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Difficulty: MediumTFTP and FTP Operations for System Images and Configuration Management

A network administrator is evaluating network file transfer protocols to manage router software images and configuration backups across an enterprise network. Which TWO statements correctly describe operational differences between TFTP and FTP in a Cisco IOS environment?

  1. TFTP operates over UDP port 69 without user authentication, whereas FTP uses TCP ports 20 and 21 and supports username/password authentication.Answer
  2. FTP leverages TCP windowing and sequencing for reliable transfer over variable-latency links, whereas TFTP uses a lock-step stop-and-wait acknowledgment mechanism over UDP.Answer
  3. C
    TFTP encrypts configuration file payloads using SSL/TLS by default, whereas FTP sends user credentials and configuration text in cleartext over UDP port 21.
  4. D
    FTP utilizes UDP port 20 for control commands and TCP port 21 for data transfers, whereas TFTP uses TCP port 69 for both control and data.

Answer

The two correct statements are that TFTP operates over UDP port 69 without authentication while FTP uses TCP ports 20 and 21 with authentication support, and that FTP leverages TCP windowing for reliable transfer while TFTP relies on a stop-and-wait acknowledgment mechanism over UDP.
The statements highlighting that TFTP operates unauthenticated over UDP port 69 while FTP uses TCP ports 20/21 with authentication, and that FTP employs TCP windowing while TFTP employs lock-step stop-and-wait acknowledgments, correctly identify the fundamental transport, security, and flow control differences between the two protocols.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze transport layer protocol and port usage for both TFTP and FTP
TFTP uses UDP port 69. FTP uses TCP port 21 for control connection setup and TCP port 20 for active data connection transfer.
Understanding transport protocol assignment is fundamental to network file management.
2
Evaluate authentication mechanisms for both protocols
TFTP lacks authentication features completely. FTP requires or explicitly negotiates user credentials (username and password).
Security and access control capabilities differentiate basic file transfer protocols from authenticated management protocols.
3
Evaluate data delivery mechanics and windowing behavior
TFTP uses a lock-step (stop-and-wait) block acknowledgment scheme over UDP. FTP uses TCP flow control and windowing for dynamic bandwidth utilization.
Flow control mechanics dictate protocol performance and reliability characteristics over WAN connections.

Key Concept

Operational differences between TFTP (UDP 69, unauthenticated, lock-step) and FTP (TCP 20/21, authenticated, windowed flow control) in network management.
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TFTP and FTP Operations for System Images and Configuration Management

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