Cisco Enterprise Network Core Technologies (ENCOR) Practice Exam

802.3AD refers to Link Aggregation in networking, which is a method used to combine multiple network connections in parallel to increase throughput and provide redundancy. This standard allows for the grouping of several physical Ethernet links into a single logical link, effectively aggregating their bandwidth. It ensures that if one link fails, the others remain operational, thereby improving reliability in network communications.

Link Aggregation is commonly employed to enhance the performance of network connections between switches and other devices, making it advantageous in environments that require high data throughput and availability. It is technically implemented using protocols like the Link Aggregation Control Protocol (LACP), which helps in the formation and management of these logical links.

The other options, while related to networking, do not apply to the 802.3AD standard. Data Encryption pertains to securing data during transmission, Network Security encompasses a broader range of strategies to protect networks from unauthorized access, and Packet Filtering involves the control of network traffic based on predetermined security rules, none of which relate directly to the aggregation of links.