CompTIA Network+ (N10-009)Network OperationsEasy
A network technician is configuring a new network switch and needs to ensure that the switch can send notifications about critical events, such as port status changes or high CPU utilization, to a central monitoring server. Which protocol should the technician configure on the switch to achieve this real-time alerting capability?
- ASyslog
- BSNMP Trap
- CNetFlow
- DSNMP Get
Show answer & explanationAnswer & explanation
Correct answer: B. SNMP Trap
SNMP Traps are unsolicited messages sent by an SNMP agent (like a switch) to an SNMP manager (monitoring server) when a significant event or threshold is met, providing real-time alerts.
Why the other options are wrong
- A. Syslog sends log messages, but while it can be used for alerts, Traps are more specific to SNMP-managed device events and are often preferred for critical alerts in SNMP environments.
- C. NetFlow collects IP traffic statistics and is used for network analysis, not real-time critical event notifications.
- D. SNMP Get is used by a manager to request specific information from an agent, not for agents to send alerts.
SNMP Trap
An asynchronous notification sent by an SNMP agent to an SNMP manager when a specific event occurs or a predefined threshold is exceeded on the managed device.
- Unsolicited message from agent to manager.
- Used for real-time alerting of critical events.
- Does not require a request from the manager to be sent.
Memory trick: Alerts are like a network's emergency broadcast: Snare it, Log it, or Flow it.