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LevelCompTIA Network+
SubjectCompTIA Network+
Year2025 BS
Exam sessionModel questions
Full marks90
Time allowed90 minutes
Questions10, all with step-by-step solutions
A

CompTIA Network+ Core

Select the best answer.

10 questions·1 mark each
1Multiple choice1 mark

Which layer of the OSI model is responsible for logical addressing and routing? Protocols such as IP, ICMP, and ARP operate at this layer.

  • a

    Layer 1 — Physical

  • b

    Layer 2 — Data Link

  • c

    Layer 3 — Network

  • d

    Layer 4 — Transport

Correct answer: c

Layer 3 — Network

Layer 3 (Network layer) handles logical addressing (IP addresses) and routing. IP, ICMP, and ARP all operate at this layer to facilitate packet forwarding between networks.

network-protocols
2Multiple choice1 mark

A network administrator needs to divide the 10.0.0.0/8 network into subnets that each support exactly 30 hosts. What is the correct subnet mask?

  • a

    255.255.255.192 (/26)

  • b

    255.255.255.224 (/27)

  • c

    255.255.255.240 (/28)

  • d

    255.255.255.248 (/29)

Correct answer: b

255.255.255.224 (/27)

A /27 subnet mask (255.255.255.224) provides 32 addresses per subnet (2^5 = 32), yielding 30 usable host addresses after subtracting the network and broadcast addresses. A /28 only gives 14 hosts, while /26 gives 62.

network-architecture
3Multiple choice1 mark

Which of the following protocols provides encrypted remote access to network devices using TCP port 22?

  • a

    Telnet

  • b

    SSH

  • c

    SNMP

  • d

    RDP

Correct answer: b

SSH

SSH (Secure Shell) provides encrypted remote terminal access over TCP port 22. Telnet (port 23) is unencrypted, SNMP (ports 161/162) is for network management, and RDP (port 3389) is for Windows remote desktop.

network-security
4Multiple choice1 mark

During a TCP three-way handshake, what is the correct sequence of flag exchanges between client and server?

  • a

    ACK, SYN, SYN-ACK

  • b

    SYN, SYN-ACK, ACK

  • c

    SYN, ACK, SYN-ACK

  • d

    SYN-ACK, SYN, ACK

Correct answer: b

SYN, SYN-ACK, ACK

The TCP three-way handshake proceeds as: (1) Client sends SYN, (2) Server responds with SYN-ACK, (3) Client sends ACK. This establishes a reliable connection before data transfer begins.

network-protocols
5Multiple choice1 mark

A network technician runs the command nslookup example.com and receives a non-authoritative answer. What does this indicate?

  • a

    The DNS server is unreachable

  • b

    The response came from the DNS server cache, not from the authoritative name server

  • c

    The domain does not exist

  • d

    The DNS query timed out

Correct answer: b

The response came from the DNS server cache, not from the authoritative name server

A non-authoritative answer from nslookup means the DNS resolver returned a cached response rather than querying the authoritative name server for the domain directly. The information is still valid but may not reflect the very latest changes.

network-operations
6Multiple choice1 mark

A user can ping 8.8.8.8 but cannot access websites by name. Which of the following is the MOST likely cause?

  • a

    Default gateway misconfiguration

  • b

    DNS server misconfiguration

  • c

    Duplicate IP address

  • d

    Bad Ethernet cable

Correct answer: b

DNS server misconfiguration

If a user can reach external IPs (8.8.8.8) but cannot resolve hostnames, the issue is DNS resolution. The default gateway and physical connectivity are working, as evidenced by successful pings to an external IP.

network-troubleshooting
7Multiple choice1 mark

Which command-line tool displays the path that packets take to reach a destination host, showing each hop along the route?

  • a

    ping

  • b

    netstat

  • c

    traceroute (tracert on Windows)

  • d

    arp

Correct answer: c

traceroute (tracert on Windows)

traceroute (Linux/macOS) or tracert (Windows) sends packets with incrementing TTL values to discover each router hop along the path to a destination, helping identify where network issues occur.

network-tools
8Multiple choice1 mark

Which IEEE standard defines the operation of VLANs by inserting a 4-byte tag into Ethernet frames?

  • a

    IEEE 802.1Q

  • b

    IEEE 802.1X

  • c

    IEEE 802.3af

  • d

    IEEE 802.11ac

Correct answer: a

IEEE 802.1Q

IEEE 802.1Q defines VLAN tagging by adding a 4-byte field to Ethernet frames. 802.1X is port-based network access control, 802.3af is Power over Ethernet (PoE), and 802.11ac is a Wi-Fi standard.

network-architecture
9Multiple choice1 mark

An organization wants to segment its network so that IoT devices cannot communicate directly with servers in the data center. Which of the following should be implemented?

  • a

    Network Access Control (NAC) with VLANs and firewall rules

  • b

    A hub instead of a switch

  • c

    Longer Ethernet cables

  • d

    Disabling DHCP

Correct answer: a

Network Access Control (NAC) with VLANs and firewall rules

Network segmentation using VLANs combined with firewall rules or ACLs is the proper way to isolate IoT devices from sensitive data center resources. NAC can further enforce policy-based access.

network-security
10Multiple choice1 mark

Which dynamic routing protocol uses the Diffusing Update Algorithm (DUAL) and is classified as an advanced distance-vector (hybrid) protocol?

  • a

    OSPF

  • b

    BGP

  • c

    EIGRP

  • d

    RIPv2

Correct answer: c

EIGRP

EIGRP (Enhanced Interior Gateway Routing Protocol) uses the DUAL algorithm for loop-free path computation. It is classified as an advanced distance-vector or hybrid protocol. OSPF is link-state, BGP is path-vector, and RIPv2 is a traditional distance-vector protocol.

network-protocols

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The CompTIA Network+ CompTIA Network+ 2025 paper carries 90 full marks and is meant to be completed in 90 minutes, across 10 questions.
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