A load balancer is designed to distribute user requests across multiple servers to ensure high availability and performance.
Breakdown of Options:
A: Router - Directs traffic between networks, not between web servers.
B: Switch - Works at Layer 2, does not distribute web traffic.
C: Firewall - Secures network traffic, but does not distribute load.
D: Load balancer - # Correct answer. Optimizes web traffic distribution across multiple servers.
Reference:
CompTIA Network+ (N10-009) Official Study Guide - Domain 1.5: Explain load balancing and redundancy concepts.