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CompTIA

SY0-301 · Question #615

Which of the following BEST allows Pete, a security administrator, to determine the type, source, and flags of the packet traversing a network for troubleshooting purposes?

The correct answer is B. Protocol analyzers. Protocol analyzers, commonly called packet sniffers, capture raw network traffic and decode packet headers, flags, source/destination, and payload to enable detailed troubleshooting.

Security operations

Question

Which of the following BEST allows Pete, a security administrator, to determine the type, source, and flags of the packet traversing a network for troubleshooting purposes?

Options

  • ASwitches
  • BProtocol analyzers
  • CRouters
  • DWeb security gateways

How the community answered

(48 responses)
  • A
    4% (2)
  • B
    94% (45)
  • C
    2% (1)

Why each option

Protocol analyzers, commonly called packet sniffers, capture raw network traffic and decode packet headers, flags, source/destination, and payload to enable detailed troubleshooting.

ASwitches

Switches operate at Layer 2 to forward frames based on MAC addresses and do not perform packet inspection or provide traffic analysis.

BProtocol analyzersCorrect

Protocol analyzers such as Wireshark capture individual packets traversing a network interface and present full details including packet type, source and destination IP/MAC addresses, TCP/UDP flags, TTL values, and payload contents. This makes them the definitive tool for diagnosing network issues at the packet level. Administrators use them to identify malformed packets, misconfigurations, protocol errors, and suspicious traffic patterns.

CRouters

Routers forward packets based on IP routing tables and do not capture or display detailed packet-level diagnostic information.

DWeb security gateways

Web security gateways filter HTTP/HTTPS traffic for malicious content but are not general-purpose packet analysis tools.

Concept tested: Protocol analyzer packet capture and inspection

Source: https://www.comptia.org/certifications/security

Topics

#protocol analyzer#packet analysis#network troubleshooting#traffic inspection

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