IT2 STUDY ADVANCEMENT EXAM 2026/2027 | 100% Correct
Answers | US Navy IT Rating Advancement Prep | Pass
Guaranteed - A+ Graded
Part 1: Network Fundamentals & Infrastructure
Building the foundation—how data moves across Navy networks, from shipboard LANs to
satellite uplinks.
Q1: You're troubleshooting a network issue aboard USS NIMITZ (CVN-68). A workstation
in the Combat Systems department can't reach the ship's intranet. You check the
physical layer first. Which OSI layer are you working with when you verify the RJ-45
connector and cable integrity?
A. Layer 2 - Data Link layer, where MAC addresses operate
B. Layer 3 - Network layer, handling IP routing decisions
C. Layer 1 - Physical layer, dealing with cables, signals, and electrical specifications
[CORRECT]
D. Layer 4 - Transport layer, managing TCP/UDP connections
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: The Physical layer (Layer 1) handles the actual physical connection—cables,
connectors, voltage levels, and signal transmission. When you're checking RJ-45
connectors and cable integrity, you're at Layer 1. Layer 2 deals with MAC addressing
and switching, Layer 3 with IP routing, and Layer 4 with transport protocols like
,TCP/UDP. Many junior ITs confuse Layer 1 issues with Layer 3 routing problems, but
always start with "Is it plugged in?" at Layer 1.
Q2: Your ship is operating with the Navy's afloat network architecture. You need to
segment traffic between the Combat Systems network and the Administrative network
for security. Which technology allows you to create logically separate networks on the
same physical switch infrastructure?
A. Subnetting, which divides IP address ranges for routing purposes
B. VLANs (Virtual Local Area Networks), creating isolated broadcast domains
[CORRECT]
C. NAT (Network Address Translation), which hides internal IP addresses
D. DHCP relay, forwarding address assignments across network segments
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: VLANs create logically separate networks on shared physical
infrastructure—perfect for isolating Combat Systems traffic from Administrative traffic
on the same switches. Subnetting (A) divides IP ranges but doesn't provide the
physical/logical separation VLANs offer. NAT (C) handles address translation, not
segmentation. DHCP relay (D) forwards DHCP requests but doesn't create network
isolation. On Navy ships, VLANs are critical for maintaining security zones per SECNAV
M-5510.36.
Q3: A user reports they cannot access a secure website using HTTPS. You suspect a
port blockage. Which TCP port must be open for standard HTTPS traffic to flow
correctly?
,A. Port 80, the standard HTTP port for web browsing
B. Port 443, the secure HTTP port for encrypted web traffic [CORRECT]
C. Port 25, used for Simple Mail Transfer Protocol email transmission
D. Port 110, designated for Post Office Protocol email retrieval
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: HTTPS operates on TCP port 443 by standard definition. Port 80 (A) is for
unencrypted HTTP traffic—if only 80 is open, the user could reach HTTP sites but not
HTTPS. Port 25 (C) handles SMTP email, and port 110 (D) is for POP3 email
retrieval—neither relates to web traffic. On Navy networks, port 443 is carefully
controlled and monitored; if it's blocked, secure sites simply won't load, often with no
clear error message to the user.
Q4: You're configuring a router aboard a destroyer for the Integrated Shipboard Network
System (ISNS). The routing table shows multiple paths to the same destination network.
Which routing protocol metric does OSPF (Open Shortest Path First) primarily use to
determine the best path?
A. Hop count, counting the number of routers between source and destination
B. Bandwidth and delay, calculating cost based on link speed and latency [CORRECT]
C. Administrative distance, measuring route reliability preferences
D. Packet loss percentage, tracking dropped packets along the path
Correct Answer: B
, Rationale: OSPF uses cost calculated from bandwidth (primarily) and other factors like
delay to determine the shortest path. Hop count (A) is RIP's metric, not OSPF's.
Administrative distance (C) determines which routing protocol to trust when multiple
protocols advertise the same route, not path selection within OSPF. Packet loss (D) isn't
an OSPF metric—OSPF assumes reliable links and doesn't track loss statistics. On Navy
networks, understanding OSPF cost is crucial for optimizing traffic across shipboard
fiber and satellite links.
Q5: During a network outage, you need to quickly identify which subnet an IP address
belongs to. Given the IP 172.16.45.130 with a /26 subnet mask, which subnet does this
address reside in?
A. 172.16.45.0/26, the first subnet in this range
B. 172.16.45.64/26, covering addresses .65 to .126
C. 172.16.45.128/26, covering addresses .129 to .190 [CORRECT]
D. 172.16.45.192/26, the last usable subnet in this /24 block
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: A /26 mask creates subnets with 64 addresses each (256/4 = 64). The
subnets are .0, .64, .128, and .192. Address 172.16.45.130 falls in the .128 subnet
(range .128-.191, with .128 as network and .191 as broadcast). The .64 subnet (B) ends
at .127, so .130 is too high. Many ITs miscalculate by forgetting that the network
address itself isn't usable for hosts. Quick subnetting is essential during casualty
response aboard ship.
Answers | US Navy IT Rating Advancement Prep | Pass
Guaranteed - A+ Graded
Part 1: Network Fundamentals & Infrastructure
Building the foundation—how data moves across Navy networks, from shipboard LANs to
satellite uplinks.
Q1: You're troubleshooting a network issue aboard USS NIMITZ (CVN-68). A workstation
in the Combat Systems department can't reach the ship's intranet. You check the
physical layer first. Which OSI layer are you working with when you verify the RJ-45
connector and cable integrity?
A. Layer 2 - Data Link layer, where MAC addresses operate
B. Layer 3 - Network layer, handling IP routing decisions
C. Layer 1 - Physical layer, dealing with cables, signals, and electrical specifications
[CORRECT]
D. Layer 4 - Transport layer, managing TCP/UDP connections
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: The Physical layer (Layer 1) handles the actual physical connection—cables,
connectors, voltage levels, and signal transmission. When you're checking RJ-45
connectors and cable integrity, you're at Layer 1. Layer 2 deals with MAC addressing
and switching, Layer 3 with IP routing, and Layer 4 with transport protocols like
,TCP/UDP. Many junior ITs confuse Layer 1 issues with Layer 3 routing problems, but
always start with "Is it plugged in?" at Layer 1.
Q2: Your ship is operating with the Navy's afloat network architecture. You need to
segment traffic between the Combat Systems network and the Administrative network
for security. Which technology allows you to create logically separate networks on the
same physical switch infrastructure?
A. Subnetting, which divides IP address ranges for routing purposes
B. VLANs (Virtual Local Area Networks), creating isolated broadcast domains
[CORRECT]
C. NAT (Network Address Translation), which hides internal IP addresses
D. DHCP relay, forwarding address assignments across network segments
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: VLANs create logically separate networks on shared physical
infrastructure—perfect for isolating Combat Systems traffic from Administrative traffic
on the same switches. Subnetting (A) divides IP ranges but doesn't provide the
physical/logical separation VLANs offer. NAT (C) handles address translation, not
segmentation. DHCP relay (D) forwards DHCP requests but doesn't create network
isolation. On Navy ships, VLANs are critical for maintaining security zones per SECNAV
M-5510.36.
Q3: A user reports they cannot access a secure website using HTTPS. You suspect a
port blockage. Which TCP port must be open for standard HTTPS traffic to flow
correctly?
,A. Port 80, the standard HTTP port for web browsing
B. Port 443, the secure HTTP port for encrypted web traffic [CORRECT]
C. Port 25, used for Simple Mail Transfer Protocol email transmission
D. Port 110, designated for Post Office Protocol email retrieval
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: HTTPS operates on TCP port 443 by standard definition. Port 80 (A) is for
unencrypted HTTP traffic—if only 80 is open, the user could reach HTTP sites but not
HTTPS. Port 25 (C) handles SMTP email, and port 110 (D) is for POP3 email
retrieval—neither relates to web traffic. On Navy networks, port 443 is carefully
controlled and monitored; if it's blocked, secure sites simply won't load, often with no
clear error message to the user.
Q4: You're configuring a router aboard a destroyer for the Integrated Shipboard Network
System (ISNS). The routing table shows multiple paths to the same destination network.
Which routing protocol metric does OSPF (Open Shortest Path First) primarily use to
determine the best path?
A. Hop count, counting the number of routers between source and destination
B. Bandwidth and delay, calculating cost based on link speed and latency [CORRECT]
C. Administrative distance, measuring route reliability preferences
D. Packet loss percentage, tracking dropped packets along the path
Correct Answer: B
, Rationale: OSPF uses cost calculated from bandwidth (primarily) and other factors like
delay to determine the shortest path. Hop count (A) is RIP's metric, not OSPF's.
Administrative distance (C) determines which routing protocol to trust when multiple
protocols advertise the same route, not path selection within OSPF. Packet loss (D) isn't
an OSPF metric—OSPF assumes reliable links and doesn't track loss statistics. On Navy
networks, understanding OSPF cost is crucial for optimizing traffic across shipboard
fiber and satellite links.
Q5: During a network outage, you need to quickly identify which subnet an IP address
belongs to. Given the IP 172.16.45.130 with a /26 subnet mask, which subnet does this
address reside in?
A. 172.16.45.0/26, the first subnet in this range
B. 172.16.45.64/26, covering addresses .65 to .126
C. 172.16.45.128/26, covering addresses .129 to .190 [CORRECT]
D. 172.16.45.192/26, the last usable subnet in this /24 block
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: A /26 mask creates subnets with 64 addresses each (256/4 = 64). The
subnets are .0, .64, .128, and .192. Address 172.16.45.130 falls in the .128 subnet
(range .128-.191, with .128 as network and .191 as broadcast). The .64 subnet (B) ends
at .127, so .130 is too high. Many ITs miscalculate by forgetting that the network
address itself isn't usable for hosts. Quick subnetting is essential during casualty
response aboard ship.
