CompTIA Network+ Practice Test

What kind of addressing does Unicast refer to?

1. Broadcasting data to all nodes on a network

2. Sending data to a single destination

3. Sending data to multiple destinations

4. Sharing data between subnets

The correct answer is: Sending data to a single destination

Unicast refers to a method of communication in networking where data is sent specifically to a single destination. In this addressing mode, the sender transmits data packets to one unique IP address, meaning that only the intended recipient receives the information. This is crucial for activities like establishing a direct connection between a client and a server, where the system is built on one-to-one communication. Understanding unicast is important as it forms the basis of many networking protocols and communications, allowing for efficient data transmission where only the necessary recipient processes the data, reducing unnecessary network traffic. Other addressing types, such as broadcasting and multicasting, serve different purposes and involve multiple recipients, contrasting with the focused nature of unicast, which serves an individual node exclusively.