CompTIA Updated N10-008 Exam Questions and Answers by koda

North-south traffic is any communication between components of a data center and another system, which is physically out of the boundary of the data center. It is also referred to as client-server traffic, as it usually involves requests from end users or external applications to the data center resources. For example, when a user accesses a web application hosted in a data center, the traffic between the user’s browser and the web server is considered north-south traffic.

According to the CompTIA troubleshooting methodology1, testing the theory is the step where the network administrator verifies if the problem is caused by a specific factor or change. This step involves checking the system logs, running diagnostic tools, or performing other tests to confirm or eliminate the possible cause.

References:

• Troubleshooting Methodology | IT Support and Help Desk | CompTIA1

Port security is a feature that allows network administrators to limit the number of devices that can connect to a switch port, based on the MAC address of the device. This can prevent unauthorized physical connectivity by blocking any device that is not on the allowed list or exceeding the maximum number of devices per port. Port security can also trigger an action, such as shutting down the port or sending an alert, when a violation occurs. References: CompTIA Network+ N10-008 Cert Guide - O’Reilly Media, Chapter 14: Securing a Basic Network, page 512

• A pinout is the arrangement of wires or pins in a cable or connector that determines how the signals are transmitted and received. A pinout can be either straight-through, which means that the wires or pins are connected in the same order on both ends of the cable or connector, or crossover, which means that the wires or pins are swapped on one end of the cable or connector.
• An incorrect pinout is a likely cause of the low data rate and port errors, because it can prevent the proper communication between the workstation and the switch. If the pinout is not compatible with the devices or the standards, the signals may be distorted, lost, or misinterpreted, resulting in errors and reduced performance. For example, if the workstation and the switch use different Ethernet standards, such as 10BASE-T and 1000BASE-T, they may require different pinouts to operate correctly. If the cable or connector has a mismatched pinout, the workstation and the switch may not be able to negotiate the optimal speed and duplex settings, and may fall back to a lower data rate, such as 100 full duplex, or experience many RX and TX errors.
• Therefore, option D is the most likely answer, as the incorrect pinout needs to be corrected to provide the optimal data rate and port performance. The technician needs to check the cable and connector types, standards, and pinouts, and replace them with the appropriate ones that match the workstation and the switch specifications.
• Option A is not a likely answer, as the bad switch ports would affect the connectivity and performance of any device that is connected to them, not just the workstation. If the technician moves the computer to another switchport and experiences the same issues, it indicates that the problem is not with the switch ports, but with the workstation, the cable, or the connector.
• Option B is also not a likely answer, as the duplex issues would affect the mode of data transmission between the workstation and the switch, not the data rate or the port errors. The duplex issues can be either half-duplex, which means that data can be transmitted in one direction at a time, or full-duplex, which means that data can be transmitted in both directions simultaneously. The duplex issues can cause collisions or interference if the workstation and the switch have different duplex settings, but they would not cause the data rate to drop to 100 full duplex, or cause many RX and TX errors.
• Option C is also not a likely answer, as the cable length would affect the signal strength and quality of the data transmission, not the data rate or the port errors. The cable length can cause attenuation, which is the loss of signal power over distance, or crosstalk, which is the interference from adjacent wires or cables. The cable length can cause the data transmission to be degraded or corrupted, but it would not cause the data rate to drop to 100 full duplex, or cause many RX and TX errors.

References:

• CompTIA Network+ N10-008 Study Guide, Chapter 2: Network Devices and Technologies, Section 2.1: Network Cabling and Connectors, Page 661
• Professor Messer’s CompTIA N10-008 Network+ Course Notes, Section 2.1: Network Cabling and Connectors, Page 92
• What is a Pinout? | Definition and Examples3
• Ethernet Cable Pinouts - Cisco
• Troubleshooting Ethernet Cable Problems - Cisco