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

When deploying multiple Power over Ethernet (PoE) devices, the switch’s power budget can be exhausted. If the available wattage on the switch cannot supply the additional AP, it will fail to power on. This is the most likely cause when previous APs worked fine but a new one does not.

A. Signal strength affects wireless connectivity, not whether the AP powers up.

B. Duplex mismatch causes poor throughput, not power failure.

D. CRC errors point to cabling issues but do not prevent booting if no power is available.

References (CompTIA Network+ N10-009):

Domain: Network Troubleshooting — PoE power budget considerations, device startup issues.

A misaligned parabolic antenna can cause a significant increase in input errors because the signal is not properly focused or directed towards the receiving antenna, resulting in poor reception and data corruption. The document confirms:

“Misalignment of parabolic microwave antennas can lead to weak or incorrect signal reception, causing an increase in input errors and connectivity issues on the link.”

Introduction to Security Zones:

Security zones are logical segments within a network designed to enforce security policies and control access. They help in segregating and securing different parts of the network.

Types of Security Zones:

Trusted Zone: This is the most secure zone, typically used for internal corporate networks where only trusted users have access.

Extranet: This zone allows controlled access to external partners, vendors, or customers.

VPN (Virtual Private Network): While VPNs are used to create secure connections over the internet, they are not a security zone themselves.

Public Zone: This zone is the least secure and is typically used for public-facing services accessible by anyone.

Trusted Zone Implementation:

The trusted zone is configured to include internal corporate users and resources. Access controls, firewalls, and other security measures ensure that only authorized personnel can access this zone.

Internal network segments, such as the finance department, HR, and other critical functions, are usually placed in the trusted zone.

Example Configuration:

Firewall Rules: Set up rules to allow traffic only from internal IP addresses.

Access Control Lists (ACLs): Implement ACLs on routers and switches to restrict access based on IP addresses and other criteria.

Segmentation: Use VLANs and subnetting to segment and isolate the trusted zone from other zones.

Explanation of the Options:

A. Extranet: Suitable for external partners, not for internal-only access.

B. Trusted: The correct answer, as it provides controlled access to internal corporate users.

C. VPN: A method for secure remote access, not a security zone itself.

D. Public: Suitable for public access, not for internal corporate users.

Conclusion:

Implementing a trusted zone is the best solution for controlling access within a corporate network. It ensures that only trusted internal users can access sensitive resources, enhancing network security.

It is common for an access port to have both a voice VLAN and a data VLAN. A voice VLAN separates voice traffic from regular data traffic, ensuring better quality and security for voice communications.

=================

DHCP Options: DHCP options allow additional configuration parameters, such as the address of a TFTP server, to be provided to clients during the DHCP lease process. This is essential for VoIP phones to locate the server for configuration files.

Exclusions (A): Prevents certain IP addresses from being assigned by DHCP but does not direct devices to servers.

Lease time (B): Determines how long an IP address is assigned but does not impact TFTP settings.

Scope (D): Defines a range of IP addresses but does not include additional server information.

If the business shares or duplicates the ISP-assigned public IP address, routing instability and conflicts will occur. Pinging a public IP like 8.8.8.8 may work (since ICMP can bypass certain conflicts), but browsing websites (which requires stable sessions and return traffic) will fail intermittently.

A. If the default gateway were incorrect, no external connectivity would work at all.

B. VLAN mismatch is an internal issue, not affecting ISP routing.

C. Subnet mask misconfiguration would prevent consistent routing but usually blocks ping too.

References (CompTIA Network+ N10-009):

Domain: Network Troubleshooting — Internet connectivity issues, ISP IP conflicts.

Network Functions Virtualization (NFV): NFV is a technology that virtualizes network services like routing, firewalls, and load balancers. It allows these services to run on virtual machines rather than requiring dedicated hardware. This is ideal for remote branch locations where deploying physical devices is costly and complex.

VRF (B): Virtual Routing and Forwarding is used for segmenting routing tables but does not virtualize services.

VLAN (C): Virtual Local Area Networks help segregate broadcast domains but are unrelated to virtualizing network functions.

VPC (D): Virtual Private Cloud is used for cloud computing but does not pertain to virtualizing network services.

The MPO (Multi-fiber Push On) connector is designed to handle multiple fiber strands in a single connector, and it is commonly used with high-density transceivers like QSFP (Quad Small Form-factor Pluggable).

QSFP can support up to four channels (hence "quad"), and MPO connectors can interface multiple fibers (e.g., 8, 12, 24), making them ideal for 40Gbps or 100Gbps deployments.

RJ45 (A) is used for Ethernet over copper.

ST (B) and LC (C) are single-fiber connectors — they don't support the multi-fiber needs of QSFP setups.

✅ Therefore, MPO is the correct connector type for this use case.

Troubleshooting Methodology:

Troubleshooting involves a systematic approach to diagnosing and resolving issues. It typically includes steps such as identifying symptoms, gathering information, formulating and testing theories, and implementing solutions.

Confirming a Theory:

Duplicate the Problem: To confirm a theory, the technician should reproduce the problem in a controlled environment. This helps verify that the identified cause actually leads to the observed issue.

Verification: By duplicating the problem, the technician can observe the issue firsthand, validate the hypothesis, and rule out other potential causes.

Comparison with Other Steps:

Identify the Symptoms: Initial step to understand what the problem is, not specifically for confirming a theory.

Gather Information: Involves collecting data and details about the issue, usually done before formulating a theory.

Determine Any Changes: Involves checking for recent changes that could have caused the issue, a part of the information-gathering phase.

Implementation:

Use similar equipment or software in a test environment to recreate the issue.

Observe the results to see if they match the original problem, thereby confirming the theory.

To support VoIP on a network with limited switchports, the engineer should configure voice VLANs and enable 802.1Q tagging. Voice VLANs allow VoIP traffic to be prioritized and isolated from data traffic even when sharing the same physical port. 802.1Q is used for VLAN tagging, enabling multiple VLANs over a single physical link.

From Andrew Ramdayal’s guide:

“Voice VLANs allow IP phones and computers to share the same physical switch port while keeping their traffic separate. 802.1Q is used to tag VLAN traffic so that it can be appropriately routed and prioritized.”

EIGRP(Enhanced Interior Gateway Routing Protocol) supports bothIPv4 and IPv6. While OSPFv3 is specific to IPv6 and RIPv2 only supports IPv4, EIGRP was extended to handle dual-stack environments efficiently.

A rogue DHCP server occurs when an unauthorized or misconfigured DHCP server assigns incorrect IP addresses, default gateways, or DNS settings to clients.

•In this scenario:

•The user can ping the gateway, meaning local network communication is working.

•However, they cannot access network resources, which suggests incorrect IP configuration (likely due to a rogue DHCP server assigning the wrong gateway or DNS).

•Why not the other options?

•VLAN hopping (A): This is an attack that exploits VLAN configurations to gain access to unauthorized VLANs. It would not typically cause multiple users to lose network access.

•Distributed DoS (C): A DDoS attack floods a network or service with traffic, but this issue is more likely misconfigured IP settings than an actual attack.

•Evil twin (D): This refers to a fraudulent Wi-Fi network mimicking a legitimate one. Since the users are on a wired network (ipconfig output checked), this is not applicable.

The netstat command provides information about network connections, routing tables, interface statistics, masquerade connections, and multicast memberships. Running netstat on the server can help the administrator verify that the web server process is listening on the expected port (e.g., port 80 for HTTP or port 443 for HTTPS) and that there are no issues with network connections. This is a crucial first step in diagnosing why the web server is not accessible via a browser.References: CompTIA Network+ study materials. ​

Content filtering can be used to block or restrict access to websites and services that facilitate torrenting and other prohibited activities. By implementing content filtering, the company can comply with the ISP's cease-and-desist order and prevent users from accessing torrent sites and engaging in prohibited activities.References: CompTIA Network+ study materials.