How Can You Manage Videoconferencing Traffic With VLAN Speed Limits?

A small business is deploying new phones, and some of the phones have full HD videoconferencing features. The Chief Information Officer is concerned that the network might not be able to handle the traffic if the traffic reaches a certain threshold. Which of the following can the network engineer configure to help ease these concerns?

  1. A VLAN with 100Mbps speed limits Source Reference Answer
  2. An IP helper to direct VoIP traffic
  3. A smaller subnet mask
  4. Full duplex on all user ports

Community Votes

A
77%
B
23%

77% of anonymous learners picked answer A. Votes are pick records left by other test-takers — they are not the verified answer.

Community Insight

This question tests your ability to differentiate between bandwidth management (VLAN speed limits) and traffic direction (IP helper), with the common trap being to select IP helper because it mentions VoIP.

When adding HD videoconferencing phones, network engineers can address CIO concerns by placing the phones on a VLAN and applying speed limits to prevent traffic from overwhelming the network. The CompTIA community consensus supports configuring a VLAN with bandwidth caps as the practical solution for controlling threshold-related congestion.

The most common incorrect answer is B, an IP helper to direct VoIP traffic. IP helpers only relay DHCP/BOOTP broadcast traffic and are unrelated to bandwidth throttling, so they cannot reduce the risk of network saturation during videoconferencing.

Community Discussion (8 comments)

kinkistyle 👍 3 Selected: A
The question is asking how to keep the network itself running under heavy load, not how to improve VoIP performance. In that case, the correct answer is to place limits on the bandwidth which is A
HeatSquad77 👍 2 Selected: A
A. A VLAN with 100Mbps speed limits. Explanation: Creating a VLAN specifically for the phones and configuring speed limits (such as 100Mbps) can help manage traffic and ensure that the network remains stable under high load conditions. VLANs segment traffic, which improves performance and reduces congestion by isolating specific types of traffic, such as VoIP and videoconferencing
SuntzuLegacy 👍 1 Selected: A
A is the most correct Answer.
Hayder81 👍 2 Selected: A
When deploying HD videoconferencing phones, Quality of Service (QoS) and traffic management become essential to ensure the network can handle increased traffic without degradation. Here's why a VLAN with traffic limits is the best solution
KO443 👍 2 Selected: A
C Creating a VLAN with speed limits helps the network engineer manage HD videoconferencing traffic effectively, addressing the concern about excessive network usage while maintaining overall network performance.
SuntzuLegacy 👍 1 Selected: B
The correct answer is: B. An IP helper to direct VoIP traffic Explanation: Configuring an IP helper can assist in directing VoIP traffic to specific devices or servers (such as DHCP, TFTP, or call controllers) and ensure that network resources are properly allocated for VoIP operations. Additionally, implementing Quality of Service (QoS) in conjunction with IP helpers can prioritize VoIP traffic, which is sensitive to delays, jitter, and packet loss, ensuring that videoconferencing traffic does not degrade the overall network performance.
favouralain 👍 1 Selected: D
D. Full duplex on all user ports. is the answer, because by configuring full duplex on all user ports, the network can handle more traffic efficiently, just like how super walkie-talkies make conversations smoother!
vandriel 👍 2 Selected: B
The speed limit for VOIP traffic makes no sense. B is correct as per chat gpt

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Expert Analysis

Why the Answer Is Correct

Option A is the best answer because it directly addresses the CIO's concern about a traffic threshold. By placing videoconferencing phones in a dedicated VLAN and configuring a 100Mbps speed limit, the engineer caps the amount of bandwidth that phone traffic can consume, preventing the network from being saturated. This is a form of bandwidth management, and community commenters note that the question asks about keeping the network running under heavy load, not about improving VoIP performance (Comment 1). VLAN segmentation also isolates videoconferencing traffic, making it easier to apply traffic policies and reduce broadcast overhead (Comment 2).

Why the Other Options Are Wrong

Option B, an IP helper, is incorrect because IP helpers relay DHCP and BOOTP broadcasts; they do not control bandwidth or QoS and therefore cannot ease concerns about traffic volume. Option C, a smaller subnet mask, only changes address allocation and has no effect on network throughput or congestion. Option D, full duplex on all user ports, improves bidirectional throughput but does not cap or manage traffic, and most modern ports already negotiate full duplex, so it is not a targeted response to a threshold concern.

Community Comment Notes

The majority of commenters (votes: A=71, B=21) support A, with several explaining that speed limits are about protecting overall network stability rather than maximizing VoIP quality (Comments 1, 2, 3, 4). Some comments mistakenly chose B by referencing ChatGPT advice (Comment 5), but IP helper is not relevant for traffic management. Comment 7 suggests full duplex, but that option only increases per-port capacity and does not prevent a specific traffic threshold from being exceeded.

Official Reference

Exam Strategy

When you see 'traffic threshold' or 'network cannot handle traffic,' focus on options that limit or segment traffic, such as VLAN speed limits or QoS. Avoid choosing features like IP helper or full duplex that improve functionality or throughput but do not cap traffic volume, and remember that the exam tests the engineer's ability to prevent congestion before it happens.

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