CompTIA Network+ N10-009 Passing Score

Understanding End-of-Support:

End-of-Support Status: When a vendor declares a device as end-of-support, it means the device will no longer receive updates, patches, or technical support. This poses a security risk as new vulnerabilities will not be addressed.

Risks of Keeping an End-of-Support Device:

Security Vulnerabilities: Without updates, the switch becomes susceptible to new security threats.

Compliance Issues: Many regulatory frameworks require that critical infrastructure be maintained with supported and secure hardware.

Best Next Step - Replacement:

Decommission and Replace: The most secure approach is to replace the end-of-support switch with a new, supported model. This ensures the infrastructure remains secure and compliant with current standards.

Planning and Execution: Plan for the replacement by evaluating the network's needs, selecting a suitable replacement switch, and scheduling downtime for the hardware swap.

Comparison with Other Options:

Apply the Latest Patches: While helpful, this does not address future vulnerabilities since no further patches will be provided.

Ensure the Current Firmware Has No Issues: This is only a temporary measure and does not mitigate future risks.

Isolate the Switch from the Network: Isolating the switch may disrupt network operations and is not a viable long-term solution.

The correct answer is VLAN hopping, which is a Layer 2 attack specifically associated with bypassing network segmentation controls. According to the CompTIA Network+ N10-009 objectives, VLANs are commonly used to isolate traffic between different network segments, such as separating a guest network from internal production systems. When an attack originates from an isolated guest network and successfully reaches an internal server, it strongly indicates a failure or exploitation of VLAN boundaries.

VLAN hopping occurs when an attacker gains access to traffic on another VLAN by exploiting misconfigured switch ports or trunking protocols. Common techniques include switch spoofing, where the attacker pretends to be a switch to negotiate a trunk link, and double-tagging, where two VLAN tags are inserted to trick switches into forwarding traffic across VLANs.

The other options do not best fit this scenario. An on-path (man-in-the-middle) attack requires interception between two communicating hosts but does not inherently bypass VLAN isolation. DNS poisoning manipulates name resolution, not network segmentation. ARP spoofing affects local Layer 2 address resolution within the same broadcast domain and typically cannot cross VLAN boundaries.

The Network+ objectives emphasize proper VLAN configuration, disabling unused trunk ports, and implementing port security to prevent VLAN hopping attacks. In this case, VLAN hopping most accurately explains how a guest network could access internal servers.

The correct answer is Power redundancy because the devices in the rack are equipped with dual power supplies, which are specifically designed to support redundant power sources. According to CompTIA Network+ (N10-009) objectives under high availability and physical infrastructure concepts, redundancy is a key strategy to eliminate single points of failure.

If only one PDU (Power Distribution Unit) is installed, both power supplies from each device may ultimately rely on the same power source. This creates a single point of failure—if the PDU fails or loses upstream power, all connected equipment will shut down despite having dual power supplies.

By installing a second PDU connected to a separate power circuit (and ideally a separate UPS or power feed), each power supply in the servers and switches can connect to different PDUs. If one PDU fails, the other continues delivering power, ensuring uninterrupted operation.

Option B (Failed PSU monitoring) is not the primary reason for adding another PDU. Option C (Surge protection) can be provided by a single PDU. Option D (Electricity conservation) is unrelated to redundancy design.

Therefore, adding a second PDU provides true power redundancy.

NAT (Network Address Translation) helps hide internal IP addresses from external networks, adding a layer of security by preventing direct access to internal systems from the outside.