Which device serves as the gateway for traffic destined for networks outside the local LAN?

Which device serves as the gateway for traffic destined for networks outside the local LAN?

• A. Default gateway
• B. DNS server
• C. Switch
• D. Bridge

Answer: (A)

When devices need to reach destinations outside the local LAN, they send the traffic to an exit point that connects the local network to other networks—the gateway. This gateway is usually a router and is configured on hosts as the default gateway, using a default route so that any destination not on the local subnet is forwarded toward that router, which then routes it toward the correct external network. A DNS server, by contrast, is for translating domain names to IP addresses and does not move packets between networks. A switch operates at layer 2 to forward frames within the same local subnet and doesn’t route traffic to external networks. A bridge links different network segments but still primarily handles local traffic based on MAC addresses and isn’t the typical point that provides access to networks outside the LAN. So the device that serves as the gateway for traffic destined for networks outside the local LAN is the default gateway.

When devices need to reach destinations outside the local LAN, they send the traffic to an exit point that connects the local network to other networks—the gateway. This gateway is usually a router and is configured on hosts as the default gateway, using a default route so that any destination not on the local subnet is forwarded toward that router, which then routes it toward the correct external network.

A DNS server, by contrast, is for translating domain names to IP addresses and does not move packets between networks. A switch operates at layer 2 to forward frames within the same local subnet and doesn’t route traffic to external networks. A bridge links different network segments but still primarily handles local traffic based on MAC addresses and isn’t the typical point that provides access to networks outside the LAN.

So the device that serves as the gateway for traffic destined for networks outside the local LAN is the default gateway.