Free Practice Questions for CompTIA N10-009 Exam

A golden configuration is a baseline configuration file that contains approved, standardized settings for network devices. The purpose is to ensure configuration consistency across the environment. This prevents misconfigurations, supports compliance with organizational or regulatory standards, and accelerates recovery if a device needs reconfiguration.

B. Reducing file size is not the goal of golden configs.

C. Golden configs can include security settings, but they are not inherently encrypted — they are simply a baseline template.

D. While configs can be backed up, golden configs are more about standardization, not device-specific backups.

By maintaining a golden configuration, administrators can quickly detect unauthorized changes (by comparing running configs against the golden file) and enforce consistency across devices. This improves network stability, reduces troubleshooting complexity, and enhances security posture.

References (CompTIA Network+ N10-009):

Domain: Network Operations — Configuration management, golden images/configurations.

When traceroute shows asterisks (timeouts) instead of IP addresses or hostnames, it may indicate that intermediate routers are dropping ICMP packets. However, performing an nslookup will reveal the IP address associated with the domain name, confirming that DNS resolution is correct and helping identify the path to the target server. The document states:

“nslookup is used to query DNS servers to retrieve IP address information associated with a domain name, which helps confirm DNS resolution is working correctly even when traceroute results show timeouts.”

An SVI (Switched Virtual Interface) is a logical interface on a Layer 3-capable switch used to route traffic between VLANs. This is particularly useful in environments where voice and data traffic need to be separated, as each type of traffic can be assigned to different VLANs and routed accordingly.

SVI (Switched Virtual Interface): A virtual interface created on a switch for inter-VLAN routing.

VLAN Routing: Enables the routing of traffic between VLANs on a Layer 3 switch, allowing for logical separation of different types of traffic, such as voice and data.

Use Case: Commonly used in scenarios where efficient and segmented traffic management is required, such as in VoIP implementations.

Network References:

CompTIA Network+ N10-007 Official Certification Guide: Discusses VLANs, SVIs, and their applications in network segmentation and routing.

Cisco Networking Academy: Provides training on VLAN configuration and inter-VLAN routing using SVIs.

Network+ Certification All-in-One Exam Guide: Covers network segmentation techniques, including the use of SVIs for VLAN routing.

A /23 subnet provides 512 total addresses, of which 510 are usable (subtracting 2 for network and broadcast addresses). This would satisfy the need for 255 additional addresses.

Unshielded cables (D) are more prone to interference and may not be suitable for certain environments, especially after a fire where interference could be heightened.

Using the wrong transceiver (E) for new terminations can lead to compatibility issues, causing network failures.

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Port mirroring, also known as SPAN (Switched Port Analyzer), is used to send a copy of network packets seen on one switch port (or an entire VLAN) to another port where the IDS is connected. This allows the IDS to passively inspect network traffic without interfering with the actual traffic flow. Port mirroring is an essential feature for implementing IDS in a network for traffic analysis and security monitoring.References: CompTIA Network+ study materials.

The option that most directly secures sensitive information on the network is data-in-transit encryption. This ensures that data packets are unreadable to attackers who intercept them while moving across the network. Protocols such as TLS, HTTPS, IPsec, and SSH protect confidentiality and integrity of sensitive information.

B. Principle of least privilege (PoLP) secures access control but does not directly protect data in motion.

C. Role-based access control (RBAC) enforces permissions but again does not secure the data while transmitted.

D. Multifactor authentication (MFA) strengthens identity verification but does not directly protect the data itself once transmitted.

Thus, while all options contribute to overall security, encryption of data-in-transit most directly addresses protection of sensitive information on the network.

References (CompTIA Network+ N10-009):

Domain: Network Security — Encryption methods, confidentiality, data-in-transit protection.

Confidentiality with Data at Rest: Confidentiality is a core principle of data security, ensuring that data stored (at rest) is only accessible to authorized individuals. This protection is achieved through mechanisms such as encryption, access controls, and permissions.

Privileged Access: The statement "Data can be accessed after privileged access is granted" aligns with the confidentiality principle, as it restricts data access to users who have been granted specific permissions or roles. Only those with the appropriate credentials or permissions can access the data.

Incorrect Options:

A. "Data can be accessed by anyone on the administrative network." This violates the principle of confidentiality by allowing unrestricted access.

B. "Data can be accessed remotely with proper training." This focuses on remote access rather than restricting access based on privileges.

D. "Data can be accessed after verifying the hash." This option relates more to data integrity rather than confidentiality.

CompTIA Network+ materials on data security principles, particularly sections on confidentiality and access control mechanisms​​.

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.