CompTIA Network+ Question C-79

The network install is failing redundancy testing at the MDF. The traffic being transported is a mixture of multicast and unicast signals. Which of the following would BEST handle the rerouting caused by the disruption of service?

A. Layer 3 switch
B. Proxy server
C. Layer 2 switch
D. Smart hub

Correct Answer: A

Explanation:
The question states that the traffic being transported is a mixture of multicast and unicast signals. There are three basic types of network transmissions: broadcasts, which are packets transmitted to every node on the network; unicasts, which are packets transmitted to just one node; and multicasts, which are packets transmitted to a group of nodes. Multicast is a layer 3 feature of IPv4 & IPv6. Therefore, we would need a layer 3 switch (or a router) to reroute the traffic. Unlike layer 2 switches that can only read the contents of the data-link layer protocol header in the packets they process, layer 3 switches can read the (IP) addresses in the network layer protocol header as well.