Free Practice Questions for CompTIA N10-009 Exam

The channel width (20 MHz vs. 40 MHz vs. 80 MHz) directly impacts Wi-Fi throughput. If the AP is configured with a narrow channel width (e.g., 20 MHz), maximum data rates will be significantly lower than other APs using wider channels (e.g., 80 MHz). This matches the scenario where one AP achieves only ~75 Mbps, while others reach 500 Mbps.

B. DNS issues affect name resolution, not raw throughput.

C. Authentication failure would prevent connection, not reduce throughput.

D. DHCP issues would prevent obtaining an IP, not cause slower speeds.

References (CompTIA Network+ N10-009):

Domain: Network Troubleshooting — Wireless throughput issues, channel width configuration.

Comprehensive and Detailed Explanation (aligned to N10-009):

An ad hoc wireless network allows devices to connect directly to each other without an access point. This is suitable for small, temporary setups like two laptops and a printer.

A. Mesh requires multiple nodes forming a larger distributed network.

B. Infrastructure requires an AP, which is not available here.

D. Point-to-point is typically for long-distance wireless links between two fixed endpoints.

References (CompTIA Network+ N10-009):

Domain: Networking Concepts — Wireless network types: infrastructure, ad hoc, mesh.

A /25 subnet mask means 25 bits are reserved for the network portion, leaving 7 bits for host addresses. In dotted decimal, that is:

11111111.11111111.11111111.10000000

Decimal equivalent: 255.255.255.128

A. 255.255.254.0 corresponds to /23.

B. 255.255.255.1 is invalid as a subnet mask.

D. 255.255.255.192 corresponds to /26.

Thus, the correct subnet mask for a /25 network is 255.255.255.128.

References (CompTIA Network+ N10-009):

Domain: Networking Concepts — Subnetting, CIDR notation, dotted decimal.

To determine where slowness is occurring—especially if an upstream router is suspected—the best tools are ping and tracert/traceroute. Network+ (N10-009) troubleshooting objectives emphasize using these to test connectivity, latency, and the path packets take through the network. Ping measures reachability and round-trip time; rising latency or packet loss can indicate congestion or a failing link/device. Tracert identifies each hop along the route and reports per-hop response times, helping pinpoint whether delays begin at a specific hop (for example, the default gateway, the upstream router, or a provider edge). This allows the engineer to localize the problem area and decide whether the issue is internal, at the upstream router, or beyond.

nslookup and dig are DNS tools; they diagnose name resolution, not general network slowness location. Nmap focuses on scanning ports/hosts, and a “speed tester” measures throughput but does not locate the failing hop. tcpdump and protocol analyzer can reveal retransmissions, windowing, or application behavior, but they are not the fastest first-choice tools for locating an upstream routing/performance bottleneck across hops. Hence, tracert and ping are the correct pair.

PAT (Port Address Translation) allows multiple devices on a local network to share a single public IP address when accessing the internet. It translates the private IP addresses to a single public IP with different port numbers for each session. The document states:

“PAT (Port Address Translation) allows multiple devices on a LAN to share a single public IP address by assigning unique port numbers to each session, enabling internet connectivity for all devices.”

Single sign-on, or SSO, allows a user to access multiple applications, systems, or websites using one set of credentials. With SSO, the user authenticates once through an identity provider, and that authentication can then be trusted by multiple service providers. This improves user convenience, reduces password fatigue, and allows organizations to centralize authentication policies.

The CompTIA Network+ N10-009 objectives include authentication methods, identity and access management, and security concepts. SSO is commonly implemented using protocols or standards such as SAML, OAuth, or OpenID Connect, but SSO is the overall concept being described in the question.

SAML is a protocol often used for browser-based federated authentication, especially in enterprise environments. OpenID Connect is an authentication layer built on OAuth 2.0 and is also commonly used for federated login. However, both are implementation methods rather than the general capability described. A one-time password is a temporary authentication code, often used as part of multifactor authentication, but it does not by itself allow access to multiple websites using one credential set. Therefore, SSO is the correct answer.

Comprehensive and Detailed Explanation (paraphrased, aligned to N10-009):

A proxy server (specifically a caching HTTP/HTTPS proxy) stores frequently accessed web objects and serves them locally to clients, reducing external bandwidth consumption and improving response times.

B. Load balancer distributes traffic across servers but does not inherently cache internet content.

C. Open relay is a misconfigured mail server that permits unauthorized relaying—this is a security issue, not a caching solution.

D. Code repository (e.g., for source control) isn’t related to web content caching.

References (CompTIA Network+ N10-009):

Domain: Network Standards, Protocols, and Implementations — Application-layer services (HTTP/HTTPS), proxies and caching behavior, performance optimization.

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LDAP over SSL (LDAPS) uses port 636 to provide secure, encrypted authentication for directory services.

Breakdown of Options:

A. SMTP (Simple Mail Transfer Protocol) – Uses port 25, not 636.

B. Syslog – Uses port 514 (UDP), not 636.

C. TFTP (Trivial File Transfer Protocol) – Uses port 69 (UDP), not 636.

D. LDAPS (Lightweight Directory Access Protocol Secure) – ✅ Correct answer. Uses port 636 for secure directory authentication.

The best answer is C. Insufficient bandwidth. The pattern in the question matters more than anything else. The company moved to a hosted VoIP and video solution, which means voice and video traffic now depend heavily on the site’s internet connection. The problems begin mid-morning and continue into the afternoon, which strongly suggests the link becomes congested during the busiest usage period of the day.

That also explains why users see dropped calls, broken video, and slow internet access all at the same time. Real-time applications like VoIP and video are very sensitive to delay, jitter, and packet loss. When bandwidth is limited or saturated, those services are usually the first to show noticeable symptoms.

The fact that remote users do not report the same issue is another major clue. If the application platform itself were failing, remote users would likely be affected too. Since the issue seems limited to the main site, the bottleneck is most likely the local office’s WAN or internet connection rather than the hosted service.

The other options are weaker. Roaming misconfiguration is more of a wireless mobility issue, signal degradation is too vague for this traffic pattern, and a miswired cable would not usually appear only during peak business hours. This points to insufficient bandwidth.

A TXT record can be used to store SPF (Sender Policy Framework) and DKIM (DomainKeys Identified Mail) information, which help verify that an email has been sent from a trusted source.

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If the user cannot communicate with 192.168.10.1, they might be on a different subnet. Changing the subnet mask to 255.255.255.0 ensures the user and the file server are in the same subnet.

Breakdown of Options:

A. Changing the IPv4 address to 192.168.10.1 – This would conflict with the server ' s IP.

B. Changing the subnet mask to 255.255.255.0 – ✅ Correct answer. Ensures both the user and the server are on the same subnet.

C. Changing the DNS servers – DNS does not affect local network connectivity.

D. Changing the physical address – The MAC address does not impact subnet communication.

An IDS is less disruptive during initial deployment because it is normally deployed out of band or passively. An intrusion detection system monitors traffic and generates alerts when suspicious or malicious activity is detected. Since it does not usually sit inline between the source and destination, it can observe network activity without directly blocking production traffic. This makes IDS deployment safer during testing, tuning, and baselining.

The CompTIA Network+ N10-009 objectives include network security appliances, monitoring, detection, prevention, and operational impact. An IPS, or intrusion prevention system, is usually inline and can actively block, drop, or reset traffic. While that provides stronger prevention capability, it also creates a higher risk of disrupting legitimate traffic if signatures, rules, or thresholds are misconfigured.

An IDS does not necessarily require less processing power because it still analyzes traffic and may inspect large volumes of data. It is not inherently easier to restrict access, and it is not automatically more accurate than an IPS. Both IDS and IPS technologies can experience false positives depending on tuning and signatures. Therefore, the best advantage of IDS over IPS is lower disruption during initial deployment.

When traffic moves laterally between VMs within the same network or subnet, it is known as east-west traffic. This contrasts with north-south traffic, which refers to communication between internal and external networks.

Breakdown of Options:

A. East-west – Correct answer. This refers to traffic between internal servers or VMs, which is a common security concern.

B. Point-to-point – Point-to-point describes a direct connection between two devices, but does not specifically define lateral movement.

C. Horizontal-scaling – This refers to adding more instances or nodes in cloud computing, unrelated to traffic flow.

D. Hub-and-spoke – This network topology describes a centralized design, not lateral traffic.

When a hardware device reaches end of life, or EOL, the best practice is to decommission and replace it. EOL devices may no longer receive vendor support, firmware updates, security patches, replacement parts, or compatibility updates. Continuing to use unsupported infrastructure can introduce operational risk, security vulnerabilities, compliance issues, and increased downtime. In network environments, unsupported switches, routers, firewalls, wireless access points, and servers can become weak points in the organization’s infrastructure.

The CompTIA Network+ N10-009 objectives include lifecycle management, documentation, risk management, and operational best practices. Replacing EOL hardware ensures that the network remains supportable, secure, and aligned with vendor recommendations. Purchasing an extended warranty may not be possible once a device is fully EOL, and even extended support does not always include security or feature updates. Selling or donating the device may create data-handling and security concerns if it is not properly sanitized. Using the device for testing and training may be acceptable in isolated labs, but it is not the best practice for production infrastructure. Therefore, replacement and decommissioning is the correct answer.