Cisco 200-301 Practice Test 48
Question 470
An adversary sends malformed packets to trigger a known parser defect on a router. What is the attempted action called?
- Normal switch MAC aging after inactivity
- Patching the parser and validating the release
- An OSPF route metric adjustment for better load balancing
- Exploitation of a vulnerability using a crafted input
Explanation
Correct Answer
D:Exploitation means attempting to use a vulnerability to produce unintended behavior, such as a crash, privilege change or unauthorized access. The attacker sends malformed packets crafted to trigger a known parser defect, matching an exploit attempt even if success is not yet confirmed. A vulnerability is the underlying weakness; the crafted malicious input is an attempt to exercise it. Device logs, capture evidence and vendor advisories would help establish whether the attempt succeeded and what impact occurred.
Incorrect Answers
A:MAC aging removes stale Layer 2 forwarding-table entries after inactivity and is a routine switch behavior, not an attacker sending malicious malformed packets at a router. It does not exploit a software parser or cause a device to mishandle specially crafted input. The scenario explicitly identifies intentional triggering of a documented defect, so ordinary address-table maintenance is unrelated.
B:Installing a vendor fix and testing the new release is mitigation of a known weakness. The adversary instead supplies an input intended to activate the flaw, which is the opposite of remediation. Patch validation is an appropriate defensive response after assessing the affected version, but it does not describe the attacker's attempted action.
C:Changing an OSPF metric affects routing path selection and is a legitimate control-plane configuration operation when authorized. It is not, by itself, the exploitation of a parser defect through malformed packets. The malformed input may traverse a routed link, but its purpose is to induce unintended software behavior rather than optimize OSPF load balancing.
Question 471
A router should reach IPv6 host 2001:db8:44::7 via 2001:db8:ff::2 with a route specific to that one host. Which prefix belongs in the command?
- 2001:db8:44::7/128
- 2001:db8:44::/64
- ff02::1/128
- ::/0
Explanation
Correct Answer
A:An IPv6 /128 prefix contains all 128 destination bits, so 2001:db8:44::7/128 matches exactly the specified host. A static route using that prefix and next hop 2001:db8:ff::2 can steer traffic to one address without diverting the surrounding /64. Verify the neighbor and outgoing path are reachable and the router is forwarding IPv6. The 2001:db8 documentation range is used for the example and should not be represented as an allocated production Internet prefix.
Incorrect Answers
B:The /64 network 2001:db8:44::/64 includes a large set of interface identifiers, not just host ::7. A static route for the /64 would redirect other addresses in that subnet toward the same next hop, violating the request for an exact host exception. Use /128 to constrain the destination match to one IPv6 address.
C:ff02::1/128 identifies a link-local multicast group rather than the unicast destination 2001:db8:44::7. Routing toward an all-nodes multicast address would not reach the specified remote host. The network address in an IPv6 static route must describe the actual intended unicast destination prefix, not an unrelated discovery group.
D:The IPv6 default ::/0 matches every destination that lacks a more-specific installed route and is therefore much broader than a one-host exception. Installing a default through this next hop could change reachability for many remote networks. The application requires a host-specific override of ordinary routing, which needs the /128 prefix.
Question 472
An AP at a remote office should keep switching locally bridged client traffic when the WAN controller path is disrupted, under supported configurations. Which mode fits?
- FlexConnect local switching with an appropriate standalone design
- Sniffer mode forwarding all production client frames to a packet analyzer
- Root guard mode on every access switch port
- A permanently disabled radio on all remote APs
Explanation
Correct Answer
A:FlexConnect is designed for supported remote-office APs, and when configured for local switching it can bridge selected WLAN client traffic onto the local site VLAN rather than tunneling all client data back to the central controller. Appropriate authentication, VLAN mappings and standalone-mode settings determine which services continue during a WAN controller outage. This supports local survivability for the specified traffic, but not every central service necessarily remains available. Validate the intended failover behavior with controlled testing before relying on it in a branch design.
Incorrect Answers
B:Sniffer mode primarily captures radio frames for analysis and forwards those captures to a monitoring system instead of acting as a normal production AP for client associations. It is useful for troubleshooting wireless environments but does not provide locally bridged office client service during a controller outage. The requirement calls for a resilient forwarding mode, not an RF packet-capture role.
C:Root Guard protects designated switchports against a superior spanning-tree BPDU that could make an unexpected downstream bridge become root. It does not control whether an AP switches WLAN client frames locally or via a WLC. Proper STP security may complement the site, but the AP's controller-disconnect behavior is configured through the wireless architecture.
D:Disabling remote AP radios permanently prevents wireless clients from associating, making it the opposite of keeping service available during WAN disruption. A resilient AP mode should continue permitted local WLAN forwarding where supported, not turn off client access. The solution must preserve the radio while changing or maintaining the data path when the controller is temporarily unreachable.
Question 473
In a leaf-spine fabric, traffic from leaf A to leaf B has several equal-cost spine paths. What routing property enables effective path spread?
- Static binding of every server to a single unrelated native VLAN
- Using one shared copper collision domain across racks
- Equal-cost multipath forwarding across available leaf-to-spine routes
- Disabling IP routing on every spine to force MAC flooding
Explanation
Correct Answer
C:Equal-cost multipath lets a router or switch install several eligible next hops toward the same destination prefix, such as multiple spine links between leaves. A forwarding engine can distribute independent traffic flows over those paths while retaining stable per-flow behavior when supported. This uses the regular leaf-to-spine topology to improve aggregate bandwidth and resilience, though failures still require route convergence. Compatible routing and link metrics are necessary for the paths to qualify as equal cost.
Incorrect Answers
A:Native VLAN settings classify untagged Ethernet traffic on trunks and are not the mechanism distributing IP flows across multiple spine paths in a leaf-spine fabric. Binding every server to one unrelated VLAN could harm segmentation without implementing multipath routing. The fabric requires eligible equal-cost routed next hops and a forwarding hash or comparable path-selection mechanism.
B:A shared half-duplex collision domain would be a poor fit for high-density data center networking and cannot provide independent routed spine paths with ECMP. Modern fabrics use point-to-point full-duplex links and Layer 3 reachability. Reducing racks to one repeated electrical medium would eliminate the multiple forwarding choices the question describes.
D:Spines usually participate in the routed fabric underlay and need forwarding information to carry traffic between leaves. Disabling IP routing on every spine would remove the normal Layer 3 transport paths and force inappropriate Layer 2 behavior. MAC flooding cannot replace the intended scalable routed ECMP architecture for east-west rack traffic.
Question 474
A router is configured with router ospf 41 and its neighbor uses router ospf 777 in the same area. Can they form adjacency if protocol parameters match?
- Yes only if the routers have identical router IDs
- Yes, OSPF process identifiers are locally significant
- No, OSPF requires identical process numbers on every router
- No, because process numbers determine the Ethernet MTU
Explanation
Correct Answer
B:The number after router ospf is a locally significant process identifier used to select a particular OSPF instance's configuration on that device. R1 may use process 41 and R2 process 777 while still establishing adjacency if their areas, link addressing, timers, authentication and other protocol parameters agree. The neighbors identify each other by router ID, not by requiring matching local process numbers. Verify actual OSPF hello and neighbor output when troubleshooting a failure.
Incorrect Answers
A:OSPF router IDs must be distinct for separate routers; configuring identical IDs would create an identity conflict rather than permit an adjacency. Their numerical values can be any valid unique identifiers according to the process configuration and election rules. The local process number is not the neighbor identity advertised across the OSPF link.
C:OSPF does not compare the local process number as an inter-router compatibility field. Equal process IDs are common in standardized configuration templates but are not mandated for adjacency. The routers can use different values while belonging to the same OSPF area and exchanging routes. The claim confuses local administrative syntax with on-the-wire neighbor parameters.
D:Ethernet MTU is an interface property measured in bytes and is configured or negotiated independently from the number chosen for router ospf. Database-description MTU mismatches can impede adjacency, but process 41 versus 777 does not set those sizes. If an MTU issue appears, inspect interface settings rather than renumbering OSPF instances.
Question 475
An automation pipeline may be retried after a network timeout. What property prevents duplicate configuration each time the same intent is applied?
- Always skip verification after a successful exit code
- The retry should use a new unmanaged administrator on every device
- Each retry must append another identical VLAN definition
- Idempotent configuration convergence toward the declared desired state
Explanation
Correct Answer
D:Idempotent configuration means that applying the same declared intent multiple times converges to the same resulting state instead of stacking duplicate changes. After a network timeout, a retry can inspect current device state and make only necessary corrections, using supported modules or carefully designed command logic. This is important when the first run may have applied a subset of updates before the response was lost. Post-change validation and rollback plans still matter because idempotence alone cannot guarantee a network-safe policy.
Incorrect Answers
A:A successful process exit code may indicate the automation tool ended normally but does not prove every device converged to the intended network state. Skipping validation after a timeout or retry increases the risk of unnoticed partial changes. Idempotence requires understanding and reconciling the actual current configuration, not assuming success flags remove the need for checks.
B:Creating a new unmanaged administrator for every retry increases credential sprawl and does not prevent duplicate interface or VLAN changes. Authentication is necessary for authorized automation, but the duplicate-configuration problem concerns how repeated operations affect state. Managed identities and least privilege are preferable, while idempotent task design prevents changes from accumulating unnecessarily.
C:Appending the same VLAN definition or command at each retry is an example of a non-idempotent operation that may create duplicates, errors or uncontrolled drift depending on device syntax. The goal is to recognize the desired state already exists and leave it unchanged, not replay each action regardless of current configuration. Reliable automation should compare actual and intended state.
Question 476
A Cisco router has a local username, RSA keys and IP reachability; it still accepts Telnet on VTY lines. What command changes permitted remote CLI transport to SSH only?
- transport input ssh in the VTY line configuration
- transport output telnet under every routed LAN interface
- switchport access vlan ssh
- ip route ssh 255.255.255.0 192.0.2.1
Explanation
Correct Answer
A:Under the IOS VTY line configuration, transport input ssh restricts the permitted inbound remote terminal transport to SSH and disallows Telnet on those lines. The local user credentials and RSA keys already exist, so changing the VTY transport directly addresses the insecure access method. Confirm an appropriate SSH version, login method and authorized source restrictions before disconnecting the current management session, then test from another session. The transport change does not by itself improve password strength.
Incorrect Answers
B:transport output controls outgoing sessions initiated from a line in certain IOS contexts, not the inbound protocol a remote administrator may use to log into the device. Applying it under a routed LAN interface also confuses line configuration with interface configuration. The insecure exposure is the VTY's inbound Telnet listener, which must be restricted through transport input in the relevant line context.
C:switchport access vlan configures Layer 2 access-port membership and expects a numeric VLAN identifier, not the word ssh. VLAN membership could affect management reachability but cannot determine which remote terminal protocol the VTY accepts. The problem is Telnet still being allowed despite available SSH setup, so select the line transport policy rather than port tagging.
D:An IPv4 static route statement names destination, mask and next hop; ssh is not a valid IPv4 network in that syntactic role. Even a working management route would not disable Telnet from the VTY lines. IP reachability is already confirmed in the scenario, so changing routes would target the wrong layer of the problem.
Question 477
A company has locked server rooms but contractors can borrow employee badges with no accountability. Which improvement is appropriate?
- Enable dynamic NAT on every core router interface
- Make all office SSIDs hidden with no authentication
- Unique authorized credentials and audited access review for physical entry
- Set router interface descriptions to employee names
Explanation
Correct Answer
C:Unique personal badges or equivalent authorized credentials, backed by appropriate issuance, revocation and logging, make physical entry attributable to the actual permitted individual. Contractors should receive time-bounded access approved for their role rather than borrowing employees' credentials. Audited access reviews and anti-tailgating procedures help detect misuse, while badge-sharing rules need enforcement. A locked door is not sufficient if the authentication token is freely transferable and no accountability exists.
Incorrect Answers
A:Dynamic NAT rewrites IP addresses for routed traffic and has no direct authority over who may physically enter a server room using a badge. Borrowed badges undermine individual attribution at the door even if all network translations are correctly configured. The remedy lies in physical identity controls and access auditing, not changing source addressing at core routers.
B:Hiding office SSIDs without authentication weakens wireless security and does not prevent contractors from using a borrowed physical badge. A nonbroadcast network name is not an access-control system for doors or equipment rooms. The described risk exists even if the entire Wi-Fi network is disabled, so physical credential management must be addressed directly.
D:Router interface descriptions are operational documentation for links and may include circuit, site or administrator labels, but cannot authenticate someone at a server-room door. Adding employee names to interface text does not stop badge sharing or create a trustworthy physical access log. The question calls for identity-specific controls at entry points rather than network configuration comments.
Question 478
A WLC aggregates two physical uplinks into one logical bundle toward the distribution switch. What should the switch-side design match?
- Every AP radio's same channel number as both switch ports
- The RADIUS shared secret as the port-channel number
- A compatible logical link aggregation and VLAN tagging configuration
- The wireless SSID spelling as an IPv4 route metric
Explanation
Correct Answer
C:A wireless controller using two physical uplinks as one logical aggregate needs the connected switch to present a compatible EtherChannel or LAG configuration, including the intended negotiation method where applicable. Trunk encapsulation, allowed VLANs and native VLAN must also align so WLAN client and controller traffic uses the correct networks. Member link properties and switch platform support determine whether the bundle forms and carries traffic reliably. Verify both ends' operational aggregation rather than relying solely on a configuration statement.
Incorrect Answers
A:Wireless channel planning determines which RF frequencies AP radios use and does not govern negotiation of a WLC's wired port-channel toward a distribution switch. Even APs on identical radio channels would not make two Ethernet uplinks aggregate correctly. The switch-side issue is a compatible logical Ethernet bundle and VLAN carriage, independent of RF assignment.
B:A RADIUS shared secret authenticates communication between a network access server and an AAA server, not the numeric identity of a switch port-channel. The logical aggregation number is local configuration syntax and must be mapped to the correct physical member ports. Reusing an authentication secret as a channel number is neither required nor meaningful.
D:An SSID is a wireless network identifier, not a numerical route metric on the distribution switch. A particular WLAN might be mapped to a wired VLAN, but matching the spelling of the SSID to a routing cost cannot establish LAG connectivity. The question is about Layer 2/physical uplink aggregation and tagging between controller and switch.
Question 479
An SFP+ optical uplink has matched 10GBASE-LR modules and single-mode fiber, but one receiver reports -24 dBm while its module sensitivity is -15 dBm. What should the engineer investigate first?
- Change the trunk native VLAN to 99 to increase optical input power
- Enable NAT overload for the transceiver management subnet
- Inspect light loss along the fiber path, connectors and transceiver output power
- Increase the OSPF router priority to make the optical receiver more sensitive
Explanation
Correct Answer
C:The reported -24 dBm receive level is substantially below the module's stated -15 dBm sensitivity threshold, so physical light-budget troubleshooting is the first priority. Verify compatible LR wavelength and fiber, clean and reseat connectors, inspect patch polarity and bend radius, measure span attenuation, and compare transmitter launch power at the far end. Correct the loss or failing optic before changing VLAN or routing configurations; a working Layer 2 link requires sufficient optical signal.
Incorrect Answers
A:A native VLAN change alters untagged Ethernet frame classification but cannot increase light delivered to an optical receiver. With matched LR optics and fiber, the measured receive power below sensitivity identifies a physical signal issue before any VLAN filtering takes effect. Preserve trunk policy until the optical budget is validated.
B:NAT overload translates many inside addresses through a public address using ports; it does not modify laser output or fiber attenuation. A management subnet may use NAT for remote access, but the receiver must first detect adequate optical signal to establish Ethernet link. Inspect optics and patching rather than adding translation rules.
D:OSPF interface priority influences DR/BDR election on eligible multiaccess routing segments, not optical receiver sensitivity. Raising it might affect routing neighbor roles after the link recovers but cannot make an underpowered transceiver synchronize. The explicit dBm measurement warrants physical optics diagnostics, independently of which router advertises the highest priority.
Question 480
A technician increases HSRP priority on the preferred router but it remains standby after the other router is already active. What optional behavior may be required?
- Disable Layer 3 routing entirely on the preferred router
- Set the router OSPF process ID equal to its HSRP group
- Configure appropriate preemption for the higher-priority router
- Change the priority of a remote DHCP server to zero
Explanation
Correct Answer
C:Under common Cisco HSRP behavior, a router with higher configured priority may remain standby while another active router is healthy unless preemption is enabled where appropriate. Configuring standby ... preempt for the desired group can allow the preferred router to take over after its effective priority is higher, subject to tracking and delay settings. Verify the HSRP role and actual virtual IP after convergence. Preemption should be planned carefully to avoid flapping when an uplink recovers inconsistently.
Incorrect Answers
A:Disabling Layer 3 routing on the preferred router would prevent it from forwarding user traffic even if it obtained the HSRP active role. The problem is that a higher-priority standby does not automatically displace an already healthy active member. A preemption setting can change election behavior; shutting off routing would defeat the redundancy goal.
B:HSRP group identity and OSPF local process numbers are independent configuration domains. Matching them has no general effect on the decision to preempt an active virtual gateway owner. OSPF might supply upstream reachability, but it does not set HSRP preemption implicitly through process-number equality. Focus on the first-hop redundancy election settings.
D:A DHCP server assigns host addresses and options such as the virtual default gateway, but its own unrelated priority does not control which HSRP participant becomes active. DHCP leases can continue to advertise the same virtual gateway while HSRP role ownership changes. Adjust the HSRP group's priority and preemption policy, not an imagined DHCP election value.