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Quizzes > Computers & Technology > Computers & IT

Basic Network Troubleshooting Quiz

Think you can ace common network issues? Dive in and troubleshoot now!

Difficulty: Moderate
2-5mins
Learning OutcomesCheat Sheet
Paper art style servers routers cables computers and question mark on teal background for basic network quiz

This quiz helps you troubleshoot common network problems, showing how to spot and fix server access errors, IP conflicts, DNS issues, and shaky connections. Use short, real-world questions to practice your steps and check gaps before an exam, and revisit basics with extra practice .

What command is used to test basic network connectivity by sending ICMP echo requests to a remote host?
ipconfig
traceroute
ping
nslookup
The ping command sends ICMP echo requests to a specified host to verify network connectivity and measure round-trip time. It is the simplest tool for ensuring a host is reachable on the network. Responses indicate packet success or failure, helping troubleshoot reachability issues.
If the network interface card (NIC) link light is off on both ends of a connection, what is the best first step in troubleshooting?
Check the cable connection between devices
Reinstall the network driver
Restart the DHCP service
Flush the DNS cache
An off link light typically indicates a physical connectivity issue at the first layer of the OSI model. Verifying that the cable is properly connected and not damaged is the most direct way to resolve the problem. Only after confirming physical connectivity should you move on to software or driver issues.
Which symptom typically indicates an IP address conflict on a local network?
ARP cache entries are updated successfully
The switch LED blinks rapidly
The operating system displays a duplicate IP address warning
DNS queries are resolved incorrectly
When two devices on the same network share the same IP address, the OS commonly shows a duplicate IP warning and network connectivity issues occur. This conflict prevents proper communication and can disrupt services. Resolving the conflict often involves assigning a unique IP or enabling DHCP.
Which layer of the OSI model is responsible for logical addressing and routing of packets?
Network layer
Transport layer
Data Link layer
Session layer
The Network layer (Layer 3) handles logical addressing through IP addresses and determines the best path for packet delivery across networks. It encapsulates data into packets and uses routing protocols like OSPF and BGP. Issues such as incorrect subnet masks or routing table errors are resolved at this layer.
Which command would you use on a Windows machine to display the current IP address, subnet mask, and default gateway?
ping
ifconfig
ipconfig
route print
The ipconfig command on Windows systems displays network configuration details including IP address, subnet mask, and default gateway. Ifconfig serves a similar role on Unix-based systems. Using ipconfig helps quickly verify network settings and identify mistyped configurations.
Which utility would you use to verify DNS name resolution for a hostname?
traceroute
telnet
nbtstat
nslookup
Nslookup queries DNS servers to translate hostnames into IP addresses or vice versa, making it an essential tool for diagnosing DNS resolution issues. It can specify different DNS servers and query record types. Incorrect DNS records or server settings often become obvious when using nslookup.
If a Windows host fails to obtain an IP address from a DHCP server, which address range will it assign itself?
10.0.0.0/8
172.16.0.0/12
169.254.0.0/16 (APIPA)
192.168.0.0/24
When DHCP assignment fails, Windows uses Automatic Private IP Addressing (APIPA) to self-assign an IP in the 169.254.0.0/16 range. This allows for basic local network communication but no gateway or internet access. APIPA helps diagnose DHCP server or connectivity issues.
Which command will clear the ARP cache on a Windows system?
route delete
arp -d
netsh interface reset
ipconfig /flushdns
The arp -d command deletes all entries in the ARP cache on Windows, forcing the system to rebuild the cache by broadcasting ARP requests. This is useful when the cache contains stale or incorrect MAC address mappings. Note that clearing the DNS cache (ipconfig /flushdns) does not affect ARP entries.
How can you determine the maximum transmission unit (MTU) size along a path to a remote host on a Windows system?
Use ping with the -f flag and increasing packet size
Run arp -a to list interface sizes
Use nslookup to query MTU records
Execute ipconfig /all to view MTU values
By sending ICMP packets with the Don't Fragment flag (ping -f) and incrementally increasing the packet size, you can discover the largest MTU that does not fragment. This helps identify MTU mismatches that cause connectivity issues. Windows does not provide MTU discovery via ipconfig or DNS queries.
What type of tool is typically used to identify Wi-Fi channel interference in a crowded environment?
Packet sniffer (tcpdump)
Bandwidth tester (iperf)
Port scanner
Wireless spectrum analyzer
A wireless spectrum analyzer measures signal strength across Wi-Fi channels and identifies sources of interference such as overlapping networks or non-Wi-Fi devices. This visibility helps in channel planning and reducing contention. Packet sniffers or bandwidth testers do not provide spectrum-level interference data.
When multiple internal hosts share a single public IP address to access the internet, which NAT type is being used?
Dynamic NAT
Static NAT
No NAT
Port Address Translation (PAT)
Port Address Translation (PAT) allows multiple private IP addresses to be mapped to a single public IP, differentiating sessions by port numbers. Static NAT maps one private IP to one public IP, and Dynamic NAT chooses from a pool of public IPs. PAT is commonly used to conserve public IPv4 addresses.
Which encapsulation protocol is commonly used for VLAN tagging on trunk links?
IEEE 802.1Q
GRE
PPP
L2TP
IEEE 802.1Q is the standard protocol for VLAN tagging on Ethernet trunk links, inserting a VLAN identifier into the frame header. This allows switches to distinguish traffic from different VLANs. Other protocols like L2TP and GRE are used for tunneling, not VLAN tagging.
Which Cisco IOS command displays current NAT translations on a router?
show ip interface brief
show ip protocols
show ip nat translations
show ip route
The 'show ip nat translations' command lists active NAT translations, showing inside and outside addresses and ports. This is essential when troubleshooting whether NAT is translating traffic correctly. Other commands like show ip route display routing tables, not NAT entries.
On a Windows system, which file provides manual hostname-to-IP mappings for DNS resolution?
dns.exe
hosts file in C:\Windows\System32\drivers\etc
named.conf
resolv.conf
The hosts file, located under C:\Windows\System32\drivers\etc, allows static mappings of hostnames to IP addresses before DNS resolution occurs. It's typically used for testing or overriding DNS entries. The resolv.conf and named.conf files are used on Unix/Linux systems and by DNS servers respectively.
In Spanning Tree Protocol, which port state discards frames but continues to listen for BPDUs?
Forwarding
Learning
Listening
Blocking
In STP, the Listening state allows a port to discard data frames while processing Bridge Protocol Data Units (BPDUs) to prevent loops before it transitions to Learning or Forwarding. Blocking also discards frames but does not process learned addresses; Listening is the step that maintains BPDU exchange. Ports transition through these states to ensure a loop-free topology.
Which symptom is commonly associated with a duplex mismatch between a switch and a host?
Frame fragmentation
Late collisions
ARP cache overflow
Spanning-tree recalculation
A duplex mismatch, where one end operates in full duplex and the other in half duplex, often results in late collisions on the half-duplex side. This leads to retransmissions and significant performance degradation. Monitoring collision counters can help detect this type of mismatch.
Which Windows utility combines the functionality of ping and traceroute to show packet loss at each hop?
mtr
netstat
arp
pathping
Pathping sends multiple ICMP packets to each router in the path, combining traceroute's hop-by-hop path information with ping's packet-loss details. It helps identify problematic segments in the network path. Tools like mtr provide similar functionality on Unix systems.
On a Cisco router, which command would you use to display a summary of BGP neighbor relationships and their state?
show ip route bgp
show bgp neighbors
show ip interface brief
show ip bgp summary
The 'show ip bgp summary' command provides a concise overview of BGP peer connections, showing neighbor IPs, AS numbers, and session states. It's the primary command for quickly determining if BGP sessions are established. Note that 'show bgp neighbors' provides detailed information, not a summary.
Which tool provides deep packet inspection capabilities for detailed network troubleshooting?
NetFlow
Ping
Traceroute
Wireshark
Wireshark captures and analyzes network packets at a granular level, allowing deep inspection of protocols and payloads. NetFlow provides flow data summaries without full packet details. Tools like ping and traceroute offer connectivity and path insights but not full packet dissections.
Which field in the IP header is used to indicate Quality of Service (QoS) priority via DSCP values?
Time to Live field
Identification field
Differentiated Services field (formerly Type of Service)
Header checksum field
The Differentiated Services (DS) field, previously known as the Type of Service (ToS) field, contains DSCP values that routers use to apply QoS policies. It allows marking packets for priority handling and traffic shaping. Other fields like TTL and checksum do not carry QoS information.
Which resource allows you to view routing tables and BGP announcements from an ISP's perspective?
SNMP monitoring
Syslog server
Looking Glass server
NetFlow collector
A Looking Glass server provides public read-only access to an ISP's router CLI output, allowing you to examine BGP routes and network reachability from their perspective. SNMP and NetFlow offer local network metrics but not external routing views. Syslog records event logs rather than dynamic routing information.
Which command on a Cisco router shows the status of MPLS LDP neighbors and LSPs to troubleshoot MPLS path failures?
show ip mroute
show mpls ldp neighbor
show ip bgp summary
show interfaces
The 'show mpls ldp neighbor' command displays established LDP sessions and Label Switched Path (LSP) status, crucial for diagnosing MPLS forwarding issues. It indicates which peers are operational and can reveal LDP adjacency problems. Other commands display multicast or routing tables but not MPLS LDP states.
In a PIM sparse-mode multicast network, which command shows the mapping between multicast groups and the rendezvous points (RPs)?
show ip pim rp mapping
show ip mroute
show ip igmp groups
show ip pim neighbors
The 'show ip pim rp mapping' command reveals which RPs have been elected or configured for each multicast group in sparse-mode, aiding in troubleshooting multicast distribution. 'show ip mroute' displays multicast routing entries but not explicit RP mappings. IGMP and neighbor commands provide different multicast details.
Which component in a Cisco SD-WAN architecture is responsible for centrally managing and distributing policy across the network?
vEdge router
vBond orchestrator
vSmart controller
vManage NMS server
The vSmart controller in Cisco SD-WAN acts as the central policy engine, distributing control and data policies to edge devices. The vBond orchestrator handles initial device authentication, while vManage provides the management dashboard. vEdge routers enforce the policies but do not originate them.
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Study Outcomes

  1. Understand Fundamental Networking Concepts -

    Identify key components of a network, common protocols, and how they interact to support connectivity, laying the groundwork for troubleshooting.

  2. Apply a Structured Troubleshooting Methodology -

    Use a systematic, step-by-step approach to isolate and resolve issues encountered in the 7.6.3 troubleshoot common network problems quiz.

  3. Analyze Realistic Network Failure Scenarios -

    Examine symptoms such as unstable connections, DNS errors, and latency spikes to determine probable causes in practice quiz questions.

  4. Diagnose Server Access and Authentication Errors -

    Pinpoint configuration, permission, or credential-related problems that prevent users from accessing servers, as presented in server access issues quiz items.

  5. Interpret Diagnostic Tool Outputs for Network Analysis -

    Read and leverage results from tools like ping, traceroute, and ipconfig to guide troubleshooting steps in the basic network troubleshooting test.

  6. Evaluate and Implement Effective Network Solutions -

    Compare alternative fixes, choose the most appropriate resolution, and validate success to master common network problems practice quiz challenges.

Cheat Sheet

  1. Mastering the OSI Model Layers -

    Understanding each of the OSI's seven layers helps you isolate faults methodically; remember "Please Do Not Throw Sausage Pizza Away" for Physical up to Application. In the 7.6.3 troubleshoot common network problems quiz and other basic network troubleshooting tests, you'll often map symptoms (like no link lights or failed DNS lookups) to the correct layer. Cisco's official documentation and university networking courses (e.g., Stanford's CS144) reinforce this approach.

  2. Using Ping and Traceroute Effectively -

    Ping verifies reachability and measures latency, while traceroute reveals each hop along the path - try "ping 8.8.8.8" then "traceroute google.com" to practice. These tools are staples in any troubleshoot network issues quiz for spotting packet loss or routing loops. Industry guides like the RIPE NCC training modules provide in-depth examples.

  3. Validating IP Configuration -

    Run "ipconfig /all" (Windows) or "ifconfig -a"/"ip addr" (Linux) to confirm correct IP address, subnet mask, gateway, and DNS settings; misconfigured DHCP leases often trigger common network problems. A simple mnemonic - "IP, Gateway, Mask, DNS" (IGMD) - helps you double-check core settings in both basic network troubleshooting tests and server access issues quizzes. CompTIA Network+ objectives outline this troubleshooting workflow.

  4. Diagnosing DNS and Server Access Issues -

    Use nslookup or dig to query DNS records and verify name resolution; incorrect DNS entries or cache corruption can block server access, a frequent scenario in the network problems practice quiz. Check the hosts file and flush DNS caches ("ipconfig /flushdns" on Windows) as recommended by Microsoft's Networking documentation. This validates the final step before credential authentication in many troubleshooting challenges.

  5. Identifying Network Congestion and Packet Loss -

    Monitor bandwidth and loss with tools like Wireshark, SNMP polling, or built-in router QoS stats to spot congestion hotspots; look for repeated retransmissions or high latency in captures. In the 7.6.3 troubleshoot common network problems quiz, correlating packet loss graphs with user complaints is key to a confident diagnosis. Research from IEEE journals highlights how jitter and collision domains contribute to these symptoms.

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