pencils ready ✎

Networking MCQs multiple-choice questions with answers & explanations

All 11 Networking quiz questions on one page. Pick an answer in your head, then open Show answer to check it and read why. Want a score and a timer? Take them as a quiz instead.

Written by Technical Lead, BNP Paribas

Official reference: MDN: HTTP

✎ Take the Networking quiz8 Networking interview questions →
11 questions
  1. 1.

    What does DNS typically provide when resolving a website hostname?

    easy
    1. AAn IP address record
    2. BThe HTML document
    3. CA login token
    4. DA database connection
    Show answer

    Answer: A (An IP address record)

    DNS resolves names to records such as IP addresses. Fetching HTML is a separate HTTP exchange.

    try it in the quiz →

  2. 2.

    Which HTTP status indicates that a resource was not found?

    easy
    1. A200
    2. B301
    3. C404
    4. D500
    Show answer

    Answer: C (404)

    404 means the requested resource was not found. 500 indicates a server error, while 301 is a redirect.

    try it in the quiz →

  3. 3.

    What does TLS primarily protect?

    easy
    1. AData in transit
    2. BAll stored database rows
    3. CApplication business logic
    4. DThe server from every attack
    Show answer

    Answer: A (Data in transit)

    TLS protects transport confidentiality and integrity and normally authenticates the server. It does not fix application vulnerabilities or encrypt stored data.

    try it in the quiz →

  4. 4.

    What makes an HTTP operation idempotent?

    mid
    1. AEvery response is identical
    2. BRepeating it has the same intended server-side effect as doing it once
    3. CIt never changes data
    4. DIt cannot fail
    Show answer

    Answer: B (Repeating it has the same intended server-side effect as doing it once)

    Idempotency concerns the intended effect of repetition, not identical response bodies or status codes. A repeated DELETE can return a different status while remaining idempotent.

    try it in the quiz →

  5. 5.

    A client sends If-None-Match with a matching ETag. Which response can tell it to reuse its cached representation?

    mid
    1. A201 Created
    2. B502 Bad Gateway
    3. C304 Not Modified
    4. D206 Partial Content
    Show answer

    Answer: C (304 Not Modified)

    A 304 response allows reuse of a stored representation after validation. It does not contain a new representation body.

    try it in the quiz →

  6. 6.

    Which statement about CORS is correct?

    mid
    1. AIt replaces API authentication
    2. BIt blocks every cross-origin request from being sent
    3. CIt encrypts requests
    4. DIt controls browser access to cross-origin responses
    Show answer

    Answer: D (It controls browser access to cross-origin responses)

    CORS is a browser-enforced response access mechanism. Some requests are sent without a preflight, and non-browser clients are not constrained by browser CORS rules.

    try it in the quiz →

  7. 7.

    What does calling HTTP stateless mean?

    easy
    1. ARequest semantics do not require a connection to retain application session state
    2. BServers cannot store data
    3. CCookies cannot be used
    4. DEvery request needs a new TCP connection
    Show answer

    Answer: A (Request semantics do not require a connection to retain application session state)

    HTTP can carry cookies or tokens that associate requests with application sessions. Stateless request semantics do not prohibit persistence or connection reuse.

    try it in the quiz →

  8. 8.

    What is a reverse proxy commonly used for?

    easy
    1. AReplacing DNS everywhere
    2. BReceiving client requests and forwarding them to backend servers
    3. CCompiling backend code
    4. DStoring browser history
    Show answer

    Answer: B (Receiving client requests and forwarding them to backend servers)

    A reverse proxy fronts backend services and can provide routing, TLS termination or load balancing. It does not replace all DNS resolution.

    try it in the quiz →

  9. 9.

    What does an IP subnet prefix describe?

    easy
    1. AA website path
    2. BA TLS certificate owner
    3. CThe network portion of an IP address
    4. DAn HTTP response format
    Show answer

    Answer: C (The network portion of an IP address)

    A subnet prefix defines which bits identify the network. Hosts use addressing and routing information to determine where to send packets.

    try it in the quiz →

  10. 10.

    Which HTTP response most directly indicates that a client has sent too many requests?

    mid
    1. A204
    2. B401
    3. C418
    4. D429
    Show answer

    Answer: D (429)

    429 Too Many Requests signals rate limiting. The server may include Retry-After to guide the next attempt; clients should avoid immediate retry loops.

    try it in the quiz →

  11. 11.

    A sender makes two writes to a TCP socket. What can the receiver assume about reads?

    mid
    1. AThey must return exactly two messages
    2. BThe bytes are ordered, but read boundaries need not match writes
    3. CThe second write arrives first
    4. DEach write becomes one permanent packet
    Show answer

    Answer: B (The bytes are ordered, but read boundaries need not match writes)

    TCP provides a byte stream. Applications need framing such as a length prefix or delimiter because reads may split or combine writes.

    try it in the quiz →

esc