Cisco Certified Network Associate (CCNA) Practice Exam

A default Frame Relay WAN is classified as what type of physical network?

1. Point-to-point

2. Broadcast multi-access

3. Nonbroadcast multi-access

4. Broadcast point-to-multipoint

The correct answer is: Nonbroadcast multi-access

A default Frame Relay WAN is classified as a nonbroadcast multi-access (NBMA) network. In an NBMA network, multiple devices can connect to a common network, but they do not have inherent broadcast capabilities. This means that devices connected in this manner cannot simply send broadcast messages in the same way that they would in a broadcast network. Instead, each device must establish a connection with others on a point-to-point basis through virtual circuits that are set up across the Frame Relay infrastructure. This type of network is common in WAN environments where bandwidth and resource efficiency are crucial, leading to a more controlled data transmission environment. Frame Relay supports point-to-point connections logically, but because it operates over a shared media where multiple devices access the same physical link without broadcast capability, it is accurately categorized as nonbroadcast multi-access.