Cisco Certified Support Technician (CCST) NetworkingNetwork AccessHard

A small branch office needs a reliable and secure WAN connection back to the main data center. The branch office requires dedicated bandwidth and minimal latency for critical applications. The budget allows for a premium solution. Which WAN technology would best meet these requirements?

  1. AMPLS (Multiprotocol Label Switching)
  2. BDSL (Digital Subscriber Line)
  3. CSatellite Internet
  4. DCable Internet
Show answer & explanation

Correct answer: A. MPLS (Multiprotocol Label Switching)

MPLS is a high-performance WAN technology that offers dedicated paths, Quality of Service (QoS) capabilities, and often comes with service level agreements (SLAs) guaranteeing bandwidth and low latency. It's a premium solution often used for secure, reliable, and performance-sensitive connections between enterprise sites.

Why the other options are wrong

  • B. DSL is a relatively inexpensive broadband technology but typically offers asymmetric bandwidth and no strong QoS guarantees, making it less suitable for critical applications.
  • C. Satellite Internet typically has high latency due to the signal travel distance to space and back, making it unsuitable for applications requiring minimal latency.
  • D. Cable Internet is also a shared broadband technology, subject to congestion and variable performance, not ideal for dedicated bandwidth and minimal latency.

MPLS (Multiprotocol Label Switching)

A high-performance packet-forwarding technology that directs data from one network node to the next based on short path labels rather than long network addresses.

  • Offers QoS, traffic engineering, and VPN capabilities.
  • Often used in carrier networks and enterprise WANs.
  • Provides dedicated bandwidth and predictable latency.

Memory trick: MPLS: 'M'ighty 'P'erformance, 'L'ow 'L'atency, 'S'ecure.

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