WGU C172 NETWORK AND SECURITY
FOUNDATIONS PA AND OA EXAM 2026
UPDATED PRACTICE QUESTIONS AND
SOLUTIONS
◉ topology. Answer: The network architecture used to interconnect
the networking equipment
◉ deterministic network. Answer: Each station connected to the
network is ensured access for transmission of its messages at
regular or fixed time intervals
◉ bus topology. Answer: The computers share the media (coaxial
cable) for data transmission
◉ ThinNet. Answer: The coaxial cable used in a bus network.
◉ star topology. Answer: Twisted-pair cables connect the devices to
a central hub or switch
◉ hub. Answer: A multiport repeater device used at the center of a
star topology
,◉ multiport repeater. Answer: The data it receives is broadcast and
seen by all devices connected to its ports. A hub.
◉ broadcast. Answer: Transmission of data by a hub to all devices
connected to its ports
◉ switch. Answer: Device used at the center of a star topology that
forwards a frame it receives directly out the port associated with its
destination address
◉ mesh topology. Answer: All networking devices are directly
connected to each other, allows for full redundancy
◉ OSI model. Answer: The seven layers describing network
functions
◉ Physical layer. Answer: Provides the electrical and mechanical
connection to the network (cabling, NICs). 1st OSI layer
◉ Data link layer. Answer: Handles error recovery, flow control
(synchronization), and sequencing (MAC, Ethernet). 2nd OSI layer
,◉ Network layer. Answer: Accepts outgoing messages and combines
messages or segments into packets, adding a header that includes
routing information (IP, IPX). 3rd OSI layer
◉ Transport layer. Answer: Concerned with message integrity
between source and destination (TCP, UDP). 4th OSI layer
◉ Session layer. Answer: Provides the control functions necessary to
establish, manage, and terminate the connections (NSF, SQL). 5th
OSI layer
◉ Presentation layer. Answer: Accepts and structures the messages
for the application (ASCII, JPEG). 6th OSI layer
◉ Application layer. Answer: Interacts with application programs
that incorporate a communication component such as your Internet
browser and email (HTTP, FTP, SMTP). 7th OSI layer
◉ 3 basic steps to isolate network problem. Answer: Is the
connection to the machine down? (layer 1)
Is the network down? (layer 3)
Is a service on a specific machine down? (layer 7)
, ◉ CSMA/CD. Answer: The Ethernet LAN media-access method,
carrier sense multiple access with collision detection
◉ Ethernet. Answer: LAN protocol created in 1972 and standardized
in 1980 using CSMA/CD.
◉ Frame. Answer: Contains the header, data, and trailer (the
padding and 4-byte CRC frame check sequence)
◉ Frame header. Answer: Consists of the preamble, start frame
delimiter, destination and source addresses, and length/type field
◉ 64 bytes. Answer: Minimum length of an Ethernet frame
◉ 1518 bytes. Answer: Maximum length of an Ethernet frame
◉ MAC address. Answer: A unique 6-byte/48-bit address assigned
by the vendor of the network interface card displayed in 12 hex
digits
◉ Organizationally unique identifier (OUI). Answer: The first 3 bytes
of the MAC address that identifies the manufacturer of the network
hardware
FOUNDATIONS PA AND OA EXAM 2026
UPDATED PRACTICE QUESTIONS AND
SOLUTIONS
◉ topology. Answer: The network architecture used to interconnect
the networking equipment
◉ deterministic network. Answer: Each station connected to the
network is ensured access for transmission of its messages at
regular or fixed time intervals
◉ bus topology. Answer: The computers share the media (coaxial
cable) for data transmission
◉ ThinNet. Answer: The coaxial cable used in a bus network.
◉ star topology. Answer: Twisted-pair cables connect the devices to
a central hub or switch
◉ hub. Answer: A multiport repeater device used at the center of a
star topology
,◉ multiport repeater. Answer: The data it receives is broadcast and
seen by all devices connected to its ports. A hub.
◉ broadcast. Answer: Transmission of data by a hub to all devices
connected to its ports
◉ switch. Answer: Device used at the center of a star topology that
forwards a frame it receives directly out the port associated with its
destination address
◉ mesh topology. Answer: All networking devices are directly
connected to each other, allows for full redundancy
◉ OSI model. Answer: The seven layers describing network
functions
◉ Physical layer. Answer: Provides the electrical and mechanical
connection to the network (cabling, NICs). 1st OSI layer
◉ Data link layer. Answer: Handles error recovery, flow control
(synchronization), and sequencing (MAC, Ethernet). 2nd OSI layer
,◉ Network layer. Answer: Accepts outgoing messages and combines
messages or segments into packets, adding a header that includes
routing information (IP, IPX). 3rd OSI layer
◉ Transport layer. Answer: Concerned with message integrity
between source and destination (TCP, UDP). 4th OSI layer
◉ Session layer. Answer: Provides the control functions necessary to
establish, manage, and terminate the connections (NSF, SQL). 5th
OSI layer
◉ Presentation layer. Answer: Accepts and structures the messages
for the application (ASCII, JPEG). 6th OSI layer
◉ Application layer. Answer: Interacts with application programs
that incorporate a communication component such as your Internet
browser and email (HTTP, FTP, SMTP). 7th OSI layer
◉ 3 basic steps to isolate network problem. Answer: Is the
connection to the machine down? (layer 1)
Is the network down? (layer 3)
Is a service on a specific machine down? (layer 7)
, ◉ CSMA/CD. Answer: The Ethernet LAN media-access method,
carrier sense multiple access with collision detection
◉ Ethernet. Answer: LAN protocol created in 1972 and standardized
in 1980 using CSMA/CD.
◉ Frame. Answer: Contains the header, data, and trailer (the
padding and 4-byte CRC frame check sequence)
◉ Frame header. Answer: Consists of the preamble, start frame
delimiter, destination and source addresses, and length/type field
◉ 64 bytes. Answer: Minimum length of an Ethernet frame
◉ 1518 bytes. Answer: Maximum length of an Ethernet frame
◉ MAC address. Answer: A unique 6-byte/48-bit address assigned
by the vendor of the network interface card displayed in 12 hex
digits
◉ Organizationally unique identifier (OUI). Answer: The first 3 bytes
of the MAC address that identifies the manufacturer of the network
hardware
