEC 11801 standard.
You want to ensure that client computers can download email from external email servers
regardless of the protocol their email client uses. Which ports do you open on the firewall to
enable this? (Choose two.)
A. 23
B. 25
C. 110
D. 143
C, D. Simple Mail Transfer Protocol (SMTP, port 25), Post Office Protocol 3 (POP3, port
110), and Internet Message Access Protocol (IMAP, port 143) are all email protocols. SMTP
is for sending email. POP3 and IMAP are for downloading (receiving) email. Port 23 is used
by Telnet. Option B is incorrect because the question specifically asks about downloading
(not sending) email.
You are installing network cabling in a highly secure facility. The cables need to be immune
to electronic eavesdropping. What type of cable should you use?
A. Fiber- optic
B. UTP
C. STP
D. Coaxial
A. Fiber- optic cabling uses pulses of light instead of electric voltages to transmit data, so
it is immune to electrical interference and to wiretapping. UTP, STP, and coaxial are all
copper cables, which use electricity to transmit data and so can be subjected to electronic
eavesdropping.
Which networking device is capable of reading IP addresses and forwarding packets based on
the destination IP address?
A. Hub
B. Switch
C. NIC
D. Router
D. Routers operate at the Network layer (Layer 3) of the OSI model. Because of this, they
make their decisions on what to do with traffic based on logical addresses, such as an Inter-
net Protocol (IP) address. Switches use media access control (MAC) addresses and are OSI
Layer 2 devices. Hubs and NICs operate primarily at the physical layer (Layer 1). The OSI
model is not listed as an objective on the CompTIA A+ exam, but understanding it will help
you understand network communications.
Which network device is designed to be a security guard, blocking malicious data from
entering your network?
A. PoE injector
B. EoP device
C. Firewall
D. Router
C. A firewall is a hardware or software solution that serves as your network’s security guard.
Firewalls can protect you in two ways: they protect your network resources from hackers
lurking in the dark corners of the Internet, and they can simultaneously prevent computers
on your network from accessing undesirable content on the Internet or sending out data that
they shouldn’t. PoE stands for Power over Ethernet, and EoP stands for Ethernet over Power.
Neither has to do with protection. While a router may incorporate a firewall, it is not, by
itself, a firewall. Routers are responsible for communications with other networks or broad-
cast domains. A firewall may be a discrete physical network appliance or software incorpo-
rated into another device like a router.
You are manually configuring TCP/IP hosts on the network. What configuration parameter
specifies the internal address of the router that enables Internet access?
A. Subnet mask
B. DHCP server
C. DNS server
D. Default gateway
D. The default gateway is the address to the network’s router on the LAN side of the router.
The router allows the host to communicate with hosts who are not on the local network. The
default gateway is also called the router’s internal address. The ipconfig /all command
can be used to see the default gateway address that the local computer is currently config-
ured to use. The router will also have an external address, which is used to communicate
with networks outside the LAN. Virtually all modern routers use a process called network
address translation (NAT), which will substitute the router’s external address for a host’s IP
address when requesting information from a remote network. The router knows which host
requested the information and will pass it on to the correct host when it is received. This is
one of the ways that the router protects the local hosts from the outside world.
Which of the following devices will be found in a telecommunications room and provides a
means to congregate horizontal wiring, terminating each run in a female port?
A. Patch panel
B. Multiplexer
C. Rack U
D. Demarcation point
A. A patch panel can be found in a telecommunications room (also called a wiring closet),
usually mounted in a networking rack. On the back will be connections to “punch down”
wires into. On the front will be a female port, usually an RJ45 type. A multiplexer is a device
that aggregates several connections into one. A rack U is simply a measurement of the height
of a device mounted into a rack (e.g., my patch panel is 4U). Each U is equal to 1.75 inches.
The demarcation point is where responsibility for a network changes from the ISP to
its customer.
What type of network is most commonly associated with Bluetooth devices such as wireless
keyboards, mice, and headphones, and covers a small area?
A. LAN
B. WAN
C. PAN
D. MAN
C. A personal area network (PAN) is a small- scale network designed around one person
within a limited boundary area. The term generally refers to networks that use Bluetooth
technology. A local area network (LAN) covers a larger area such as a house or perhaps
one floor of a building and likely uses the Ethernet protocol. A metropolitan area network
(MAN) covers a larger area such as a city or university campus, and a wide area network
(WAN) covers a very large geographic area such as one connecting distant cities or different
countries.
When troubleshooting a network connectivity issue, you discover that the local computer has
an IPv4 address of 169.254.2.2. What do you immediately know about this local computer?
A. It is working fine.
B. It can’t find a DHCP server.
C. It isn’t on the network.
D. It has an invalid IP address.
B. The 169.254.0.0/16 range in IPv4 is the automatic private IP addressing (APIPA)
range. APIPA comes into play when the host is unable to locate a Dynamic Host Config-
uration Protocol (DHCP) server, and the network connection is configured to acquire an
IP address dynamically. Since the computer is unable to get a dynamic IP address from
the DHCP server, the operating system automatically assigns a random IP address in the
APIPA range.
Which of the following IPv6 addresses is automatically assigned by the host when it boots
and is only usable on the broadcast domain that it exists in?
A. 2000::/3
B. FC00::/7
C. FE80::/10
D. FF00::/8
C. An IPv6 address in the FE80::/10 range is called a link- local address and is similar to
an IPv4 automatic private IP addressing (APIPA) address. (The 169.254.0.0/16 range in
IPv4 is the APIPA range, used for automatic configuration if the host can’t locate a Dynamic
Host Configuration Protocol [DHCP] server.) Link- local addresses are generated by the PC
when it boots up. Packets using a link-l ocal address cannot be forwarded by a router.
You need to configure a wireless router for an office network. The office manager wants new
devices to be able to automatically join the network and announce their presence to other
networked devices. Which service should you enable to allow this?
A. DHCP
B. NAT
C. QoS
D. UPnP
D. Universal Plug and Play (UPnP) is a standard designed to simplify the process of
connecting devices to a network and to enable those devices to automatically announce their
presence to other devices on the network. In a truly secure environment, UPnP would be dis-
abled, but it is often left enabled on home networks. Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol
(DHCP) automatically assigns an IP address to a device when it is powered on, attached to
a network, and configured to obtain an address dynamically. Network address translation
(NAT) is a feature of routers used to hide the IP addresses of computers on the local network
side of the router from the other networks and computers on the outside of the network.
Quality of Service (QoS) can be configured to give desired devices preference over others for
using network bandwidth.
You are troubleshooting a computer with an IPv6 address that is in the FE80::/10 range.
Which of the following statements are true? (Choose two.)
A. The computer will not be able to get on the Internet using that IP address.
B. The computer will be able to get on the Internet using that IP address.
C. The computer is configured with a link-l ocal unicast address.
D. The computer is configured with a global unicast address.
A, C. Addresses in the FE80::/10 range are link-l ocal unicast addresses. A link-l ocal address
is assigned to each IPv6 interface but is not routable on the Internet. If this is the only address
the host has, it will not be able to get on the Internet.
You have set up your web server to function as an FTP server as well. Users on the Internet
complain that they are not able to access the server using FTP clients. What port should they
be trying to access the server on?
A. 21
B. 22
C. 23
D. 80
A. The File Transfer Protocol (FTP) is optimized for downloading files from servers. It uses
port 21. Secure Shell (SSH) uses port 22, Telnet uses port 23, and Hypertext Transfer Pro-
tocol (HTTP) uses port 80.
Which TCP/IP protocol allows you to access data such as employee phone numbers and
email addresses that are stored within an information directory?
A. SNMP
B. SMTP
C. CIFS
D. LDAP
D. The Lightweight Directory Access Protocol (LDAP) is a directory services protocol based
on the X.500 standard. LDAP is designed to access information stored in an information
directory typically known as an LDAP directory or LDAP database. This often includes
employee phone numbers and email addresses. Simple Network Management Protocol
(SNMP) is used in network monitoring, Simple Mail Transfer Protocol (SMTP) is used in
sending email, and Common Internet File System (CIFS) is a filesystem for providing shared
access between diverse clients.
What port is associated with the LDAP protocol?
A. 22
B. 139
C. 389
D. 3389
C. Lightweight Directory Access Protocol (LDAP) is designed to access information stored
in an information directory typically known as an LDAP directory or LDAP database. LDAP
uses port 389. Port 22 is used by Secure Shell (SSH,) 139 is used by NetBIOS, and 3389 is
used by the Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP.)
You are configuring network hosts with static IP addresses. You have chosen to use a Class B
network address. What is the default subnet mask that you should configure on the hosts?
A. 255.0.0.0
B. 255.255.0.0
C. 255.255.255.0
D. 255.255.255.255
B. The default subnet mask for Class B networks is 255.255.0.0, or written in shorthand,
/16. The default subnet mask for Class A networks is 255.0.0.0, or written in shorthand,
/8, and for Class C it is 255.255.255.0, or written in shorthand, /24. 255.255.255.255
is an IPv4 broadcast address. As a subnet mask it is represented as /32 (in shorthand) in the
classless interdomain routing (CIDR) notation.
You are installing a new network and working in a telecommunications room. You need
to attach several network cables to a 110 block. Which tool should you use to perform
this task?
A. Crimper
B. Cable stripper
C. Cable tester
D. Punchdown tool
D. If you’re working on a larger network installation, you might use a punchdown tool. It’s
not a testing tool but one that allows you to connect (that is, punch down) the exposed ends
of a twisted pair wire into wiring harnesses, such as a 110 block or patch panel. A crimper
is used to connect wires to an RJ45 connector, a cable striper removes the outer cover from
wires, and a cable tester is used to verify the integrity of a cable.
Which of the following Internet connection types offers the fastest download speeds?
A. Cable
B. DSL
C. Fiber- optic
D. Satellite
C. Fiber- optic broadband Internet offers fast speeds (often in the 1–2 Gbps range) but is
also the most expensive. Cable may have download speeds up to 1 Gbps (typically 10 to
500 Mbps), but upload speeds are typically only around 5 to 50 Mbps, while fiber- optic
upload speeds may be in the 1 Gbps range. Digital Subscriber Line (DSL) uses plain old tele-
phone service (POTS) lines and is slow. Satellite networks can be faster than DSL, but still
only offer speeds up to about 150 Mbps.
Which of the following are public IPv4 addresses? (Choose two.)
A. 69.252.80.71
B. 144.160.155.40
C. 172.20.10.11
D. 169.254.1.100
A, B. IPv4 specifies private (nonroutable) IP address ranges for each class as follows: Class A:
Which TCP/IP protocol uses port 445?
A. FTP
B. SSH
C. SMB
D. SNMP
C. Server Message Block (SMB) is a protocol used to provide shared access to files, printers,
and other network resources. It originally ran on NetBIOS over UDP using ports 137/138
and over TCP using ports 137 and 139, but it’s now part of the TCP/IP stack and uses port
What rendition of SMB was used by Windows servers and NAS servers but is no longer
often used?
A. CIFS
B. Samba
C. NFS
D. SMB3
A. All of the answer choices are communications protocols for sharing resources. The
Common Internet File System (CIFS) is Microsoft’s version of Server Message Block (SMB.)
Once upon a time CIFS was used extensively for file sharing over a network, but it has since
fallen out of favor. While CIFS and SMB both facilitate file sharing, SMB does it better and
has other features as well. Samba and Network File System (NFS) facilitate sharing files bet-
ween clients and servers in Linux distributions. Samba will allow mixed environments with
both Windows and Linux machines to share files. NFS will not.
For IPv6, which of the following statements are true? (Choose two.)
A. Each IPv6 interface can have only one address.
B. Each IPv6 interface is required to have a link- local address.
C. IPv6 addresses are incompatible with IPv4 networks.
D. IPv6 does not use broadcasts.
B, D. Each IPv6 interface can and often does have multiple addresses assigned to it. IPv6 is
backward compatible with IPv4 by using tunneling, dual stack, or translation. IPv6 uses mul-
ticast addresses in place of broadcast addresses, and a link- local address is established either
automatically when a computer boots up or by manually configuring it, but either way the
link- local address must be present.
Which network connectivity device is seldom used in modern networks, except to extend
a network?
A. Bridge
B. Hub
C. Switch
D. Router
B. Hubs were once used extensively in Ethernet networks, but they have fallen out of favor
because they have a large disadvantage when compared to switches. A hub forms a single
collision domain with all of their ports. On a switch, each port is its own collision domain.
A switch keeps a table of its ports and the media access control (MAC) address that can be
There is a TCP/IP protocol that should only be used locally because it has virtually no secu-
rity. It may be used as a part of a preboot execution environment (PXE) or with thin clients
booting from a network drive. It uses very little memory and is good for transferring boot
files or configuration data between computers on a LAN, and it is connectionless. Which file
transfer protocol is this?
A. FTP
B. TFTP
C. FTPS
D. SMTP
B. The Trivial File Transfer Protocol (TFTP) is a very simple connectionless protocol. It has
little overhead, meaning that it doesn’t take much memory to run it. This makes it perfect
for booting a thin client across a network. It can be used to transfer the needed boot files to
devices that don’t have hard drives. It should not be used to transfer files across the Internet
because it is not secure. File Transfer Protocol (FTP) is more robust than TFTP. File Transfer
Protocol Secure (FTPS) is a secure version of FTP. Simple Mail Transfer Protocol (SMTP) is
used to send email messages.
Which of the following IPv6 addresses is equivalent to 127.0.0.1 in IPv4?
A. ::0
B. ::1
C. ::127
D. 2000::/3
B. 127.0.0.1 is the IPv4 loopback address, used to ping the local network interface. The
IPv6 equivalent is ::1.
You are asked to perform consulting work for a medium- sized company that is having net-
work connectivity issues. When you examine the patch panel, you notice that none of the
dozens of UTP cables are labeled. Which tool can you use to identify which cable goes to
which workstation?
A. Cable tester
B. Loopback plug
C. Punchdown tool
D. Tone generator and probe
D. If you need to trace a wire in a wall from one location to another, a tone generator and
probe is the right tool to use. To use it, attach one end to one end of the cable, such as the
end at the computer. Then go to the patch panel with the other end of the probe to locate
the cable. These tools are lifesavers when the cables are not properly labeled. A cable tester is
used to confirm the integrity of a cable and verity that it is wired correctly. A loopback plug
is used to test a network interface card (NIC,) and a punchdown tool is used to terminate
wires into a patch panel.
Which TCP/IP protocol is responsible for dynamically assigning IP addresses to client
computers?
A. DNS
B. DHCP
C. RDP
D. LDAP
B. Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) dynamically assigns IP addresses and
other IP configuration information to network clients. The Domain Name System (DNS)
translates human- readable names to their associated IP addresses, the Remote Desktop
Protocol (RDP) allows a user to access a computer remotely as if they were sitting there,
and Lightweight Directory Access Protocol (LDAP) is used for retrieving information from
a database.
Which networking device has multiple ports, each of which is its own collision domain, and
examines the header of the incoming packet to determine which port the packet gets sent to?
A. Hub
B. Switch
C. Bridge
D. Router
B. Switches provide centralized connectivity for a LAN. Switches examine the header of
incoming packets and forward each to only the port whose associated media access control
(MAC) address matches the receiving MAC address in the header. Hubs are seldom used now
because the entire hub is one collision domain and when a packet is received, the hub sends
the packet out to all of its ports indiscriminately. Bridges are used to connect different net-
works to work as one, and routers are used to forward packets from one network to other
networks.
Which TCP/IP port will an email client use to push email to its email server?
A. 23
B. 25
C. 110
D. 143
B. Email is pushed from clients to servers using the Simple Mail Transfer Protocol (SMTP).
SMTP uses port 25. When trying to remember if SMTP is sending or receiving email, think
S for Send. Port 23 is used by Telnet, now considered insecure and obsolete. Port 110 is used
by POP3 (Post Office Protocol 3), and port 143 is used by IMAP (Internet Mail Access Pro-
tocol), both of which are used to retrieve email.
A technician is going to set up a Wi- Fi network using standard omnidirectional antennae.
Because of the building configuration, transmitting signals for the greatest distance is the
technician’s primary criterion. Which standard should they choose?
A. 802.11a
B. 802.11g
C. 802.11n
D. 802.11ac
C. Of the Wi-F i standards listed, 802.11n has the longest range by default, at roughly
70 meters indoors and 250 meters outdoors. 802.11ac is newer and faster than 802.11n,
but it transmits exclusively in the 5 GHz range, which restricts its functional distance.
You are troubleshooting an intermittently failing Cat 6 network connection. You suspect that
there is a short in the connection. Which tool can you use to determine this?
A. Tone generator and probe
B. Loopback plug
C. Cable tester
D. Crimper
C. A cable tester typically uses lights to indicate that the cable is working correctly, and if
there is a short, then the indicators for two wires would light up at the same time. Cable
testers can range from basic ones that are only a few dollars to very sophisticated ones that
are hundreds of dollars. Some of the better ones can tell you how many feet from you that
the problem in the cable occurs. A tone generator and probe are used to trace a wire or find
a specific wire from a group, a loopback plug is used to test a network interface card (NIC),
and a crimper attaches a network wire to its terminator, usually an RJ45 plug.
What marks the boundary of a IPv4 broadcast domain?
A. Hub
B. Switch
C. Router
D. Modem
C. Hubs send every communication they receive out every connected port. Switches will send
broadcast packets out every port, but otherwise will send packets to a specific port based on
the MAC address. A router will not forward any broadcast packet; therefore a router is the
boundary of an IPv4 broadcast domain. A modem (modulator/demodulator) converts signals
from one type to another, such as from an analog signal to a digital one.
Which TCP/IP protocol gathers and manages network performance information using devices
called agents?
A. SNMP
B. SMTP
C. LDAP
D. SMB
A. Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP) gathers and manages network
performance information. A management device called an SNMP server can be set up to col-
lect data from these devices (called agents) and ensure that your network is operating prop-
erly. SMTP is a mail protocol, LDAP is for accessing database information, and SMB is for
file sharing.
Which Internet connection type, once popular for home use, offers asymmetrical download
and upload speeds and is implemented over common phone lines?
A. POTS
B. Cable
C. DSL
D. ISDN
C. Although Digital Subscriber Line (DSL) is being dropped by some providers in favor
of fiber- optic lines, it is still a viable Internet connectivity solution in rural areas that fiber
has not yet reached. DSL utilizes existing phone lines and provides fairly reliable access
while carrying voice and data on the same lines. Most DSL subscriptions are asymmetrical,
meaning they offer faster download speeds than upload speeds. POTS stands for Plain Old
Telephone Service, an acronym from dial- up days. Cable connectivity is provided by cable
TV companies. ISDN is Integrated Services Digital Network, a now obsolete technology that
allowed voice and data communication on the same existing telephone lines, similar to DSL.
You are installing an 802.11n Wi-F i network with five wireless access points. The access
points are set up so their ranges overlap each other. To avoid communications issues, what
principle should you follow when configuring them?
A. Configure all access points to use the same channel.
B. Configure all access points to use adjacent channels.
C. Configure all access points to use nonoverlapping channels.
D. Channel configuration will not cause communications issues.
C. When setting up wireless access points, it’s good practice to have their ranges overlap to
ensure that there is no loss of communication when roaming in the network’s area. However,
to avoid problems, it’s best to set up the access points with nonoverlapping channels; in this
way, the overlapping ranges ensure continuous signal coverage while the nonoverlapping
channels avoid interference from one WAP to another in the overlapping areas.