N10-009 CompTIA Network+ Certification Exam Free Practice Exam Questions (2025 Updated)

Network Health:

WAN 2 appears to have a lower average latency and loss percentage, which would make it the preferred WAN station for VoIP traffic. VoIP traffic requires low latency and packet loss to ensure good voice quality and reliability. WAN 1 seems to have higher RAM and processor usage, which could also affect the performance of VoIP traffic.

Here's the summary of the key metrics for WAN 1 and WAN 2 from the image provided:

WAN 1:

Uplink Speed: 10G

Total Usage: 26.969GB Up / 1.748GB Down

Average Throughput: 353MBps Up / 23.42MBps Down

Loss: 2.51%

Average Latency: 24ms

Jitter: 9.5ms

WAN 2:

Uplink Speed: 1G

Total Usage: 930GB Up / 138GB Down

Average Throughput: 12.21MBps Up / 1.82MBps Down

Loss: 0.01%

Average Latency: 11ms

Jitter: 3.9ms

For VoIP traffic, low latency and jitter are particularly important to ensure voice quality. While WAN 1 has higher bandwidth and throughput, it also has higher latency and jitter compared to WAN 2. However, WAN 2 has much lower loss, lower latency, and lower jitter, which are more favorable for VoIP traffic that is sensitive to delays and variation in packet arrival times.

Given this information, WAN 2 would generally be preferred for VoIP traffic due to its lower latency, lower jitter, and significantly lower loss percentage, despite its lower bandwidth compared to WAN 1. The high bandwidth of WAN 1 may be more suitable for other types of traffic that are less sensitive to latency and jitter, such as bulk data transfers.

Device Monitoring:

the device that is experiencing connectivity issues is the APP Server or Router 1, which has a status of Down. This means that the server is not responding to network requests or sending any data. You may want to check the physical connection, power supply, and configuration of the APP Server to troubleshoot the problem.

A screenshot of a computer AI-generated content may be incorrect.

Multitenancy is a cloud computing architecture where a single instance of software serves multiple customers or tenants. Each tenant's data is isolated and remains invisible to other tenants. Hosting a company application in the cloud to be available for both internal and third-party users fits this concept, as it allows shared resources and infrastructure while maintaining data separation and security. References: CompTIA Network+ Exam Objectives and official study guides.

AnAccess Control List (ACL)configured on theedge firewallis the correct and most effective solution tofilter inbound traffic. The administrator can allow TCP port 443 (HTTPS) and deny all other traffic. This is a classic firewall configuration for securing public-facing servers.

When a new VLAN is created, it typically exists on a different subnet. If DHCP servers are on a different VLAN, the network needs an IP helper address to forward DHCP requests correctly. Without it, clients in the new VLAN won’t receive an IP address.

Breakdown of Options:

A. Scope size – Increasing the DHCP scope would not resolve the issue if requests aren't reaching the server.

B. Address reservations – Reservations only assign specific addresses to devices; they do not fix DHCP communication issues.

C. Lease time – Changing the lease time does not impact DHCP functionality across VLANs.

D. IP helper – Correct answer. This forwards DHCP requests across VLANs to the DHCP server.

If a switch has port security enabled (such as sticky MAC or a configured allowed MAC), the port will only allow the original NIC’s MAC address. When a new NIC with a different MAC address is installed, the port rejects traffic, preventing network connectivity.

B. BPDU guard protects against rogue switches, not end hosts.

C. Link aggregation applies when bundling multiple uplinks, not a single PC connection.

D. PoE budget applies to powered devices like APs, not PCs.

References (CompTIA Network+ N10-009):

Domain: Network Troubleshooting — Port security, MAC address filtering, switch security features.

The three-tier hierarchical model in network design consists of three layers: access, distribution, and core. The access layer is where devices like PCs and printers connect to the network. The distribution layer aggregates the data received from the access layer switches before it is transmitted to the core layer, which is responsible for high-speed data transfer and routing. This approach improves scalability and performance in larger networks. References: CompTIA Network+ Exam Objectives and official study guides.

•Since this issue occurred after a configuration change on a Layer 3 switch, the most likely cause is misconfigured ACLs (Access Control Lists).

•ACLs control which traffic is allowed or denied, so an incorrect ACL may be blocking access to the file server.

•Why not the other options?

•Switching loop (B): A switching loop occurs at Layer 2 (not Layer 3) and causes network-wide broadcast storms, not just loss of access to a file server.

•Duplicate IP addresses (C): This would cause connectivity issues for the devices with the conflict, but not necessarily prevent all users from accessing the file server.

•Wrong default route (D): The default route is used for traffic leaving the local network. If users are unable to access an internal file server, this is unlikely to be the issue.

Since the switch supports only 10Gbps per port, achieving 40Gbps throughput requires link aggregation (LACP), which combines multiple 10Gbps links into one logical interface for higher bandwidth.

Breakdown of Options:

A. 802.1Q tagging – VLAN tagging helps segment traffic but does not increase throughput.

B. Jumbo frames – Jumbo frames reduce overhead but do not increase bandwidth.

C. Half duplex – Half duplex restricts communication, reducing performance instead of improving it.

D. Link aggregation – Correct answer. LACP combines multiple 10Gbps links to provide a 40Gbps connection.

BGP (Border Gateway Protocol) uses attributes like AS path, origin, and MED (multi-exit discriminator) to determine the best path among multiple available routes.

From Andrew Ramdayal’s guide:

“BGP is the protocol underlying the global routing system of the internet. It is used for routing data between autonomous systems (ASes)... BGP uses a path vector mechanism and maintains a list of attributes for route selection.”

Verifying full system functionality occurs after implementing a fix. This step ensures the solution resolved the issue and that performance is back to expected levels. Comparing current throughput to baseline measurements is part of validation testing to confirm everything is within normal operational parameters.

A. Implement the solution applies the fix but does not confirm results.

C. Document findings happens at the end of troubleshooting.

D. Test the theory comes earlier, when trying to confirm the suspected cause.

References (CompTIA Network+ N10-009):

Domain: Network Troubleshooting — Troubleshooting methodology steps, baselines, verification testing.

BGP (Border Gateway Protocol) is used for routing data between different ISPs, making it essential for the functioning of the internet. Its primary use is for exchanging routing information between autonomous systems, especially different ISPs. Preventing loops within a LAN ishandled by protocols like Spanning Tree Protocol (STP), while improving reconvergence times and sharing routes with a Layer 3 switch are functions of other protocols or internal mechanisms.

When an organization moves its DNS servers to new IP addresses, the NS (Name Server) records must be updated. The NS record defines which DNS servers are authoritative for a domain. Ifthese records still point to the old IP addresses, clients will continue to query the outdated servers, leading to connectivity issues.

Breakdown of Options:

A. AAAA – This record maps a domain name to an IPv6 address. Since the issue is with DNS resolution, not IP versioning, this is incorrect.

B. CNAME – A CNAME (Canonical Name) record is used for domain aliasing, not for defining authoritative name servers.

C. MX – Mail Exchange (MX) records direct email traffic to the correct mail server, which does not impact general website accessibility.

D. NS – Correct answer. NS records must be updated to reflect the new authoritative DNS servers.

Quality of Service (QoS)is the best cost-effective solution. It prioritizes traffic based on application criticality. If the bandwidth is limited and only a few users are affected, prioritizing that application traffic can improve performance without needing costly bandwidth upgrades or direct connections.

Role of the Hosts File:

The hosts file is a local file on a computer that maps hostnames to IP addresses. It can be used to override DNS resolution by providing a static mapping of a hostname to an IP address.

Common Issues with the Hosts File:

If an incorrect IP address is mapped to a hostname in the hosts file, it can cause the computer to resolve the hostname to the wrong IP address. This can lead to navigation issues for specific websites while other users, relying on DNS, do not face the same problem.

Why Other Options are Less Likely:

Self-signed certificate: Relates to SSL/TLS and would cause a security warning, not a navigation failure.

Nameserver record: Affects all users, not just one.

IP helper: Used to forward DHCP requests and is unrelated to DNS resolution issues.

Troubleshooting Steps:

Check the hosts file on the affected user's computer (C:\Windows\System32\drivers\etc\hosts on Windows or /etc/hosts on Unix/Linux).

Look for entries that map the problematic hostname to an incorrect IP address and correct or remove them.

Least privilege network access is a principle that restricts users' access rights to only what is necessary for them to perform their job functions. In this case, the accountant's access is limited to only the financial department's shared folders, ensuring that they cannot access other parts of the network unnecessarily. This reduces the risk of unauthorized access and potential data breaches. References: CompTIA Network+ Exam Objectives and official study guides.

SSH (Secure Shell) is a cryptographic network protocol that enables secure remote management and operation of network devices, including routers and switches. SSH encrypts traffic, making it more secure than alternatives like Telnet, which sends data in plaintext. The document states:

“SSH (Secure Shell) is the recommended protocol for secure, interactive remote management of network devices. It provides a secure channel over an unsecured network by encrypting the traffic between the administrator’s workstation and the managed device.”

Single Sign-On (SSO) enables a user to access multiple resources or applications with one set of credentials, improving usability and security. The document confirms:

“Single Sign-On (SSO) allows a user to authenticate once and gain access to multiple resources or applications without needing to log in again for each. It streamlines the login process and improves security by reducing the number of passwords that need to be managed.”

An incorrect pinout on the patch cable could prevent network connectivity due to mismatched wiring. Even if the cables are the correct length and type, a pinout issue can cause continuity problems and prevent data transmission. Proper crimping with the correct pinout is essential for network cables to function. (Reference: CompTIA Network+ Study Guide, Chapter on Network Media and Topologies)