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Question 161

Which protocol is commonly used to transfer files without authentication or encryption?

1. SFTP
2. TFTP
3. HTTPS
4. SSH

Correct Answer: 2

Explanation

Trivial File Transfer Protocol, or TFTP, is a lightweight file-transfer protocol that uses UDP and does not provide built-in authentication or encryption. It is often used for simple network tasks such as transferring configuration files, firmware, or boot files in controlled environments. SFTP provides secure file transfer through SSH, HTTPS encrypts web traffic, and SSH provides secure remote administration. Because TFTP lacks security features, it should generally be restricted to trusted network environments and protected through appropriate access controls.

Question 162

Which routing protocol is commonly used within a single autonomous system and uses link-state information?

1. OSPF
2. BGP
3. FTP
4. DHCP

Correct Answer: 1

Explanation

Open Shortest Path First, or OSPF, is a link-state interior gateway protocol commonly used within an autonomous system. Routers exchange link-state information and build a topology database that allows them to calculate suitable routes using the shortest-path algorithm. OSPF supports hierarchical designs through areas and can converge efficiently after topology changes. BGP is primarily used for inter-autonomous-system routing, while FTP transfers files and DHCP provides network configuration. OSPF is therefore widely used for dynamic internal routing.

Question 163

What does a switch use to determine where to forward an Ethernet frame?

1. IP address
2. Port number
3. Destination MAC address
4. DNS name

Correct Answer: 3

Explanation

An Ethernet switch primarily examines the destination MAC address in a frame to determine the appropriate forwarding port. The switch maintains a MAC address table that associates learned MAC addresses with physical interfaces. When the destination is known, the switch forwards the frame through the corresponding port. If the destination is unknown, the switch may flood the frame within the relevant VLAN. IP addresses are primarily used by routers for Layer 3 forwarding, while port numbers identify transport-layer services.

Question 164

Which technology allows different VLANs to share a single physical switch-to-switch connection?

1. Access port
2. Trunking
3. NAT
4. Port mirroring

Correct Answer: 2

Explanation

VLAN trunking allows multiple VLANs to travel across a single physical connection between switches or between a switch and another VLAN-aware device. VLAN tags identify which logical network each frame belongs to, allowing the receiving device to maintain separation between VLANs. An access port normally carries traffic for one VLAN, while NAT translates addresses and port mirroring copies traffic for monitoring. Trunk links are therefore essential when VLANs need to extend across multiple switches without requiring a separate physical cable for every VLAN.

Question 165

Which wireless technology is designed for very short-range personal area networking?

1. Bluetooth
2. LTE
3. MPLS
4. Ethernet

Correct Answer: 1

Explanation

Bluetooth is a short-range wireless technology commonly used for Personal Area Network applications. It connects nearby devices such as keyboards, headphones, smartphones, mice, and other peripherals. Bluetooth generally consumes less power than technologies designed for larger coverage areas and is suitable for device-to-device communication over relatively short distances. LTE provides cellular connectivity, MPLS is a WAN technology, and Ethernet is primarily a wired networking technology. Bluetooth is therefore the most appropriate choice for short-range personal connectivity.

Question 166

Which protocol is commonly used for secure command-line administration of network devices?

1. Telnet
2. FTP
3. SSH
4. TFTP

Correct Answer: 3

Explanation

Secure Shell, or SSH, provides encrypted remote command-line access to network devices and servers. It protects authentication credentials and administrative traffic from being transmitted in clear text across the network. SSH commonly uses TCP port 22. Telnet provides similar remote terminal functionality but does not provide modern encryption, while FTP and TFTP are file-transfer protocols. Network administrators commonly use SSH for securely configuring routers, switches, firewalls, Linux servers, and other infrastructure devices.

Question 167

What is the purpose of a DHCP reservation?

1. Assign a consistent IP address to a specific device
2. Encrypt DHCP traffic
3. Create a DNS zone
4. Block broadcast traffic

Correct Answer: 1

Explanation

A DHCP reservation associates a specific client identifier, commonly a MAC address, with a particular IP address. When that device requests an address, the DHCP server can consistently provide the reserved address. Reservations are useful for devices such as printers, cameras, servers, and network appliances that benefit from predictable addressing while still using centralized DHCP management. DHCP reservations do not encrypt traffic, create DNS zones, or block broadcasts. They provide controlled and repeatable address assignment without requiring manual static configuration on the client.

Question 168

Which cable category is commonly used for 10-Gigabit Ethernet over copper at longer standard distances?

1. Cat5
2. Cat5e
3. Cat6A
4. Cat3

Correct Answer: 3

Explanation

Category 6A, or Cat6A, twisted-pair cabling is commonly used to support 10-Gigabit Ethernet over copper at distances up to 100 meters under appropriate installation conditions. It provides improved performance and reduced crosstalk compared with older cable categories. Cat5e is commonly associated with Gigabit Ethernet and may support higher speeds under certain conditions, but Cat6A is the standard choice for reliable 10GBASE-T deployments over full structured-cabling distances. Cat3 and older Cat5 cabling are not appropriate for modern 10-Gigabit Ethernet installations.

Question 169

Which DNS record creates an alias for another hostname?

1. MX
2. PTR
3. CNAME
4. AAAA

Correct Answer: 3

Explanation

A CNAME, or Canonical Name, record creates an alias that points one hostname to another hostname. This allows multiple names to reference the same canonical destination without directly assigning an IP address to every alias. For example, a service hostname may point to another hostname managed by an organization or provider. MX records identify mail servers, PTR records support reverse DNS lookups, and AAAA records map names to IPv6 addresses. CNAME records are therefore useful for flexible hostname management.

Question 170

Which network function distributes incoming application traffic across multiple servers?

1. Load balancing
2. NAT
3. DNS caching
4. DHCP

Correct Answer: 1

Explanation

Load balancing distributes incoming client requests across multiple servers or service instances. This can improve availability, scalability, and resource utilization by preventing a single server from handling all requests. Load balancers may use methods such as round-robin, least connections, or health-based selection depending on the implementation. NAT translates addresses, DNS caching stores name-resolution results, and DHCP assigns network configuration. Load balancing is especially useful for applications that need to support many simultaneous users or maintain service availability when individual servers fail.

Question 171

Which IPv6 address is used to communicate with the local host?

1. FE80::1
2. FF02::1
3. ::1
4. 2001:db8::1

Correct Answer: 3

Explanation

The IPv6 loopback address is ::1. It serves a purpose similar to IPv4 address 127.0.0.1 and refers to the local host rather than another device on the network. Applications and administrators can use the loopback address to test the local IPv6 protocol stack without sending traffic through a physical network interface. FE80:: addresses are generally link-local, FF02:: addresses are multicast, and 2001:db8:: is commonly used for documentation examples. Therefore, ::1 is the correct IPv6 loopback address.

Question 172

Which technology allows a network to prioritize voice traffic over less time-sensitive traffic?

1. QoS
2. NAT
3. DNS
4. STP

Correct Answer: 1

Explanation

Quality of Service, or QoS, allows network administrators to classify and prioritize traffic according to application requirements. Voice and video often require low latency, low jitter, and minimal packet loss, so QoS mechanisms can give these traffic types preferential treatment during congestion. NAT translates IP addresses, DNS resolves hostnames, and STP prevents switching loops. QoS does not increase the physical capacity of a network, but it can help ensure that important traffic receives appropriate treatment when network resources are limited.

Question 173

Which protocol is commonly used to authenticate users against a directory service?

1. LDAP
2. ICMP
3. RTP
4. NTP

Correct Answer: 1

Explanation

LDAP, or Lightweight Directory Access Protocol, is commonly used to access and query directory services containing information about users, groups, computers, and other organizational resources. Applications can use LDAP to locate directory objects and perform authentication or authorization-related operations depending on the directory implementation. ICMP supports network control and diagnostics, RTP transports real-time media, and NTP synchronizes clocks. LDAP is particularly common in enterprise environments where centralized identity information is maintained in directory systems.

Question 174

Which network attack sends a large number of DHCP requests to exhaust available addresses?

1. MAC flooding
2. DHCP starvation
3. DNS tunneling
4. ARP spoofing

Correct Answer: 2

Explanation

DHCP starvation attacks attempt to consume all available addresses in a DHCP scope by generating numerous requests, often using fabricated client identifiers or MAC addresses. Once the available leases are exhausted, legitimate clients may be unable to obtain IP configuration from the DHCP server. Security controls such as DHCP snooping, port security, and appropriate switch configurations can help mitigate this threat. MAC flooding targets switch tables, DNS tunneling abuses DNS traffic for data transfer, and ARP spoofing manipulates local address mappings.

Question 175

Which technology creates a virtual network interface for a host operating system?

1. Virtual NIC
2. Patch panel
3. Fiber transceiver
4. Media converter

Correct Answer: 1

Explanation

A virtual network interface card, or virtual NIC, provides network connectivity to a virtual machine or other software-defined system. It behaves similarly to a physical network interface from the perspective of the operating system, including having an assigned MAC address and IP configuration. The virtual NIC connects through virtualization infrastructure such as a virtual switch to reach other networks. Patch panels and media converters are physical infrastructure components, while a fiber transceiver converts electrical and optical signals at the physical layer.

Question 176

Which metric measures variation in packet arrival times?

1. Throughput
2. Latency
3. Jitter
4. Bandwidth

Correct Answer: 3

Explanation

Jitter measures variation in packet arrival times. Consistent packet delivery is particularly important for real-time applications such as VoIP, video conferencing, and streaming because uneven packet timing can cause interruptions, distortion, or buffering. Latency measures the time required for traffic to travel between endpoints, while throughput measures the amount of successfully transferred data over time. Bandwidth represents the theoretical or configured capacity of a connection. High jitter can negatively affect real-time communication even when bandwidth is sufficient.

Question 177

Which device can inspect traffic and block unauthorized connections between networks?

1. Firewall
2. Repeater
3. Hub
4. Patch panel

Correct Answer: 1

Explanation

A firewall monitors and controls network traffic according to security policies. It can permit legitimate connections and block unauthorized or prohibited traffic based on criteria such as addresses, ports, protocols, connection states, or applications. Depending on its design, a firewall may also provide features such as VPN termination, NAT, application inspection, and intrusion prevention. A repeater regenerates signals, a hub broadcasts traffic to connected ports, and a patch panel provides physical cable organization. Firewalls therefore provide an important network security boundary.

Question 178

Which IPv4 mechanism automatically assigns an address when a DHCP server cannot be reached?

1. NAT
2. APIPA
3. CIDR
4. PAT

Correct Answer: 2

Explanation

Automatic Private IP Addressing, or APIPA, allows many IPv4 hosts to automatically assign themselves an address when they cannot obtain one from a DHCP server. APIPA addresses typically use the 169.254.0.0/16 range and are intended for local-link communication rather than normal routed network access. NAT and PAT translate addresses, while CIDR defines address prefixes and routing aggregation. An unexpected APIPA address can therefore be an important troubleshooting clue indicating a DHCP or connectivity problem.

Question 179

Which protocol is commonly used to synchronize clocks across network devices?

1. DNS
2. NTP
3. SMB
4. LDAP

Correct Answer: 2

Explanation

Network Time Protocol, or NTP, synchronizes system clocks across networked devices. Accurate time is important for event logging, authentication, troubleshooting, certificate validation, and correlating security events across multiple systems. NTP clients can synchronize with configured time servers and gradually adjust their clocks to maintain accurate time. DNS resolves names, SMB provides file and printer sharing, and LDAP provides directory services. Reliable time synchronization is an important operational requirement for both network management and security monitoring.

Question 180

Which technology creates an encrypted tunnel between two networks over the internet?

1. Site-to-site VPN
2. VLAN
3. STP
4. Port mirroring

Correct Answer: 1

Explanation

A site-to-site VPN creates a protected tunnel between two network locations across an untrusted network such as the internet. VPN gateways at each site establish the connection and can encrypt traffic traveling between the networks. This allows users and systems at one location to communicate securely with resources at another location without requiring a dedicated private physical circuit. VLANs provide local segmentation, STP prevents switching loops, and port mirroring copies traffic for analysis. Site-to-site VPNs are commonly used to connect branch offices securely.