Microsoft Networking Essentials Exam Case Studies & Practical Application 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A network administrator finds that two switches are causing a broadcast storm. Which protocol should be enabled to prevent this?
- OSPF
- Spanning Tree Protocol (STP) (Correct answer)
- DHCP Snooping
- 802.1Q
Correct answer: Spanning Tree Protocol (STP)
STP prevents broadcast storms by detecting and blocking redundant paths that would create switching loops.
Question 2: A company is migrating from IPv4 to IPv6 but needs both protocols to work simultaneously during the transition. What method supports this?
- CIDR
- Dual-stack implementation (Correct answer)
- VLSM
- NAT64 only
Correct answer: Dual-stack implementation
Dual-stack allows devices to run both IPv4 and IPv6 simultaneously, enabling a gradual migration without losing connectivity.
Question 3: An employee reports their laptop gets a 169.254.x.x IP address when connecting to the office network. What does this indicate?
- The laptop has a static IP configured
- The DHCP server is unreachable and APIPA assigned an address (Correct answer)
- The network is using IPv6
- The laptop is connected to a guest VLAN
Correct answer: The DHCP server is unreachable and APIPA assigned an address
APIPA (Automatic Private IP Addressing) assigns 169.254.x.x addresses when a DHCP server cannot be reached.
Question 4: A company's web server is accessible internally but not from the internet. The server has a private IP. What must be configured on the firewall?
- A static route
- Port forwarding (DNAT) (Correct answer)
- A DHCP reservation
- An ACL blocking port 443
Correct answer: Port forwarding (DNAT)
Port forwarding maps incoming public IP traffic on a specific port to the server's private IP address.
Question 5: During a network audit, a technician discovers an unknown device connected to a switch port in the server room. What is the immediate best practice?
- Update the switch firmware
- Disable the port and investigate the device (Correct answer)
- Increase VLAN count
- Run a DHCP scan
Correct answer: Disable the port and investigate the device
Disabling the port immediately contains a potential security threat while an investigation identifies the unknown device.
Question 6: A branch office connects to headquarters over a leased line but needs a backup connection. What is the most cost-effective backup option?
- A second leased line
- A broadband internet connection with a site-to-site VPN (Correct answer)
- Installing a satellite link
- Using dial-up as backup
Correct answer: A broadband internet connection with a site-to-site VPN
A broadband connection with a VPN provides a secure, cost-effective backup that can activate when the primary leased line fails.
Question 7: A user reports their internet speed is much slower than expected. A technician runs a speed test and confirms the issue. What should be checked first?
- Replace the network cable immediately
- Check for bandwidth-heavy applications, interface errors, and ISP line quality (Correct answer)
- Reinstall the OS
- Replace the router
Correct answer: Check for bandwidth-heavy applications, interface errors, and ISP line quality
Systematically checking for application congestion, interface errors, and ISP issues identifies the root cause before replacing hardware.
Microsoft Networking Essentials Exam Case Studies & Practical Application 3
A network administrator finds that two switches are causing a broadcast storm.
Which protocol should be enabled to prevent this?