CompTIA A+ Core 1 (220-1201)NetworkingMedium
A network administrator wants to monitor the health and performance of multiple SOHO routers and switches from a centralized management station using a standardized query protocol. Which port should be allowed through the firewall for this traffic?
- A161
- B3389
- C53
- D389
Show answer & explanationAnswer & explanation
Correct answer: A. 161
SNMP (Simple Network Management Protocol) uses UDP port 161 for agents to respond to management station queries, allowing centralized monitoring of network device status and performance.
Why the other options are wrong
- B. Port 3389 is used by RDP for remote desktop sessions, not monitoring.
- C. Port 53 is used by DNS for name resolution, not device management.
- D. Port 389 is used by LDAP for directory services, unrelated to device monitoring.
SNMP (Port 161)
SNMP is a protocol used to monitor and manage network devices such as routers and switches by querying device agents over UDP port 161.
- Uses UDP port 161 for agent queries
- Port 162 is used for SNMP traps (alerts)
- Common in centralized network monitoring systems
Memory trick: 'SNMP 161' — think 'Sixteen-One' devices reporting status to one manager.