A network administrator installs a new web server with a quad-port NIC. What is the best configuration approach?

Assigning at least one IP address to each port of the quad-port NIC is the best configuration approach because it allows for better load balancing, redundancy, and network performance. With multiple IP addresses, each port can handle different types of traffic or serve different purposes, leading to optimized resource usage.

Using all available ports enables the web server to respond to more requests simultaneously, thereby increasing its capability to handle concurrent connections. This setup can also be beneficial in scenarios where different services are running on the server, with the possibility of segmenting traffic or separating different applications or functions logically.

Additionally, this approach provides flexibility. Should one of the NIC ports fail, the remaining ports can continue to operate, maintaining server uptime. This redundancy is crucial for web server environments, where high availability is often a key requirement.

In contrast, assigning multiple IP addresses to one port or a single IP address to the entire NIC would not take full advantage of the hardware capabilities and could lead to issues with traffic bottlenecks. It may also limit the server's functionality and responsiveness to user requests.