Microsoft Networking Essentials Exam Technology & Digital Applications 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which IEEE standard defines the most common wired Ethernet technology used in enterprise networks today?
- IEEE 802.11
- IEEE 802.3 (Correct answer)
- IEEE 802.1Q
- IEEE 802.1X
Correct answer: IEEE 802.3
IEEE 802.3 is the standard that governs Ethernet, including specifications for physical media, frame format, and data rates like 1 Gbps and 10 Gbps.
Question 2: A user reports being unable to reach any website by name but can ping IP addresses successfully. What is the most likely cause?
- Default gateway is misconfigured
- DNS server is unreachable or misconfigured (Correct answer)
- Subnet mask is incorrect
- NIC driver is outdated
Correct answer: DNS server is unreachable or misconfigured
When IP connectivity works but name resolution fails, the DNS server is either down, unreachable, or configured incorrectly on the client.
Question 3: What does the 'tracert' command do on a Windows system?
- Lists all MAC-to-IP mappings cached locally
- Shows the hop-by-hop path packets take to a destination (Correct answer)
- Displays open ports on a remote system
- Resets the TCP/IP stack to default settings
Correct answer: Shows the hop-by-hop path packets take to a destination
Tracert sends packets with incrementing TTL values to reveal each router (hop) along the path to the destination, including latency per hop.
Question 4: Which type of malware disguises itself as legitimate software but opens a backdoor for attackers once installed?
- Worm
- Trojan horse (Correct answer)
- Ransomware
- Adware
Correct answer: Trojan horse
A Trojan horse appears to be a benign application but secretly installs malicious code that can give attackers remote access or steal data.
Question 5: What is the function of the Spanning Tree Protocol (STP) in a switched network?
- Assign VLANs to switch ports
- Prevent Layer 2 broadcast loops (Correct answer)
- Encrypt traffic between switches
- Load-balance traffic across multiple links
Correct answer: Prevent Layer 2 broadcast loops
STP (IEEE 802.1D) prevents switching loops by placing redundant links in a blocking state, ensuring only one active path exists between any two network segments.
Question 6: Which encryption protocol is recommended for securing modern Wi-Fi networks and replaced the vulnerable WEP and WPA standards?
- WPA2/WPA3 (Correct answer)
- TKIP
- RC4
- DES
Correct answer: WPA2/WPA3
WPA2 uses AES-CCMP encryption and is the minimum recommended standard; WPA3 adds stronger protections including SAE for resistance to offline dictionary attacks.
Question 7: In the OSI model, at which layer does a router primarily operate?
- Layer 1 – Physical
- Layer 2 – Data Link
- Layer 3 – Network (Correct answer)
- Layer 4 – Transport
Correct answer: Layer 3 – Network
Routers operate at OSI Layer 3 (Network), making forwarding decisions based on IP addresses contained in packet headers.
Microsoft Networking Essentials Exam Technology & Digital Applications 3
Which IEEE standard defines the most common wired Ethernet technology used in enterprise networks today?