Welcome to today’s CompTIA Network+ practice test!
Today’s practice test is based on subdomain 1.2 (Compare and contrast networking appliances, applications, and functions) from the CompTIA Network+ N10-009 objectives.
This beginner-level practice test is inspired by the CompTIA Network+ (N10-009) exam and is designed to help you reinforce key networking concepts on a daily basis.
These questions are not official exam questions, nor are they brain dumps, but they reflect topics and scenarios relevant to the Network+ certification exam objectives. Use them to test your knowledge, identify areas for improvement, and build daily networking habits.
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Results
#1. A network administrator needs to increase network availability during peak hours. Which of the following devices should be implemented to evenly distribute traffic among multiple servers?
#2. A junior technician is tasked with improving security at the network perimeter. Which appliance provides real-time traffic inspection and can actively block malicious packets?
#3. Which device is typically used to connect and segment network segments while providing VLAN support and MAC address filtering?
#4. A cloud engineer deploys a virtual firewall inside a public cloud. What is the primary benefit of using a virtual appliance over a physical one?
#5. Which of the following technologies allows secure remote access to internal resources over an encrypted tunnel?
#6. A company with branch offices worldwide wants faster content delivery for customers. Which service should be used?
#7. Which device is best suited for storing shared files in a small office network and is accessed over standard Ethernet?
#8. A data center requires high-speed block-level storage accessible by multiple servers for database applications. Which solution should be used?
#9. What function does TTL (Time to Live) serve in IP packet headers?
#10. A network administrator implements QoS. What is the primary reason for using QoS in modern networks?
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To view CompTIA Network+ practice tests on other days, click here.To view answers and explanations for today’s questions, expand the Answers accordion below.
Answers
| Number | Answer | Explanation |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | D | A network administrator needs to increase network availability during peak hours. Which of the following devices should be implemented to evenly distribute traffic among multiple servers? A. IDS (Intrusion Detection System): An IDS monitors network traffic for suspicious activity or policy violations and alerts administrators. It does not distribute traffic or improve availability in the way a load balancer does. B. NAS (Network Attached Storage): NAS is a file-level data storage server connected to a computer network that provides data access to a heterogeneous group of clients. It stores data but does not distribute network traffic among multiple servers. C. Proxy server: A proxy server acts as an intermediary for requests from clients seeking resources from other servers. It can improve security or cache content, but its primary function is not to distribute traffic among multiple backend servers for availability. D. Load balancer A load balancer is specifically designed to distribute incoming network traffic across a group of backend servers. This ensures that no single server is overloaded, improving network availability, responsiveness, and overall resource utilization during peak hours. |
| 2 | B | A junior technician is tasked with improving security at the network perimeter. Which appliance provides real-time traffic inspection and can actively block malicious packets? A. IDS (Intrusion Detection System): An IDS also performs real-time traffic inspection, but its primary function is to detect and alert on suspicious activity. It typically does not actively block traffic, although some can be configured to integrate with firewalls to achieve blocking. B. IPS (Intrusion Prevention System): An IPS is specifically designed for real-time traffic inspection and has the capability to actively block or prevent detected malicious activity. It sits inline with network traffic and takes immediate action to stop threats before they can reach their target. C. Proxy: A proxy server acts as an intermediary for client requests, often used for security (e.g., filtering content, anonymizing requests) or caching. While it inspects traffic, its primary function is not to block malicious packets in the same way an IPS does for known threats. D. CDN (Content Delivery Network): A CDN is a geographically distributed network of proxy servers and their data centers. Its main purpose is to deliver web content efficiently to users by caching it closer to them, improving performance and availability. It is not designed for real-time malicious packet blocking at the network perimeter. |
| 3 | C | Which device is typically used to connect and segment network segments while providing VLAN support and MAC address filtering? A. Router: A router operates at Layer 3 (Network Layer) and is primarily used to connect different networks (e.g., LANs to the Internet) by forwarding traffic based on IP addresses. While it segments broadcast domains, its main function isn’t MAC address filtering or VLAN provisioning on a local segment. B. Firewall: A firewall is a security device that monitors and controls incoming and outgoing network traffic based on predefined security rules. It operates across multiple layers (Layer 3/4 primarily, sometimes higher) but its main purpose is security policy enforcement, not general network connectivity and segmentation via MAC addresses or VLANs. C. Switch A switch is a Layer 2 (Data Link) networking device that connects multiple devices on the same local area network (LAN). It uses MAC addresses for forwarding decisions and is essential for segmenting network segments into collision domains. Most modern switches (managed switches) also provide VLAN (Virtual LAN) support, allowing logical segmentation of the network, even if devices are physically connected to the same switch. D. NAS (Network Attached Storage): NAS is a dedicated file storage device that connects to a network, allowing multiple users and client devices to retrieve data from centralized disk capacity. It’s a storage solution, not a device for connecting and segmenting network segments |
| 4 | B | A cloud engineer deploys a virtual firewall inside a public cloud. What is the primary benefit of using a virtual appliance over a physical one? A. Higher throughput: Physical firewalls, especially high-end dedicated appliances, often offer higher raw throughput and lower latency than their virtual counterparts because they utilize specialized hardware acceleration. Virtual appliances are limited by the underlying hypervisor and virtualized resources. B. Easier scalability and deployment Virtual appliances (like virtual firewalls) in a cloud environment can be provisioned, configured, and scaled up or down much more quickly and easily than physical hardware. You can spin up new instances, duplicate existing ones, or adjust resources with just a few clicks or API calls, without needing to acquire, rack, or cable physical devices. C. Eliminates need for security policies: Regardless of whether the firewall is physical or virtual, security policies are absolutely essential. The appliance is merely a tool to enforce the policies; it doesn’t eliminate the need to define what traffic is allowed or denied. D. No requirement for software updates: Virtual firewalls, just like physical ones, run software (firmware/operating system) that requires regular updates, patches, and vulnerability management to stay secure. They are still susceptible to software vulnerabilities. |
| 5 | D | Which of the following technologies allows secure remote access to internal resources over an encrypted tunnel? A. QoS (Quality of Service): QoS mechanisms prioritize certain types of network traffic to ensure performance for critical applications. It manages traffic flow but does not provide secure remote access or encryption. B. TTL (Time to Live): TTL is a value in an IP packet that indicates the maximum number of hops a packet can traverse before being discarded. It’s used to prevent packets from looping indefinitely and is unrelated to secure remote access. C. VLAN (Virtual Local Area Network): A VLAN is a logical segmentation of a physical network, allowing devices to be grouped together regardless of their physical location. It’s for network segmentation, not for providing secure remote access over an encrypted tunnel. D. VPN (Virtual Private Network) A VPN creates a secure, encrypted tunnel over an insecure network (like the public internet), allowing remote users to access internal resources as if they were directly connected to the organization’s private network. This ensures confidentiality and integrity of data in transit. |
| 6 | A | A company with branch offices worldwide wants faster content delivery for customers. Which service should be used? A. CDN (Content Delivery Network) A CDN is a globally distributed network of proxy servers and their data centers. It works by caching content (like web pages, images, videos) closer to the end-users. When a customer requests content, it’s delivered from the nearest CDN server, significantly reducing latency and improving content delivery speed, especially for a company with a worldwide customer base. B. IDS (Intrusion Detection System): An IDS monitors network traffic for suspicious activity and alerts administrators. Its purpose is security, not content delivery speed. C. NAS (Network Attached Storage): NAS is a dedicated file storage device connected to a network, providing centralized data storage. While it provides access to data, it’s not designed for globally optimized content delivery to customers. D. SAN (Storage Area Network): A SAN is a high-speed network that provides access to consolidated, block-level data storage. It’s used for server storage and data management within an organization, not for external customer-facing content delivery optimization. |
| 7 | A | Which device is best suited for storing shared files in a small office network and is accessed over standard Ethernet? A. NAS (Network Attached Storage) NAS devices are specifically designed to provide centralized, shared file storage that is accessible over a standard network (like Ethernet). They are relatively easy to set up and manage, making them ideal for small office environments where multiple users need to access common files. B. SAN (Storage Area Network): A SAN is a high-speed network of storage devices that provides block-level access to data, typically used in larger, more complex enterprise environments for servers and databases. It’s overkill and overly complex for simply storing shared files in a small office. C. Firewall: A firewall is a security device that controls network traffic. Its purpose is to enforce security policies and protect the network, not to provide shared file storage. D. Proxy: A proxy server acts as an intermediary for client requests, often used for security, caching, or content filtering. It does not provide persistent shared file storage. |
| 8 | B | A data center requires high-speed block-level storage accessible by multiple servers for database applications. Which solution should be used? A. NAS (Network Attached Storage): NAS provides file-level storage access over a standard network (like Ethernet). While suitable for shared files, it’s generally slower and less efficient for demanding database applications that require block-level access. B. SAN (Storage Area Network) A SAN is specifically designed for high-speed, block-level storage access. It connects servers to storage devices directly, providing a dedicated, high-performance network optimized for applications like databases that require very fast I/O operations and low latency. Multiple servers can access the same storage blocks, making it ideal for shared database environments. C. Load balancer: A load balancer distributes incoming network traffic across multiple servers to improve availability and performance. It’s a network device, not a storage solution. D. VPN (Virtual Private Network): A VPN creates a secure, encrypted tunnel over a public network for remote access. It’s a connectivity and security solution, not a storage solution. |
| 9 | B | What function does TTL (Time to Live) serve in IP packet headers? A. Determines encryption level: Encryption is handled by protocols at higher layers (like TLS/SSL at the Presentation/Application layers or IPSec at the Network layer) and is not determined by TTL. B. Limits packet lifetime to prevent looping: TTL (Time to Live) is a field in the IP packet header that defines the maximum number of hops (routers) a packet can traverse before it is discarded. Each time a packet passes through a router, its TTL value is decremented. If the TTL reaches zero, the packet is dropped. This mechanism is crucial for preventing packets from endlessly looping on a network, which could otherwise lead to network congestion and instability. C. Ensures QoS prioritization: QoS (Quality of Service) mechanisms manage network traffic to ensure performance for critical applications by prioritizing certain types of data. This is a separate function from TTL. D. Identifies application type: Application type is typically identified by port numbers (at the Transport layer) or by the specific Application layer protocol itself (e.g., HTTP for web traffic). TTL has no role in identifying application types |
| 10 | C | A network administrator implements QoS. What is the primary reason for using QoS in modern networks? A. Reduce bandwidth usage: While QoS can help manage how bandwidth is used, its primary goal is not to reduce total bandwidth consumption, but rather to ensure certain traffic types get the necessary bandwidth and performance. B. Encrypt all network traffic: Encryption is a security function (e.g., VPNs, SSL/TLS) that protects data confidentiality. QoS focuses on traffic management and performance, not encryption. C. Prioritize traffic based on type The primary reason for implementing QoS (Quality of Service) is to manage and prioritize different types of network traffic. For example, voice and video (which are sensitive to delay) can be given higher priority over less time-sensitive traffic like file transfers or email, ensuring a better user experience for critical applications, especially during network congestion. D. Extend packet TTL values: TTL (Time To Live) is used to prevent packets from looping indefinitely on a network. It’s unrelated to QoS, which is about traffic prioritization. |