CompTIA Network+ Practice Exam 2 (72 Questions)

A MAC address contains six hexadecimal number sets. The first three sets represent the manufacturer’s code, whereas the last three identify the unique station ID. Answer A is incorrect because the number is a valid internal IP address. Answers B and D are not valid MAC addresses.

Both administrators and hackers use packet sniffers on networks to capture network data. They are either a hardware device or software and eavesdrop on network transmissions that are traveling throughout the network. The packet sniffer quietly captures data and saves it to be reviewed later. Answer A is incorrect because port scanners monitor traffic into and out of ports such as those connected to a switch. Answers B and C are not valid traffic-monitoring technologies.

ST connectors are a twist-type connector used with single-mode fiber. Answer A is incorrect because RG-58 (thin coax) uses BNC-type connectors. Answer B is incorrect because RG-62 (thick coax) uses vampire-type AUI connectors. Answer D is incorrect because SCSI cables use a variety of connector types, none of which include ST connectors.

100BaseT is an Ethernet network standard implemented using thin twisted-pair cable. The maximum length of a segment is 100 meters. When cable is run beyond 100 meters, repeaters can be used to regenerate the signal for longer transmission distances.

The ping -t command issues a continuous stream of ping requests until it is interrupted. A regular ping sends four requests, but sometimes this is not enough to troubleshoot a connectivity issue. None of the other answers are valid switches for a continuous ping command.

Log files often record information about errors that can be vital to the troubleshooting process. Answer B is incorrect because rebooting the server is a last-resort troubleshooting step. Answer C is incorrect because although removing and reinstalling the printer drivers might be a valid step, it would not be the first choice of those listed. Changing the network cable might be a valid troubleshooting step, but because it has been verified that the network connectivity is working, this should not be necessary.

The Domain Name System (DNS) resolves Fully Qualified Domain Names (FQDNs) to IP addresses. Answer B is incorrect because Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) provides automatic IP address assignment. Answer C is incorrect because the Windows Internet Naming Service (WINS) provides NetBIOS computer name to IP address resolution. Answer D is incorrect because Address Resolution Protocol (ARP) resolves IP addresses to MAC addresses. Answer E is incorrect because Network Time Protocol (NTP) facilitates the communication of time information between systems.

Convergence is the term used to describe how long it takes routers to update changes to the network. Routing loops can occur on networks with slow convergence. Routing loops occur when the routing tables on the routers are slow to update, and a redundant communication cycle is created between routers. Answers A and B are strategies to prevent routing loops. Answer D is incorrect because BGP is a distance-vector protocol.

If the gateway information is not set correctly, the data packets cannot get beyond the local subnet. All the other options do not prevent the user from transmitting data to remote hosts.

Ordinarily the default channel used with a wireless device is adequate. However, it may be necessary to change the channel if overlap with another nearby access point occurs. The channel should be changed to another, nonoverlapping channel. Changing the channel would not impact the WEP security settings.

In a mesh topology, each device is connected directly to every other device on the network. Such a structure requires that each device have at least two network connections. Answers A, B, and C do not offer the same level of redundancy as a mesh topology.

100BaseT is implemented using a minimum of Category 5 UTP cable. Answer A is incorrect because RG-58 is a type of coaxial cable with a maximum speed of 10Mbps. Answer B is incorrect because Category 4 UTP cable is not intended for use on a 100BaseT network. Answer D is incorrect because multimode fiber is used in fiber-optic networks. The 100BaseT standard defines 100Mbps networking using UTP cable.

The Kerberos authentication system uses tickets as part of the authentication process. HTTPS (answer A) is an implementation of SSL. It does not use tickets. POP3 (answer B) is an email retrieval protocol. SSL (answer D) does not use tickets.

On a Linux system, the ifconfig command shows the network card configuration. Answer A is incorrect because the config command shows the network configuration on a NetWare server. Answer B is incorrect because the ipconfig command shows the network configuration information on a Windows system. Answer C is incorrect because the winipcfg command shows the network configuration information on a certain Windows system, such as Windows 95/98.

Secure File Transfer Protocol (SFTP) allows you to securely copy files from one location to another. SFTP provides authentication and encryption capabilities to safeguard data. Answer A is incorrect because TFTP is a mechanism that provides file-transfer capabilities, but it does not provide security. Answer B is incorrect because FTP provides basic authentication mechanisms, but it does not provide encryption. Answer D is incorrect because IGMP is a protocol associated with multicast group communications. It is not a file transfer protocol.

The DNS service uses port 53. If this port is accidentally blocked, the DNS service will be unavailable. Answer A is incorrect because secure HTTP uses port 443. Answer B is incorrect because FTP uses port 21. Answer C is incorrect because Telnet uses port 23.

A rogue access point describes a situation in which a wireless access point has been placed on a network without the administrator’s knowledge. The result is that it is possible to remotely access the rogue access point, because it likely does not adhere to company security policies. Answers A and C are not valid security risk types. Answer D is a type of attack that involves tricking people into performing actions or divulging confidential information such as passwords or usernames.

The output is from the arp -a command, which shows information related to IP address-to-MAC address resolutions. Answer B is incorrect because the tracert command displays the route a packet takes between two points. Answer C is incorrect because the ipconfig command displays a system’s network configuration. Answer D is incorrect because there is no such command as netinf.

To connect to systems on a remote network, the default gateway address has to be correctly assigned. If this address is entered manually, the number might have been entered incorrectly. Because the system can connect to the local network, the address is correctly assigned. Answer C is incorrect because IP addresses are statically assigned. Answer D is incorrect because duplicate addresses will prevent the system from being able to log on to the network.

100BaseFX networks use fiber media, which can use either SC or ST connectors. Answer A is incorrect because RJ-45 connectors are used with UTP media. Answer C is incorrect because BNC connectors are used with thin coax media on 10Base2 networks.

A switch is more efficient than a hub, because it forwards data only to intended ports. Answer A is incorrect because a hub directs data packets to all devices connected to the hub. Answers C and D are wrong because these are not network devices.

The Internet Assigned Numbers Authority (IANA) manages the address assignments for public networks such as the Internet. Answers A and D are incorrect because on a private network or LAN, you can use any internal IP addressing scheme that is compatible with your local network. Answer C is incorrect because an Ethernet network can be either private or public. It does not directly need an IANA assigned addressing scheme.

Unlike copper-based media, fiber-optic media is resistant to crosstalk, because it uses light transmissions. Answer B is incorrect because STP offers greater resistance to crosstalk than regular UTP but is not as resistant as fiber-optic cable. Answer C is incorrect because UTP cable is more susceptible to crosstalk than either STP or fiber-optic. Answer D is incorrect because shielded mesh is not a type of cable.

IPSec is a nonproprietary security standard used to secure transmissions both on the internal network and when data is sent outside the local LAN. IPSec provides encryption and authentication services for data communications. Answer B is not a valid protocol. Answer C, CHAP, is a remote-access authentication protocol. Answer D is incorrect because FTP is a protocol used for large data transfers, typically from the Internet.

TCP is a connection-oriented protocol, so it can recover from failed transmissions. Answer A is incorrect because L2TP is used in remote-access connections. Answer C is incorrect because FTP is a connectionless file transfer protocol and cannot recover from lost packets. Answer D is incorrect because ARP is part of the TCP/IP protocol suite that resolves IP addresses to MAC addresses.

If a Windows client system cannot locate and obtain an IP address from a DHCP server, it is assigned an address automatically using APIPA. After the address is assigned, all client stations with an APIPA address can communicate with each other. However, APIPA addresses are meant for internal communication and cannot be used to access remote networks. Answer A is incorrect because there is no such thing. Answer B is incorrect because the IP address is obtained from the DHCP server, not from the client cache. Answer D is incorrect because the client was not configured to use static IP addressing.

Each node on a star network uses its own cable, which makes it easy to add users without disrupting current ones. Adding a node to a bus network can sometimes involve breaking the segment, which makes it inaccessible to all other nodes on the network. This makes answer A incorrect. Answer B is incorrect because a true ring network model would require that the ring be broken to add a new device. Answer D is incorrect because a mesh topology requires that every device be connected to every other device on the network. Therefore, it is quite difficult to expand a mesh network.

The term subnetting refers to the process of using parts of the node address range for network addressing purposes. Supernetting (answer B) refers to the process of borrowing parts of the network address portion of an assigned address to be used for node addressing. Subnet masking (answer C) describes the process of applying a subnet mask to an address. Answer D is not a valid term.

Administrators can take several security steps to help secure a wireless access point. This includes disabling the SSID broadcast. This makes it more difficult for intruders to get the name of your wireless network. MAC filtering is used to accept or deny client systems based on their MAC address. MAC filtering is an example of an access control list (ACL). Answer A is incorrect because SSL is a security protocol used to increase data transmission security. Answer D is incorrect because wireless filtering is not a valid security measure.

Subnetting allows you to create more than one network from a single network address by manipulating the subnet mask to create more network addresses. Answer A is incorrect because the 127.x.x.x address range is reserved for TCP/IP loopback functionality and cannot be used as an addressing scheme. Answer B is incorrect because reverse proxy is used when a proxy server protects another server (normally a web server), which responds to requests from users on the other side of the proxy server. Answer D is incorrect because private addressing might well solve the issues of security and traffic management, but without also using reverse proxy, systems on the internal network are unavailable to outside users.

Asymmetric key encryption uses both a private and public key to encrypt and decrypt messages. The public key is used to encrypt a message or verify a signature, and the private key is used to decrypt the message or sign a document. In a symmetric key encryption strategy, a single key is used for both encryption and decryption. None of the other answers represents asymmetric key encryption.

On a wireless connection between an access point and the client, each system must be configured to use the same settings, which includes the SSID, and security settings including WEP. In this question, both the client and the AP must be configured to use 128-bit encryption. Answer B is incorrect because the client does not inherit the information from the AP. Answer C is incorrect because WEP supports 128-bit encryption. Answer D is incorrect because WEP does not have an autodetect feature.

The dig command is used on UNIX and Linux systems to perform manual name resolutions against a DNS server. This can be useful in troubleshooting DNS-related issues. The ipconfig, netstat, and nbtstat commands are all Windows-based commands, so they would not be used in this scenario.

10BaseT networks use UTP media, which have a maximum distance of 100 meters. Answer A is incorrect because 185 meters is the distance limitation of thin coax media used on 10Base2 networks. Answer B is incorrect because 500 meters is the distance limitation of thick coaxial media used with 10Base5 networks. Answer D is incorrect because 50 meters is not a valid cable distance.

Unlike POP3, IMAP does not directly download and then remove messages from the mail server. Instead, IMAP leaves the email on the server so that messages can be retrieved from various locations. Answers B and C are wrong because IMAP is used only to retrieve email. Answer D is incorrect because IMAP uses port 143. POP uses port 110.

802.1x is an IEEE standard specifying port-based network access control. Port-based network access control uses the physical characteristics of a switched local area network (LAN) infrastructure to authenticate devices attached to a LAN port and to prevent access to that port in cases where the authentication process fails. Answer A is incorrect because 802.11x is not a security standard but sometimes is used to refer to all wireless network standards, such as 802.11b/g/a/n. Answer C, 802.11b, is an actual wireless standard specifying transmission speeds of 11Mbps.

Multiple input and multiple output (MIMO) is the use of multiple antennas at both the transmitter and receiver to improve communication performance. MIMO is used by the 802.11n standard and takes advantage of multiplexing to increase the range and speed of wireless networking. Multiplexing is a technique that combines multiple signals for transmission over a single line or medium. MIMO enables the transmission of multiple data streams traveling on different antennas in the same channel at the same time. A receiver reconstructs the streams, which have multiple antennas. The wireless standards in answers A, B, and C do not use the MIMO technology.

The output shown is from the netstat command from a Windows-based system.

The IPv4 address (127.0.0.1) is reserved as the loopback address; IPv6 has the same reservation. IPv6 address 0:0:0:0:0:0:0:1 is reserved as the loopback address. The address also can be shown using the :: notation with the 0s removed, resulting in ::1. Answer C is incorrect because that is not the address for the loopback adapter. Answer D is the IPv6 address for the link-local address.

A link-local IPv6 address is automatically configured on all interfaces. This automatic configuration is equivalent to the 169.254.0.0 automatically assigned IPv4 addressing. The prefix used for a link-local address is fe80::.

In a RAID 1 scenario where two controllers are being used (disk duplexing), one disk carries an exact copy of the other. Therefore, the total volume of one disk (30GB in this case) is lost to redundancy.

When a client system first boots up, it looks for a DHCP server. If the server cannot be found, Automatic Private IP Addressing (APIPA) automatically assigns IP addresses to the client systems. The addresses are not routable and cannot be used to access remote segments. The addresses assigned are in the 169.254.0.0 address range. All clients configured with valid APIPA address will be able to communicate with each other.

Infrared and Bluetooth are short-range wireless technologies used to connect personal devices such as PDAs, printers, and other resources to a computer. These are called a personal area networks (PANs) because they are small networks designed for personal use. PANs are often seen in coffee shops, libraries, and other areas where users work remotely. The 802.11 wireless standards, including 802.11g, are used to create wireless LANs, which include more devices, users, and resources.

The Internet Assigned Numbers Authority (IANA) has reserved addresses 169.254.0.1 to 169.254.255.254 for Automatic Private IP Addressing. APIPA uses a Class B address with a subnet mask of 255.255.0.0. None of the other IP address ranges listed are associated with APIPA address ranges.

Both backups and offsite data storage are considered disaster recovery measures. Answer B is incorrect because a UPS is considered a fault-tolerance measure, not a disaster recovery measure. Answer C is incorrect because RAID 5 is considered a fault-tolerance measure, not a disaster recovery measure.

IEEE 802.11g/b wireless systems communicate with each other using radio frequency signals in the band between 2.4GHz and 2.5GHz. Neighboring channels are 5MHz apart. Therefore, channel 3 would use the 2422 RF (2412+5+5).

XTDSL is not a recognized form of DSL. Answer A (VHDSL) and Answer B (RADSL) are recognized versions of DSL. Answer C (ADSL) is a recognized, and arguably the most popular, version of DSL.

Server clustering is a strategy using a grouping of servers to provide fault tolerance and failover service solutions for a network. In a clustered configuration, servers constantly communicate with each other. If one fails, the other knows, and it takes over the functions of that server, including the services that the failed server delivered. This provides fault tolerance for network services. Because the network can function in the event of a failed server, network downtime is reduced. Server clustering is not used to create data transmission security.

Flow control occurs at the transport layer of the OSI model. Flow control does not occur at the network, session, or data link layers.

RAID 5 reserves the equivalent space of one disk in the array for parity information. The parity information is used to rebuild the data in the event of a hard disk crash. This scenario has four 40GB hard disks. With one reserved for parity, you have 160GB total space; with 40GB removed for parity, there is 120GB of actual data storage.