Cisco 200-301 Practice Test 24
Question 230
An administrator compares IPsec tunnel mode and transport mode. Which statement is correct for typical gateway-to-gateway site VPNs?
- Tunnel mode encapsulates the original IP packet inside a new outer IP header
- Transport mode always adds a second outer IP header around every packet
- Both modes are simply names for choosing VLAN tags
- Tunnel mode eliminates the need to select protected traffic
Explanation
Correct Answer
A:IPsec tunnel mode encapsulates the original IP packet as protected inner traffic and adds a new outer IP header for transport between tunnel endpoints. That is the usual gateway-to-gateway VPN pattern because private source and destination networks can be carried inside an externally routed packet. ESP can encrypt and authenticate selected inner traffic according to configured security associations. Both gateways still need suitable routing, keys and traffic selectors; tunnel encapsulation alone does not make every flow protected.
Incorrect Answers
B:In typical IPsec transport mode, protection applies mainly to the payload of the existing IP packet without the same new outer IP encapsulation used in tunnel mode. Transport mode may be appropriate for host-to-host protection or certain specialized designs. The option incorrectly assigns tunnel-mode encapsulation semantics to every transport-mode packet. A site-to-site VPN between gateways commonly uses tunnel mode because each gateway protects traffic for networks behind it.
C:VLAN tags identify Layer 2 broadcast domains on Ethernet trunks, whereas IPsec tunnel and transport modes describe how IP packets are protected and encapsulated for secure communication. They are not alternative names for trunk tagging. An IPsec-protected packet may traverse VLAN-tagged links, but that network carriage does not define its security mode. The user asks about VPN encapsulation between gateways, which is unrelated to native or tagged VLAN membership.
D:Even in IPsec tunnel mode, operators must define or negotiate which traffic should be protected, how peers authenticate and which security associations apply. Some flows may be exempt, dropped or use a different tunnel depending on policies and routing. Creating an outer IP header does not automatically encrypt every packet on the device. The scenario tests the original packet's encapsulation, not a promise that configuring tunnel mode removes the need for traffic selection.
Question 231
A dedicated routed GigabitEthernet link between two routers should be treated as a point-to-point OSPFv2 topology rather than broadcast Ethernet for OSPF. Which interface command changes the OSPF network type?
router ospf 255switchport mode accessip ospf network point-to-pointspanning-tree portfast
Explanation
Correct Answer
C:ip ospf network point-to-point under the routed interface changes OSPFv2's interface network type to point-to-point on supported Cisco IOS devices. This describes a two-router link and avoids the designated-router election behavior of a broadcast OSPF network. Both peers should use compatible settings and normal OSPF prerequisites, including area and timing, for adjacency to form correctly. The command directly controls the OSPF network-type behavior requested.
Incorrect Answers
A:router ospf 255 enters or creates an OSPF process context using the process identifier, but it does not by itself set the network type of one Ethernet interface. The question asks to treat a specific two-router link as point-to-point. That property belongs to the participating interface's OSPF configuration. Creating a process with a high number cannot convert a broadcast OSPF network into point-to-point operation or suppress its DR election semantics.
B:switchport mode access changes the Ethernet VLAN role of a switchport, not the OSPF network type of a routed router interface. An access port and a routed point-to-point OSPF relationship can exist in an architecture, but they are independent configuration layers. The request is explicitly about protocol election and adjacency behavior on a dedicated routed link. It needs an OSPF interface network-type setting rather than an ordinary Layer 2 access-mode command.
D:PortFast is a spanning-tree access-edge feature intended for appropriate Layer 2 host-facing links, allowing rapid forwarding while avoiding unnecessary STP delay. It does not configure OSPF adjacency network type or remove a DR/BDR election on a routed interface. Using PortFast on unsuitable network links can also create operational risk. The scenario concerns two routers and OSPFv2 topology semantics, so the relevant knob is ip ospf network point-to-point.
Question 232
LLDP is enabled globally, and interface Gi1/0/4 transmits LLDP but was configured not to process incoming LLDP frames. A third-party neighbor’s identity is missing from show lldp neighbors. Which interface change addresses the receive-side restriction?
- switchport trunk native vlan 1
- no cdp enable
- lldp transmit
- lldp receive
Explanation
Correct Answer
D:lldp receive under the relevant interface enables reception and processing of LLDP advertisements on supported IOS switches. Because global LLDP is active and the port already transmits, this specifically corrects the remaining inbound direction that prevents the third-party identity from appearing in show lldp neighbors. Verify the remote neighbor actually sends LLDP and that the interface is operational. The receive and transmit settings control separate halves of neighbor-discovery behavior.
Incorrect Answers
A:A trunk native VLAN setting controls how untagged Ethernet frames are classified on an 802.1Q port and must be handled consistently with peer configuration. It is not the LLDP receive enablement flag. An interface can transmit LLDP while discarding or ignoring inbound LLDP information because receive processing is disabled. Changing the native VLAN would not necessarily make the advertised neighbor identity appear. Check the per-interface LLDP receive configuration instead.
B:no cdp enable turns off Cisco Discovery Protocol on an interface where supported; it does not start reception of IEEE LLDP frames. CDP and LLDP have different protocol messages and administrative controls and may coexist on one link. Disabling one neighbor-discovery service may reduce information exposure, but the question says LLDP transmit works while receive is restricted. The required fix targets LLDP inbound processing rather than CDP advertising.
C:lldp transmit controls whether the switch sends its own LLDP advertisements to neighboring devices. The scenario already confirms that transmit is enabled, so repeating that setting would not address missing inbound neighbor records. Discovery of the third-party switch depends on receiving and parsing its LLDP frames. A device can advertise itself without accepting neighbors when one direction is disabled. Configure the interface to receive LLDP instead.
Question 233
A technician wants to inspect IPv6 addresses and up/down states for all router interfaces without paging through full interface details. Which command is appropriate?
- show ipv6 route
- show ipv6 interface brief
- show running-config | include ipv6 address
- show ipv6 neighbors
Explanation
Correct Answer
B:show ipv6 interface brief reports the router's IPv6 interface addresses and operational interface statuses in a compact read-only display on IOS. That matches the requirement to inspect all interfaces without paging through detailed statistics or configuration. The command lets an engineer quickly find interfaces missing the expected address or showing down/down or administratively down state. Follow up with detailed interface or neighbor commands only for ports that need deeper diagnosis.
Incorrect Answers
A:show ipv6 route displays installed IPv6 destination prefixes and forwarding next hops, which is helpful when a router cannot reach an off-link address. It does not directly provide a concise list of all local interface IPv6 addresses and up/down states. A connected route may hint at interface health, but it is an indirect view. The operator asks for a brief per-interface status inventory, so use the IPv6 interface summary command rather than the route table.
C:Filtering the running configuration for IPv6 address lines can list some configured interface address statements, but it does not report the actual current operational state of each interface. An address may remain configured while a cable is unplugged or the port is administratively shut down. The technician explicitly needs both addresses and up/down information. Configuration text is a useful secondary audit, not a replacement for the brief interface-status view.
D:show ipv6 neighbors lists learned Neighbor Discovery entries for nearby IPv6 peers and their link-layer reachability information. It is useful when troubleshooting whether a next hop resolves, but does not enumerate every local router interface and its current administrative/link status. An interface can be up with no learned neighbors or down with stale information elsewhere. The requested inventory belongs in show ipv6 interface brief rather than the neighbor cache.
Question 234
An engineer sees two lines: C 198.51.100.0/25 is directly connected, Gi0/0 and L 198.51.100.7/32 is directly connected, Gi0/0. Which TWO conclusions are supported? Choose TWO.
- The Gi0/0 interface is associated with the on-link 198.51.100.0/25 network
- The router learned both entries from BGP
- The local /32 means every host in the /25 is hosted by the router itself
- 198.51.100.7 is an IPv4 address belonging to Gi0/0 itself
- The interface needs a RIP update to make the two routes usable
Explanation
Correct Answers
A:The C code indicates a connected route for 198.51.100.0/25 through Gi0/0, showing that the router recognizes the on-link subnet associated with that operational interface. Hosts inside this range can be delivered through the connected link with appropriate neighbor resolution. The entry does not claim every address is configured locally; it describes an attached network. The separate L host route clarifies which one address belongs to the router itself.
D:The L code in IOS indicates a local host route for an IPv4 address actually configured on the router's interface. Therefore 198.51.100.7/32 is an address of Gi0/0 itself, separate from the broader 198.51.100.0/25 connected network. Traffic sent to that host address is intended for local processing according to configured services and policy. The two entries normally coexist because they represent different destination scopes for one interface.
Incorrect Answers
B:BGP-learned routes have distinct IOS code markings and attributes, and do not appear as C and L merely because they share a prefix family. The displayed C route comes from local interface attachment, while L marks a locally owned interface address. A router might advertise those destinations into BGP elsewhere, but the local route codes would still identify the sources shown. Treating both entries as BGP-learned ignores their explicit first letters.
C:An L /32 entry marks one exact IPv4 address on the router, not every address in the surrounding connected /25 subnet. The C route describes the whole network as reachable on Gi0/0, while the L route identifies 198.51.100.7 as a local host address. Other valid hosts can exist on that subnet without being owned by the router. Confusing subnet reachability with address ownership would lead to incorrect ARP and local-delivery assumptions.
E:Connected and local routes are generated from the router's own operational interface addressing; they do not require RIP advertisements to become available. RIP can distribute reachability to other routers in a separate dynamic routing workflow, but that is not the source of these C and L entries. The question already displays both in the table, confirming they exist. A missing RIP update would not invalidate locally derived interface routes by itself.
Question 235
An enterprise reporting application asks a controller for topology and client-health data. What type of API relationship does the application normally use?
- A southbound controller-to-switch programming interface
- An NTP peer-to-peer clock synchronization channel
- A northbound interface exposing controller capabilities to applications
- An Ethernet switch console line password prompt
Explanation
Correct Answer
C:A northbound API exposes controller information and capabilities to higher-level applications such as reporting, orchestration or business policy tools. The application can query controller topology and client-health resources without directly connecting to every managed device. The exact endpoint and authentication scheme are platform-specific and should be verified from vendor documentation. Conceptually this is northbound communication; device-facing programming or telemetry collection below the controller is southbound.
Incorrect Answers
A:A southbound controller interface is used to communicate with and program managed network devices, such as switches and routers, according to the controller architecture. The enterprise reporting application sits above the controller and consumes its inventory and health information, rather than acting as the device-facing programming endpoint. Data direction and consumer role distinguish the interface. The application needs the controller's exposed service API, traditionally described as northbound.
B:NTP peers exchange time synchronization information to keep device clocks aligned with suitable references. That traffic does not provide application-level topology inventory or client-health datasets through a controller service. Accurate clocks can improve telemetry correlation, but the reporting application still needs an interface to request network state. The requirement concerns the relationship between an application and the controller, not a peer-to-peer time association.
D:A console line password prompt protects local administrative access to a network device, usually over a physical serial or supported USB connection. It does not serve an authenticated application API for retrieving controller topology and client-health resources. Reporting software ordinarily uses network-accessible controller interfaces with appropriate credentials and permissions. The scenario is data consumption by an upstream application, not a technician logging into a switch console to type commands.
Question 236
A technician added ip helper-address 192.0.2.50 on the VLAN gateway but clients still fail to obtain addresses. Which TWO checks directly test the DHCP relay path? Choose TWO.
- Verify the relay gateway has IP reachability to the configured DHCP server
- Make the access port use an 802.1Q native VLAN equal to the DHCP server VLAN
- Disable all access VLANs except VLAN 1
- Verify the server has an appropriate scope and return path for the client subnet
- Enable CDP advertisements on all client PCs
Explanation
Correct Answers
A:The VLAN gateway acting as DHCP relay must be able to route packets to the configured remote DHCP server at 192.0.2.50. If that server address is unreachable from the relay, forwarding DHCP broadcasts as unicast cannot deliver a request regardless of correct helper syntax. Verify route lookup, relevant ACLs, interface health and firewall policy from the gateway context. This tests the network path between the relay agent and the server, a direct dependency of remote address leasing.
D:The central DHCP server must have a scope or pool that matches the relayed client subnet, and packets must have a return path toward the relay address so offers and acknowledgments can complete. The relay commonly supplies gateway information that helps the server select the correct scope. If the pool or return routing is wrong, clients can fail even though the gateway forwards requests successfully. Check this in conjunction with relay-to-server IP reachability.
Incorrect Answers
B:The native VLAN of an access or trunk link affects handling of untagged Ethernet frames, but a DHCP relay can forward requests across routed networks without requiring the client port's native VLAN to equal the server's VLAN. The server may be located in a completely different subnet or site. Forcing native VLAN changes could break client segmentation while leaving the actual relay failure untouched. Validate server reachability and appropriate server-side subnet scope instead.
C:Disabling every access VLAN except VLAN 1 would disrupt the intended client VLAN and likely eliminate the very broadcast domain whose DHCP service needs repair. DHCP relay is designed to support multiple distinct routed client subnets, so removing them is not a prerequisite. The question describes an existing VLAN gateway with a helper address and asks for targeted path checks. Those involve routing to the server and server-side return/scope configuration, not destructive VLAN consolidation.
E:CDP is a Cisco neighbor-discovery protocol for directly connected supported networking devices and has no role in authorizing DHCP leases for PCs. Client workstations generally do not participate in CDP as a requirement for ordinary address assignment. Even if a switch learns additional topology information, the DHCP server still needs the correct scope and network return path. Enabling discovery advertisements on every endpoint cannot resolve the relay issue described.
Question 237
An interface has an IPv4 ACL containing only deny tcp any any eq 23 and no later permits. What happens to a normal HTTPS packet when the ACL is applied?
- It is permitted because only Telnet traffic is mentioned
- It is automatically encrypted by the ACL
- It bypasses inspection because TCP port 443 is larger than 23
- It is denied by the implicit deny after failing to match the explicit Telnet deny
Explanation
Correct Answer
D:The HTTPS packet's TCP destination port 443 does not match the only explicit ACE, which denies traffic destined to TCP port 23. IOS therefore reaches the implicit deny at the end of the applied ACL and drops the packet because no permit statement exists. This is an important sequential-rule behavior: writing only explicit denies is insufficient to permit other services. Add carefully scoped permits ahead of the implicit deny when those flows should be allowed.
Incorrect Answers
A:An ACL with only deny tcp any any eq 23 explicitly blocks matching Telnet traffic, but Cisco IOS ACLs normally have an implicit deny at the end. Packets that do not match an earlier permit are discarded when that implicit rule is reached. An HTTPS packet to TCP 443 does not match the Telnet deny, but with no later permit it is still denied. To allow HTTPS, an appropriate explicit permit must appear before the end.
B:An IP access control list can permit or deny matching traffic based on headers and configured policy; it does not convert ordinary HTTP or HTTPS sessions into encrypted connections. HTTPS encryption is negotiated by endpoints using TLS, not automatically applied because a packet avoided a Telnet-specific deny. The question asks about how an ACL treats the packet. Without a matching permit, the implicit deny blocks it irrespective of whether the application payload is encrypted.
C:Cisco ACL evaluation does not exempt packets whose destination port is numerically greater than a port mentioned in an ACE. Each rule tests protocol, addresses and any port conditions for a match, then continues to later entries if the packet does not match. HTTPS TCP 443 fails the Telnet-specific port-23 deny but continues to the end of this one-entry ACL. With no permit rule, it reaches implicit deny instead of bypassing filtering.
Question 238
A two-member LACP Port-channel has twice the physical link capacity. One client-to-server flow still uses only a single member under the current load-balancing hash. Which statement explains that observation?
- LACP automatically doubles the speed of each individual physical transceiver
- An EtherChannel always sends every second frame of one flow on another port
- Only Layer 3 EtherChannels can spread any traffic across member links
- The hash commonly keeps a flow on one member even while other flows can use other members
Explanation
Correct Answer
D:EtherChannel load-balancing algorithms commonly hash attributes such as source/destination MAC addresses, IP addresses or transport ports to choose a member link. This usually keeps packets from one flow on the same member to minimize reordering, so the flow may not exceed a single link's capacity. Other simultaneous flows can map to different members and use the combined bandwidth. Verify the platform's hash method and traffic mix before judging whether the bundle is balancing effectively.
Incorrect Answers
A:Combining two physical links in an EtherChannel increases aggregate available bandwidth and resiliency, but it does not change the PHY line rate of either individual transceiver. Two 1-Gb/s members remain two 1-Gb/s links, not one magically upgraded 2-Gb/s physical interface. A single hashed flow can be constrained to one member. The value of the bundle is distributing eligible multiple flows and providing redundancy under appropriate member and hash behavior.
B:Sending every second frame of one flow on a different physical member could create substantial packet reordering because the links may experience different queueing or latency. Typical EtherChannel load balancing therefore uses a hash of selected flow-header fields so a given flow tends to remain on one member. The exact hash options depend on platform and configuration. The observed one-flow/one-link result is expected and does not mean the Port-channel lacks aggregate capacity.
C:EtherChannel can aggregate compatible Layer 2 switchports as well as routed Layer 3 interfaces; both types can distribute traffic across member links according to platform hashing. The statement that only Layer 3 bundles can spread traffic is false. A Layer 2 channel carrying tagged VLANs may still load balance multiple host conversations across its members. The key is that one selected flow can hash to only one link, regardless of the bundle's aggregate capacity.
Question 239
A host joins a multicast group whose IPv6 address starts with ff02::. What prefix family identifies that traffic?
- fe80::/10, which contains the entire IPv6 multicast group range
- 2001:db8::/32, the documentation range used for all interface-specific multicast groups
- fc00::/7, the unique-local range that any ff02 address must belong to
- ff00::/8 identifies IPv6 multicast destinations
Explanation
Correct Answer
D:All IPv6 multicast destination addresses begin with ff00::/8, and ff02:: falls inside that family. The following bits identify flags and scope, with scope value 2 commonly indicating the local link. A multicast group can reach multiple participating receivers rather than one unicast interface, subject to appropriate membership behavior. IPv6 uses multicast for many discovery functions instead of ordinary IPv4-style broadcast. This classification follows directly from the leading ff bits.
Incorrect Answers
A:The fe80::/10 range identifies IPv6 link-local unicast addresses used on a single link, often for Neighbor Discovery or next-hop communication. It does not contain addresses beginning ff02 because those are part of IPv6 multicast space. Both link-local unicast and link-scoped multicast can remain local to an interface, but they are distinct address families. Scope alone does not make a multicast group numerically part of fe80::/10.
B:2001:db8::/32 is reserved for documentation examples using unicast-shaped IPv6 addresses, and it does not define multicast destinations. An ff02 address begins with the multicast prefix ff and includes scope information indicating link-local reachability. Documentation-only addresses and multicast groups have different syntactic leading bits and forwarding behavior. The question asks for the broad family of an actual multicast group, not a range used to illustrate unicast examples.
C:Unique-local IPv6 unicast occupies fc00::/7, typically seen with fd prefixes in locally generated enterprise address plans. An address starting ff02 does not fall in that interval; it is an IPv6 multicast destination for a set of listeners. Unique-local unicast may be routed inside organizations, while link-scoped multicast delivers to a group on the relevant link. These functions should not be conflated simply because neither is normally a public Internet destination.
Question 240
R1 has a summary discard route ip route 10.77.0.0 255.255.0.0 Null0 and a more-specific valid route 10.77.4.0/24 through R2. Under default destination-based forwarding, what happens to a packet destined for 10.77.9.5?
- It matches the /16 Null0 summary and is discarded because no longer matching route exists
- It follows the /24 route to R2 even though 10.77.9.5 is outside the /24 subnet
- It is sent to whichever interface has the numerically smallest IPv4 address
- It is duplicated onto both the Null0 and R2 paths to avoid blackholing
Explanation
Correct Answer
A:The packet destination 10.77.9.5 belongs to the summary 10.77.0.0/16 but not the installed 10.77.4.0/24 specific subnet. Since the only matching route in the scenario is the /16 static pointing to Null0, ordinary destination forwarding sends the packet to the discard interface. This can be intentional aggregate protection against loops or traffic for unused space. Valid destinations inside 10.77.4.0/24 would instead use their longer /24 route via R2.
Incorrect Answers
B:The more-specific 10.77.4.0/24 route covers addresses 10.77.4.0 through 10.77.4.255 and does not include 10.77.9.5. A router cannot choose that route merely because it has a longer mask; the destination must first match the prefix. The /16 summary does match the packet and therefore remains the selected route. If a 10.77.9.0/24 route were installed separately, that could change the outcome.
C:Router egress selection follows the installed destination routes and their resolved next hops, not numerical ordering of interface IPv4 addresses. A physical port with a small address has no special preference for an unrelated destination. The packet matches the aggregate /16 Null0 route and no longer prefix, so there is a deliberate discard decision. Choosing the smallest interface IP would ignore both the summary policy and normal longest-prefix forwarding rules.
D:Ordinary IOS unicast forwarding does not duplicate a packet onto both a discard route and a different nonmatching next-hop route as a hedge against loss. Equal-cost multipath may use multiple eligible routes to the same prefix under appropriate conditions, but that is not the case here. Null0 is deliberately selected as the match for unused aggregate space, while the R2 route covers another /24. The packet is discarded rather than copied to both paths.