Which of the following protocols is primarily used for booting a device over a network?

Which of the following protocols is primarily used for booting a device over a network?

• A. FTP
• B. BOOTP
• C. PAP
• D. TCP

Answer: (B)

The protocol primarily used for booting a device over a network is BOOTP. BOOTP, which stands for Bootstrap Protocol, is designed to allow a network device to acquire its IP address and retrieve the necessary bootstrap information needed to boot from a network server. This is particularly valuable in scenarios where devices do not have a local storage medium from which to load an operating system or other necessary files. When a device (often referred to as a client) is powered on, it can send a broadcast query to the local network, asking for an IP address and the location of a boot file. BOOTP servers respond to this request by providing the required configuration settings, allowing the client to configure itself and initiate the boot process. In contrast, the other protocols listed serve different purposes. FTP is used for file transfer over the internet, PAP is a simple authentication protocol for points-to-point connections, and TCP is a transport layer protocol facilitating reliable communication between devices. None of these protocols are intended for booting devices over a network, which is why BOOTP is the correct choice in this context.

The protocol primarily used for booting a device over a network is BOOTP. BOOTP, which stands for Bootstrap Protocol, is designed to allow a network device to acquire its IP address and retrieve the necessary bootstrap information needed to boot from a network server. This is particularly valuable in scenarios where devices do not have a local storage medium from which to load an operating system or other necessary files.

When a device (often referred to as a client) is powered on, it can send a broadcast query to the local network, asking for an IP address and the location of a boot file. BOOTP servers respond to this request by providing the required configuration settings, allowing the client to configure itself and initiate the boot process.

In contrast, the other protocols listed serve different purposes. FTP is used for file transfer over the internet, PAP is a simple authentication protocol for points-to-point connections, and TCP is a transport layer protocol facilitating reliable communication between devices. None of these protocols are intended for booting devices over a network, which is why BOOTP is the correct choice in this context.