CCNP ENCOR v9: Course Final Exam Answers

CCNP Enterprise: Core Networking v9 Course Final Exam Answers

1. An enterprise is planning to migrate some applications to a public cloud provider while keeping sensitive data on-premises. The network team must ensure secure, reliable connectivity between the on-premises data center and the cloud environment. Which two design considerations are essential for this hybrid cloud deployment? (Choose two.)

  • Extending the on-premises Layer 2 VLANs directly into the cloud provider network
  • Replacing all on-premises firewalls with cloud-native security services
  • Implementing dedicated private connections such as Direct Connect for consistent performance and security
  • Using the same IP addressing scheme in the cloud as on-premises to simplify routing
  • Establishing redundant connectivity paths to avoid a single point of failure between on-premises and cloud

2. Which three components are part of the Cisco Catalyst SD-WAN control plane? (Choose three.)

  • vBond orchestrator
  • vManage
  • IPsec tunnels
  • WAN Edge router
  • vSmart controller
  • OMP protocol

3. Refer to the exhibit. An engineer is troubleshooting HSRP on two distribution switches. Based on the output, what is the current state of the HSRP configuration?

DSW1# show standby brief
                     P indicates configured to preempt.
                     |
Interface   Grp  Pri P State   Active          Standby         Virtual IP
Vl10        1    110 P Active  local           192.168.10.3    192.168.10.1

DSW2# show standby brief
                     P indicates configured to preempt.
                     |
Interface   Grp  Pri P State   Active          Standby         Virtual IP
Vl10        1    100   Standby 192.168.10.2    local           192.168.10.1
  • DSW2 is active because DSW1 has preempt disabled
  • DSW1 is active because it has the higher priority and preempt is enabled
  • Both switches are in active state causing a split-brain condition
  • The configuration is invalid because the virtual IP addresses do not match

4. Which statement correctly describes a benefit of the Cisco SD-Access solution?

  • It requires all network devices to be upgraded to the latest hardware
  • It provides automated network segmentation based on user identity and group membership
  • It eliminates the need for any underlay network infrastructure
  • It replaces the need for Cisco ISE in enterprise deployments

Explanation: Topic 1.5.3

Cisco SD-Access uses a single network fabric to automate user and device policies across wired and wireless networks. This design enables software-defined segmentation and policy enforcement that is dynamically based on user identity and group membership through integration with Cisco TrustSec, rather than traditional IP-based or VLAN-based methods. SD-Access requires a physical underlay network for connectivity and integrates with, rather than replaces, Cisco ISE for identity services.

5. Refer to the exhibit showing a QoS policy configuration. What is the effect of this policy on voice traffic?

policy-map WAN-EDGE-OUT
 class VOICE
  priority percent 10
  police cir percent 10
 class INTERACTIVE-VIDEO
  bandwidth percent 25
 class CRITICAL-DATA
  bandwidth percent 25
  random-detect dscp-based
 class class-default
  fair-queue
  • Voice traffic receives best-effort treatment with 10% minimum bandwidth
  • Voice traffic is guaranteed 10% bandwidth with low-latency queuing and policed to 10%
  • Voice traffic is dropped if it exceeds 10% of the bandwidth
  • Voice traffic is shaped to 10% of the interface bandwidth

6. Which two statements about Cisco SD-WAN vBond orchestrator are correct? (Choose two.)

  • It serves as the first point of authentication for all SD-WAN components
  • It stores and distributes software images to WAN edge routers
  • It performs deep packet inspection for security
  • It maintains the centralized routing policy database
  • It must be reachable by all SD-WAN devices for initial fabric join

Explanation: Topic 25.4.0

The SD-WAN Validator (vBond) is the first point of contact in the orchestration plane; it uses a zero-trust model to perform initial authentication and authorize all control connections for devices joining the fabric. To facilitate this onboarding process, it must reside in a reachable IP space (public or 1:1 NAT) so that all remote sites and controllers can connect to it; if the Validator is unreachable, no other device can join the overlay.

7. Which component of the SD-Access fabric is responsible for registering endpoint EID-to-RLOC mappings?

  • Fabric edge node
  • Fabric border node
  • Intermediate node
  • Control plane node

Explanation: Topic 24.4.5

The control plane node serves as the central mapping system for the fabric; it maintains the host tracking database (HTDB), which is a central repository that tracks all endpoints and stores their EID-to-RLOC mappings (associating endpoint IDs with their closest fabric node location). It uses LISP map-server functionality to populate this database using registration messages sent by fabric edge nodes when endpoints are onboarded.

8. Refer to the exhibit. A network engineer is analyzing traffic patterns on a WAN link. Based on the QoS marking, which traffic class should receive priority treatment during congestion?

Traffic Analysis:
Flow 1: DSCP EF (46), 2 Mbps - VoIP
Flow 2: DSCP AF41 (34), 5 Mbps - Video Conferencing
Flow 3: DSCP AF21 (18), 10 Mbps - Business Applications
Flow 4: DSCP CS1 (8), 15 Mbps - Bulk Data
Flow 5: DSCP 0, 20 Mbps - Best Effort
  • Flow 1 because DSCP EF is designated for expedited forwarding
  • Flow 2 because video requires more bandwidth than voice
  • Flow 4 because CS1 indicates high priority scavenger traffic
  • Flow 5 because it has the highest bandwidth consumption

9. A network engineer needs to create separate routing tables for different departments while using the same physical infrastructure. Which technology should be implemented?

  • VLANs
  • VXLAN
  • VRF (Virtual Routing and Forwarding)
  • GRE tunneling

10. Refer to the exhibit. What does this VXLAN packet header indicate about the encapsulated traffic? (Choose four.)

Outer Ethernet Header:
  Dst MAC: 00:50:56:89:12:34
  Src MAC: 00:50:56:89:56:78
Outer IP Header:
  Src IP: 10.1.1.1 (VTEP1)
  Dst IP: 10.1.1.2 (VTEP2)
Outer UDP Header:
  Src Port: 49152
  Dst Port: 4789
VXLAN Header:
  VNI: 10010
Inner Ethernet Frame:
  Original L2 frame from VM
  • The inner frame's original Layer 2 headers are preserved
  • The outer source port 49152 indicates encrypted traffic
  • The VTEPs are using IP addresses for tunnel endpoints
  • UDP port 4789 is the standard VXLAN destination port
  • The traffic belongs to VXLAN segment 10010

11. Which statement correctly describes the relationship between LISP and SD-Access?

  • LISP replaces VXLAN as the data plane encapsulation in SD-Access
  • LISP and SD-Access are competing technologies that cannot be used together
  • LISP provides Layer 2 segmentation in the SD-Access fabric
  • LISP provides the control plane for endpoint location tracking in SD-Access

Explanation: Topic 24.4.6

In the Cisco SD-Access architecture, LISP functions as the control plane, responsible for mapping endpoint identifiers (EIDs) to their current routing locators (RLOCs) in a centralized host tracking database,,. This allows the network to decouple a device's identity from its physical location, facilitating host mobility. While LISP handles the mapping and location tracking, VXLAN is used for the data plane because, unlike standard LISP, VXLAN can encapsulate the original Layer 2 Ethernet headers required for fabric operations,.

12. An engineer is configuring IPsec tunnel mode between two sites. Which two statements about IPsec tunnel mode are correct? (Choose two.)

  • Tunnel mode is typically used for site-to-site VPN connections
  • Tunnel mode requires the endpoints to be the actual traffic sources
  • Only the payload is encrypted while the original IP header remains visible
  • The original IP header is encrypted and a new IP header is added
  • Tunnel mode provides less overhead than transport mode

Explanation: Topic 18.3.1

In tunnel mode, the entire original IP packet—including the original header—is encrypted and encapsulated within a completely new IP header. This mode is the standard for site-to-site VPNs because it allows two security gateways (like routers or firewalls) to protect traffic on behalf of other devices, whose original (often private) addresses are hidden inside the encrypted payload. By contrast, transport mode only encrypts the payload and leaves the original IP header visible, which is typically used for direct host-to-host communication.

13. Which command would verify that VRF-Lite is properly configured and operational on a Cisco router?

  • show ip vrf interfaces
  • show vrf detail
  • show ip route
  • show ip vrf

14. Refer to the exhibit. A network engineer is troubleshooting a trunk link issue. Based on the output, what is causing the problem?

SW1# show interfaces trunk
Port        Mode         Encapsulation  Status        Native vlan
Gi0/1       auto         negotiate      not-trunking  1

SW2# show interfaces trunk
Port        Mode         Encapsulation  Status        Native vlan
Gi0/1       auto         negotiate      not-trunking  1
  • Both switches are configured in passive negotiation modes
  • The native VLAN mismatch between the switches
  • The encapsulation is set to negotiate instead of dot1q
  • DTP mode on SW2 is set to auto, which won't initiate trunk negotiation

15. A network engineer needs to configure EtherChannel between two switches. SW1 must actively negotiate the channel while SW2 should only respond to negotiation. Which configuration achieves this using LACP?

  • SW1: channel-group 1 mode passive; SW2: channel-group 1 mode active
  • SW1: channel-group 1 mode on; SW2: channel-group 1 mode on
  • SW1: channel-group 1 mode desirable; SW2: channel-group 1 mode auto
  • SW1: channel-group 1 mode active; SW2: channel-group 1 mode passive

Explanation: Topic 6.3.1

The Link Aggregation Control Protocol (LACP) is an IEEE standard (802.3ad) that uses the negotiation modes active and passive. For an EtherChannel to form, at least one side must be in active mode to initiate the exchange of LACP packets; the passive side will only respond to negotiation requests it receives.

The other options are incorrect because:

  • mode on is used for static EtherChannel, which disables all protocol negotiation (no LACP or PAgP).
  • mode desirable and mode auto are the negotiation modes for PAgP (Port Aggregation Protocol), which is a Cisco proprietary protocol and not LACP.

16. Refer to the exhibit. A network administrator notices that VLAN 30 traffic is not passing through a trunk link. Based on the output, what is the cause?

SW1# show interfaces Gi0/1 trunk
Port        Mode             Encapsulation  Status        Native vlan
Gi0/1       on               802.1q         trunking      1

Port        Vlans allowed on trunk
Gi0/1       1-29,31-4094

Port        Vlans allowed and active in management domain
Gi0/1       1,10,20,31,40

Port        Vlans in spanning tree forwarding state and not pruned
Gi0/1       1,10,20,31,40
  • VLAN 30 is being pruned by VTP
  • VLAN 30 is not in the spanning tree forwarding state
  • VLAN 30 has been manually removed from the allowed VLAN list
  • VLAN 30 does not exist in the VLAN database

17. Which two statements about RSTP port states are correct? (Choose two.)

  • RSTP has five port states: disabled, blocking, listening, learning, and forwarding
  • An RSTP port in learning state can forward user traffic
  • RSTP backup ports provide an alternate path to the root bridge
  • RSTP combines the STP disabled, blocking, and listening states into a single discarding state
  • RSTP uses proposal/agreement mechanism for rapid convergence on point-to-point links

Explanation: Topic 4.5.7

RSTP uses a proposal/agreement handshake mechanism to transition point-to-point designated ports to a forwarding state almost instantaneously, rather than waiting for traditional timers,.

RSTP simplifies the operation of STP by reducing the number of port states from five down to three: discarding, learning, and forwarding. The discarding state effectively combines the functions of the STP disabled, blocking, and listening states,.

18. Refer to the exhibit. An engineer is troubleshooting OSPF neighbor adjacency issues. Based on the output, what is preventing the adjacency from forming?

R1# show ip ospf interface GigabitEthernet0/0
GigabitEthernet0/0 is up, line protocol is up
  Internet Address 192.168.1.1/24, Area 0
  Process ID 1, Router ID 1.1.1.1, Network Type BROADCAST, Cost: 1
  Transmit Delay is 1 sec, State DR, Priority 1
  Hello 10, Dead 40, Wait 40, Retransmit 5

R2# show ip ospf interface GigabitEthernet0/0
GigabitEthernet0/0 is up, line protocol is up
  Internet Address 192.168.1.2/24, Area 1
  Process ID 1, Router ID 2.2.2.2, Network Type BROADCAST, Cost: 1
  Transmit Delay is 1 sec, State DR, Priority 1
  Hello 10, Dead 40, Wait 40, Retransmit 5
  • The hello and dead timer mismatch
  • The OSPF process ID mismatch
  • The OSPF area mismatch
  • Both routers are claiming DR role

19. Refer to the exhibit. A network engineer is analyzing BGP path selection. Which path will be selected as the best path to reach 10.0.0.0/8?

R1# show ip bgp 10.0.0.0/8
BGP routing table entry for 10.0.0.0/8, version 5
Paths: (3 available, best #?)
  Path 1: AS_PATH: 65001 65002, NEXT_HOP: 192.168.1.1, MED: 100, LOCAL_PREF: 200
  Path 2: AS_PATH: 65001, NEXT_HOP: 192.168.2.1, MED: 50, LOCAL_PREF: 150
  Path 3: AS_PATH: 65001 65003, NEXT_HOP: 192.168.3.1, MED: 75, LOCAL_PREF: 200
  • Path 2 - shortest AS_PATH wins
  • Path 1 - tie-breaker between Path 1 and Path 3 goes to lower MED
  • Path 3 - highest LOCAL_PREF with better MED wins
  • Path 1 - highest LOCAL_PREF wins

20. Refer to the exhibit. What does this output indicate about the router's NAT configuration?

R1# show ip nat translations
Pro Inside global      Inside local       Outside local      Outside global
icmp 203.0.113.10:512  192.168.1.10:512   8.8.8.8:512        8.8.8.8:512
icmp 203.0.113.10:513  192.168.1.11:513   8.8.8.8:513        8.8.8.8:513
icmp 203.0.113.10:514  192.168.1.12:514   8.8.8.8:514        8.8.8.8:514
tcp 203.0.113.10:1024  192.168.1.10:1024  93.184.216.34:80   93.184.216.34:80
tcp 203.0.113.10:1025  192.168.1.11:1025  93.184.216.34:443  93.184.216.34:443
  • Dynamic NAT with a pool of addresses is configured
  • NAT is not working because all translations use the same global address
  • Static NAT is configured for three internal hosts
  • PAT (NAT overload) is being used with a single public IP address

21. Which statement correctly describes EIGRP feasible successor?

  • A route that always has a higher metric than the successor route
  • A backup route whose reported distance is less than the feasible distance of the successor
  • A route that must go through the DUAL algorithm when the successor fails
  • A route with the lowest metric to the destination

22. Which IGMP version introduced support for source-specific multicast (SSM)?

  • IGMPv2
  • IGMPv3
  • IGMPv1
  • IGMPv4

Explanation: Topic 12.3.3

IGMPv3 introduced support for source filtering, which allows a host to specify to a router the specific multicast group it wants to join and the exact source(s) from which it expects to receive traffic. This source-specific registration is the essential mechanism that enables Source-Specific Multicast (SSM). Previous versions (v1 and v2) only allowed a host to request a group regardless of the source.

23. Refer to the exhibit. A network administrator is troubleshooting HSRP. What will happen when R1 recovers from a failure?

R1# show running-config | section standby
interface GigabitEthernet0/0
 standby 1 ip 192.168.1.1
 standby 1 priority 110
 standby 1 preempt

R2# show running-config | section standby
interface GigabitEthernet0/0
 standby 1 ip 192.168.1.1
 standby 1 priority 100
  • R1 will remain in standby state until R2 fails
  • R2 will remain active because it doesn't have preempt configured
  • Both routers will become active causing a split-brain scenario
  • R1 will become the active router

24. Which two statements about PIM Sparse Mode (PIM-SM) are correct? (Choose two.)

  • PIM-SM requires a Rendezvous Point (RP) for initial tree building
  • PIM-SM uses dense mode flooding for the first 3 minutes
  • PIM-SM cannot switch from shared tree to source tree
  • PIM-SM floods multicast traffic to all interfaces by default
  • PIM-SM uses a pull model where multicast traffic is only sent where requested

Explanation: Topic 12.5.2

PIM-SM (Sparse Mode) is designed for environments where receivers are scattered across the network. It uses a pull model, meaning traffic is only sent to segments that have explicitly requested it via join messages, rather than flooding the entire network by default. To facilitate this, it requires a Rendezvous Point (RP), which acts as a common meeting place for sources and receivers to build the initial shared distribution tree.

25. Which command enables BPDU Guard on a specific interface?

  • SW1(config-if)# spanning-tree guard bpdu
  • SW1(config-if)# spanning-tree bpduguard enable
  • SW1(config)# spanning-tree bpduguard enable
  • SW1(config)# spanning-tree portfast bpduguard

Explanation: Topic 4.8.1

To enable BPDU Guard on a specific interface, you must enter interface configuration mode and use the command spanning-tree bpduguard enable,. This feature is designed to protect PortFast-enabled access ports by automatically disabling the port (putting it in an err-disable state) if it receives a BPDU, preventing potential loops caused by unauthorized switches being connected to the network,.

26. A network engineer needs to filter OSPF routes being advertised to a neighbor. Which configuration method should be used?

  • Apply a distribute-list with an ACL to filter specific routes
  • OSPF cannot filter routes; all LSAs must be flooded
  • Configure area range with the not-advertise option on an ABR
  • Use route-maps to set the metric to infinity

27. Refer to the exhibit. Based on the EIGRP topology table output, which route is the feasible successor for network 10.1.1.0/24?

R1# show ip eigrp topology 10.1.1.0/24
IP-EIGRP topology table for AS(100)/ID(1.1.1.1)

IP-EIGRP topology entry for 10.1.1.0/24
  State is Passive, Query origin flag is 1, 2 Successor(s), FD is 28160
  Routing Descriptor Blocks:
  192.168.1.2 (GigabitEthernet0/0), from 192.168.1.2, Send flag is 0x0
      Composite metric is (28160/27136), Route is Internal
      Vector metric:
        Minimum bandwidth is 1000000 Kbit
        Total delay is 110 microseconds
  192.168.2.2 (GigabitEthernet0/1), from 192.168.2.2, Send flag is 0x0
      Composite metric is (30720/28672), Route is Internal
  192.168.3.2 (GigabitEthernet0/2), from 192.168.3.2, Send flag is 0x0
      Composite metric is (33280/25600), Route is Internal
  • 192.168.2.2 with reported distance 28672
  • 192.168.1.2 with metric 28160
  • 192.168.3.2 with reported distance 25600
  • There is no feasible successor; only successors exist

28. Which two commands can verify that NAT is working correctly on a Cisco router? (Choose two.)

  • show ip nat translations
  • debug ip nat
  • show ip nat statistics
  • show ip route nat
  • show running-config | include nat

Explanation: Topic 13.6.1

  • show ip nat translations displays the active NAT translation table, showing the mapping between inside local, inside global, outside local, and outside global addresses. This confirms that specific traffic flows are currently being translated by the router.
  • show ip nat statistics provides a high-level overview of the NAT operation, including the number of active translations, configuration of inside/outside interfaces, hits/misses (indicating successful or failed translations), and details about configured NAT pools.

29. Refer to the exhibit. A network engineer is configuring NetFlow to export flow data. What is missing from this configuration?

R1(config)# flow record CUSTOM-RECORD
R1(config-flow-record)# match ipv4 source address
R1(config-flow-record)# match ipv4 destination address
R1(config-flow-record)# match transport source-port
R1(config-flow-record)# match transport destination-port
R1(config-flow-record)# collect counter bytes
R1(config-flow-record)# collect counter packets
!
R1(config)# flow exporter EXPORTER-1
R1(config-flow-exporter)# destination 10.1.1.100
R1(config-flow-exporter)# transport udp 9995
!
R1(config)# interface GigabitEthernet0/0
R1(config-if)# ip flow monitor MONITOR-1 input
  • The NetFlow version is not specified in the exporter
  • The flow monitor associating the record with the exporter is not configured
  • The source interface for the exporter is not configured
  • The interface needs both input and output flow monitoring

30. A network engineer wants to capture traffic between two hosts for analysis but the traffic doesn't pass through the engineer's workstation. Which technology should be configured?

  • RSPAN with a dedicated VLAN for mirrored traffic
  • Local SPAN on the switch connecting the hosts
  • ERSPAN encapsulating mirrored traffic in GRE
  • NetFlow export to the engineer's workstation

Explanation: Topic 20.12.0

ERSPAN is designed specifically to mirror traffic from one or more "source" ports and deliver it to a "destination" port on a different switch by encapsulating the traffic in GRE. This makes the mirrored traffic routable across a Layer 3 network, allowing the engineer to receive the packets for analysis even if their workstation is multiple hops away from the source hosts.

In contrast:

  • Local SPAN requires the sniffer and the hosts to be on the same switch.
  • RSPAN requires a dedicated VLAN and is limited to a Layer 2 network.
  • NetFlow exports traffic statistics and flow data rather than the actual raw packet captures needed for deep analysis.

31. Refer to the exhibit. What does this syslog message indicate?

%LINEPROTO-5-UPDOWN: Line protocol on Interface GigabitEthernet0/1, changed state to down
  • A notification-level message about an interface state change
  • A debugging message for troubleshooting purposes
  • An emergency condition requiring immediate action
  • An error condition that needs investigation

32. Which SNMP version provides authentication using usernames and passwords along with encryption for data privacy?

  • SNMPv3 with authNoPriv security level
  • SNMPv1 with community strings
  • SNMPv2c with community strings
  • SNMPv3 with authPriv security level

33. Which three capabilities does Cisco Catalyst Center Assurance provide? (Choose three.)

  • End-to-end path trace visualization
  • Direct CLI access to all managed devices
  • Automated configuration deployment to network devices
  • Streaming telemetry for real-time device monitoring
  • Software image distribution and upgrade
  • AI/ML-driven insights for proactive issue detection

34. Refer to the exhibit. An engineer is troubleshooting SSH access issues. Based on the configuration, what is preventing SSH connections?

R1# show running-config | section line vty
line vty 0 4
 login local
 transport input ssh
 access-class 10 in
!
R1# show access-lists 10
Standard IP access list 10
    10 permit 192.168.1.0, wildcard bits 0.0.0.255 (15 matches)
    20 deny any
  • Only hosts from 192.168.1.0/24 can establish SSH connections
  • The VTY lines are not configured for local authentication
  • The explicit deny statement is blocking all traffic
  • SSH is not enabled on the router

35. Which two statements about AAA authentication are correct? (Choose two.)

  • Local database authentication requires a RADIUS server
  • Authentication verifies user identity before granting access
  • AAA authentication must be configured before authorization
  • RADIUS encrypts the entire packet payload between client and server
  • TACACS+ separates authentication, authorization, and accounting functions

36. Which command sequence correctly configures a RADIUS server for AAA authentication on a Cisco IOS device?

  • R1(config)# radius server RADIUS1
    R1(config-radius-server)# address ipv4 10.1.1.100 auth-port 1812 acct-port 1813
    R1(config-radius-server)# key SecretKey
  • R1(config)# aaa new-model
    R1(config)# radius server 10.1.1.100 key SecretKey
  • R1(config)# authentication radius-server 10.1.1.100 key SecretKey
  • R1(config)# radius-server host 10.1.1.100 key SecretKey

Explanation: Topic 16.8.0

Modern Cisco IOS software uses a named RADIUS server object approach for better organization and flexibility.

  1. The command radius server [name] creates a configuration container for a specific server and enters subconfiguration mode.
  2. Inside this mode, you use the address command to specify the IP and the standard UDP ports (1812 for authentication and 1813 for accounting).
  3. The key command is then used to set the shared secret that must match the value configured on the RADIUS server to encrypt communication.

The other options either use legacy syntax (radius-server host) or invalid command strings that do not follow the structured object-based configuration described in the sources.

37. Which Control Plane Policing (CoPP) action should be applied to protect against SSH brute-force attacks while still allowing legitimate SSH access?

  • Permit SSH traffic without any restrictions
  • Police SSH traffic to a reasonable rate limit
  • Drop all SSH traffic to the control plane
  • Mark SSH traffic with a higher DSCP value

Explanation: Topic 14.9.1

Control Plane Policing (CoPP) is designed to prevent the CPU from being overwhelmed by low-priority or malicious traffic. By using a police statement within a policy map, you can specify a maximum traffic rate for SSH (TCP port 22). This allows legitimate management sessions to conform and be transmitted, while excessive traffic—such as the high-volume packet floods generated during a brute-force or DoS attack—will exceed the limit and be dropped.

38. Which two security features protect the network infrastructure from unauthorized devices connecting to switch ports? (Choose two.)

  • Port security with MAC address limiting
  • Storm control
  • BPDU Guard
  • DHCP snooping
  • 802.1X port-based authentication

Explanation: Topic 15.16.0, 15.7.0 and 15.17.2

802.1X port-based authentication is the foundation for network access control; it requires a device to provide valid credentials to an authentication server (like Cisco ISE) before the switch port is transitioned to an authorized state.

Port security is a Layer 2 feature that protects the infrastructure by limiting the number of MAC addresses allowed on a single port or by binding a port to a specific, authorized MAC address. If an unauthorized device (with an unknown or excessive MAC) is detected, the switch can automatically disable the port to prevent access.

39. Refer to the exhibit. What type of security threat does this configuration help prevent?

SW1(config)# ip dhcp snooping
SW1(config)# ip dhcp snooping vlan 10,20,30
SW1(config)# interface GigabitEthernet0/1
SW1(config-if)# ip dhcp snooping trust
SW1(config-if)# interface range GigabitEthernet0/2-48
SW1(config-if-range)# ip dhcp snooping limit rate 15
  • ARP spoofing attacks
  • VLAN hopping attacks
  • MAC address spoofing attacks
  • Rogue DHCP server attacks

40. Which AAA accounting record type captures information about commands executed by administrators?

  • Command accounting
  • EXEC accounting
  • Connection accounting
  • Network accounting

Explanation: Topic 16.10.0

Command accounting (triggered by the commands keyword) specifically records information about any command running at a specific privilege level, along with the identity of the user who issued it. This allows for a detailed audit trail of administrative actions taken on a device.

In contrast:

  • EXEC accounting captures information about the EXEC session itself, such as the user's address, login time, and session duration.
  • System accounting records major system-wide events like reloads.

41. Refer to the exhibit. A security engineer is reviewing the AAA configuration. What method will be used if the RADIUS server is unreachable? (Choose two.)

aaa new-model
aaa authentication login default group radius local
aaa authentication login CONSOLE local
!
radius server RADIUS1
 address ipv4 10.1.1.100 auth-port 1812
 key Cisco123
!
line console 0
 login authentication CONSOLE
line vty 0 4
 login authentication default
  • VTY access will fall back to local database authentication
  • Console access will use the local database
  • Console access will use RADIUS for authentication
  • VTY access will be denied if RADIUS is unreachable
  • The 'none' keyword allows access without authentication if all methods fail

42. Which security technology would best protect against a man-in-the-middle attack on the local network segment?

  • Dynamic ARP Inspection (DAI)
  • Private VLANs
  • Port security with sticky MAC addresses
  • ACLs filtering unauthorized IP addresses

Explanation: Topic 15.2.1

Man-in-the-middle (MitM) attacks are complex threats where an attacker imposes themselves into the communication path between two systems to view or modify traffic. These attacks typically require the exploitation of local network protocols such as ARP, DNS, or DHCP to successfully misdirect traffic. Dynamic ARP Inspection (DAI) is the specific security technology designed to protect against these attacks on the local network segment by validating ARP packets, thereby preventing "ARP poisoning" or spoofing, which is the primary method used to achieve a MitM position at the data link layer.

43. Which two components are part of Cisco's Zero Trust security architecture? (Choose two.)

  • Trust all internal network traffic by default
  • Network segmentation based on user identity and device posture
  • Single perimeter-based firewall for all security
  • Implicit trust for users once they pass initial authentication
  • Continuous verification of user and device identity

44. Refer to the exhibit. What will be the output of this Python script?

devices = ['router1', 'switch1', 'firewall1']
for index, device in enumerate(devices):
    if 'switch' in device:
        print(f'Device {index}: {device.upper()}')
    else:
        print(f'Device {index}: {device}')
  • Device 1: router1
    Device 2: SWITCH1
    Device 3: firewall1
  • Device 0: router1
    Device 1: SWITCH1
    Device 2: firewall1
  • Device 0: ROUTER1
    Device 1: SWITCH1
    Device 2: FIREWALL1
  • Error: enumerate() does not work with lists

45. Which NETCONF operation retrieves only the configuration data from a device?

  • <edit-config>
  • <get>
  • <copy-config>
  • <get-config>

Explanation: Topic 22.11.4

NETCONF distinguishes between two classes of data: configuration data (writable data required to reach a desired system state) and state data (read-only information such as statistics and status).

  • is used to retrieve only configuration data from a specific datastore.
  • is used to retrieve both configuration and state data simultaneously.

46. Refer to the exhibit. What is the purpose of this EEM applet?

event manager applet INTERFACE-DOWN
 event syslog pattern "LINEPROTO-5-UPDOWN.*GigabitEthernet0/1.*down"
 action 1.0 cli command "enable"
 action 2.0 cli command "configure terminal"
 action 3.0 cli command "interface GigabitEthernet0/2"
 action 4.0 cli command "shutdown"
 action 5.0 cli command "no shutdown"
 action 6.0 syslog msg "Bounced Gi0/2 due to Gi0/1 down event"
  • To monitor interface Gi0/1 and log when it goes down
  • To prevent Gi0/1 from going down by bouncing Gi0/2
  • To automatically bounce Gi0/2 when Gi0/1 goes down
  • To synchronize the state of Gi0/1 and Gi0/2

47. Which HTTP method is used by RESTCONF to create a new resource that does not already exist?

  • GET
  • PUT
  • POST
  • PATCH

48. Refer to the exhibit. What does this JSON response from a REST API indicate?

{
  "response": {
    "id": "a1b2c3d4-e5f6-7890-abcd-ef1234567890",
    "taskId": "task123",
    "url": "/api/v1/task/task123"
  },
  "version": "1.0"
}
  • The API request was accepted and a task was created to process it
  • The API returned configuration data from the device
  • The API request failed with an error
  • The API is returning a list of available endpoints

49. Which two tools are considered agentless for configuration management? (Choose two.)

  • Puppet
  • Chef
  • Salt (with SSH)
  • CFEngine
  • Ansible

Explanation: Topic 22.2.3

Ansible: This tool is natively agentless, meaning it does not require software to be installed on the managed devices. It uses protocols such as SSH, NETCONF, or REST APIs to communicate and push configurations.

Salt (with SSH): While SaltStack typically relies on "minions" (agents), the Salt-SSH implementation provides an agentless alternative for managing systems over SSH.

Contrast with others: Puppet and Chef are explicitly defined as agent-based solutions, requiring a software agent to be installed on every server or network device being managed.

50. Which two statements correctly describe the Cisco Catalyst Center Platform APIs? (Choose two.)

  • Integration APIs enable third-party applications to receive network events
  • Intent APIs allow network administrators to express business intent
  • All API operations are synchronous and return results immediately
  • APIs use SOAP for all communication
  • APIs require SNMP credentials for device access

51. What is missing or incorrect in the GRE tunnel configuration?

  • The tunnel destination on R2 should be 203.0.113.2
  • The tunnel mode GRE IP command is missing on both routers
  • The tunnel interface IP addresses must be on the same subnet as the physical interfaces
  • The tunnel destination configured on R1 does not match the tunnel source IP address of R2

Explanation: Topic 17.8.2

For a GRE tunnel to establish a successful line protocol state ("up"), the configuration must be symmetrical: the tunnel destination address on one router must match the reachable IP address used as the tunnel source on the remote peer.

The other options are incorrect based on the sources because:

  • The tunnel mode gre ip command is the default mode and is not necessary to configure.
  • Tunnel interface IP addresses are typically assigned from a different subnet than the physical interfaces to avoid routing conflicts.

52. Which two statements correctly describe Type 1 and Type 2 hypervisors? (Choose two.)

  • Type 1 hypervisors run directly on hardware without a host operating system
  • Type 1 hypervisors are also known as hosted hypervisors
  • VMware ESXi is an example of a Type 2 hypervisor
  • Type 2 hypervisors provide better performance than Type 1 for enterprise workloads
  • Type 2 hypervisors run as applications on top of a host operating system

Explanation: Topic 17.2.2

A Type 1 hypervisor (also called bare-metal) is installed directly on the physical server hardware instead of a host operating system, acting as a lightweight OS to manage virtual machines and allocate physical resources. VMware ESXi is a prominent example of a Type 1 hypervisor. Type 2 hypervisors (hosted) differ because they run as software applications on top of a conventional host operating system. Because Type 1 hypervisors have direct access to hardware without the overhead of a host OS, they provide significantly better performance and efficiency for enterprise workloads.

53. Refer to the exhibit. A network engineer is implementing MST (Multiple Spanning Tree). What is the result of this configuration? (Choose four.)

SW1(config)# spanning-tree mode mst
SW1(config)# spanning-tree mst configuration
SW1(config-mst)# name ENTERPRISE
SW1(config-mst)# revision 1
SW1(config-mst)# instance 1 vlan 10,20,30
SW1(config-mst)# instance 2 vlan 40,50,60
  • The configuration requires matching name and revision on all MST switches
  • Each VLAN will have its own independent spanning tree calculation
  • VLANs 10, 20, and 30 will share a single spanning tree instance
  • MST reduces CPU and memory usage compared to PVST+
  • VLANs not explicitly mapped will be assigned to instance 0 (IST)

Explanation: Topic 4.6.0

MST was developed to address the scalability issues of PVST+. While PVST+ creates a separate spanning tree instance for every single VLAN (which is CPU and memory intensive), MST groups multiple VLANs into a small number of instances. For these instances to work across multiple switches, the switches must belong to the same MST Region, which requires an identical Name, Revision number, and VLAN-to-instance mapping. Any VLAN not specifically mapped to a custom instance defaults to Instance 0 (the IST), which remains active on all ports.

54. A network engineer is configuring eBGP between a company's edge router (AS 65001) and an ISP router (AS 65002). Which three configuration elements should the engineer verify? (Choose three.)

  • The BGP router ID is configured to match the ISP router's BGP router ID
  • The update-source command matches the interface used to reach the ISP peer
  • The BGP timers are synchronized with the IGP protocol timers
  • An ACL or firewall is not blocking TCP port 179 between the peers
  • The eBGP multihop setting is configured if the peers are not directly connected
  • The neighbor remote-as command specifies AS 65002 for the ISP peer

Explanation: Topic 11.2.1, 11.4.1 and 11.7.1

For an eBGP session to establish successfully, the routers must first be able to complete a TCP three-way handshake using port 179; any security device or ACL blocking this port will prevent the session from starting. The engineer must also explicitly define the neighbor using the neighbor remote-as command, ensuring the AS number matches the peer's actual AS (65002), or the session will be terminated. Finally, by default, eBGP neighbors must be directly connected; if they are peering via non-directly connected interfaces (like loopbacks), the eBGP multihop setting must be enabled to allow the TTL check to pass.

55. Which three options are valid components of a Cisco IP SLA operation? (Choose three.)

  • OSPF operation to measure SPF calculation time
  • BGP operation to measure route convergence
  • UDP Jitter operation to measure one-way delay and jitter
  • ICMP Echo operation to measure round-trip time
  • HTTP operation to measure web server response time
  • SNMP operation to measure MIB response time

Explanation: Topic 20.8.1

Cisco IP SLAs use active traffic monitoring to measure network performance by generating specific protocol operations.

  • ICMP Echo is used to determine host reachability and measure round-trip time (RTT).
  • UDP Jitter is designed for real-time traffic analysis, measuring interpacket delay variance (jitter), one-way latency, and packet loss.
  • HTTP allows the measurement of web server response times.

56. A network engineer needs to create an automated response when an interface goes down. Which Cisco IOS feature should be used?

  • Syslog server with alerting
  • Embedded Event Manager (EEM)
  • SNMP trap configuration
  • IP SLA with tracking

Explanation: Topic 19.10.1

Cisco IOS EEM is a powerful subsystem designed specifically to automate tasks and customize device behavior by responding to real-time events. It uses event detectors (such as a syslog pattern matching an interface state change) to trigger an action list, which can include executing CLI commands (like no shutdown), sending emails, or generating SNMP traps locally on the device. While features like Syslog and SNMP traps provide notifications to external servers, EEM is the primary tool for taking local automated action based on those events.

57. Refer to the exhibit. What is the effect of this ACL when applied outbound on interface GigabitEthernet0/1?

ip access-list extended SECURITY-ACL
 10 permit tcp 192.168.10.0 0.0.0.255 any eq 443
 20 permit tcp 192.168.10.0 0.0.0.255 any eq 80
 30 permit icmp 192.168.10.0 0.0.0.255 any echo-reply
 40 deny ip any any log
  • Return traffic for HTTP sessions will be permitted
  • Hosts on 192.168.10.0/24 can respond to ping requests
  • All denied traffic will be logged
  • Hosts on 192.168.10.0/24 can access HTTPS websites
  • Hosts on 192.168.10.0/24 can initiate ping requests

Explanation: Topic 14.7.1

58. A network administrator needs to ensure that only encrypted management protocols are used to access network devices. Which two protocols should be permitted? (Choose two.)

  • HTTPS on port 443
  • TFTP on port 69
  • Telnet on port 23
  • HTTP on port 80
  • SSH on port 22

Explanation: Topic 16.2.0

SSH (Secure Shell): This is the industry standard for CLI access because it protects authentication credentials and data using encryption. In contrast, Telnet (port 23) sends all data and credentials in cleartext, which can be easily captured by attackers.

HTTPS (Hypertext Transfer Protocol Secure): This is preferred for GUI access because it uses SSL/TLS to encrypt all data passing over the network and allows the client to verify the device's identity. Standard HTTP (port 80) is insecure as it does not provide these protections.

TFTP (Trivial File Transfer Protocol): While used for management tasks like file transfers, it is an unencrypted, cleartext protocol.

59. Which statement correctly describes MACsec (Media Access Control Security)?

  • MACsec provides Layer 2 hop-by-hop encryption on LAN links
  • MACsec is an authentication protocol that replaces 802.1X
  • MACsec provides Layer 3 encryption between sites over the WAN
  • MACsec encrypts traffic between endpoints regardless of network hops

Explanation: Topic 15.14.0

MACsec (IEEE 802.1AE) is a standards-based security technology that provides data confidentiality and integrity by performing Layer 2 hop-by-hop encryption on wired LAN links. This means it encrypts the entire Ethernet frame between two directly connected devices. It is implemented using the 802.1X Extensible Authentication Protocol (EAP) framework to manage session keys through the MACsec Key Agreement (MKA) protocol, rather than replacing it.

Unlike Layer 3 solutions like IPsec, which encrypt the packet payload for transport across multiple network hops, MACsec is specifically designed for point-to-point protection at the data link layer.

60. Which two statements about YANG data models are correct? (Choose two.)

  • YANG defines the structure of configuration and operational data
  • YANG uses a hierarchical tree structure to organize data
  • YANG is a protocol for transporting configuration data
  • YANG models are specific to Cisco devices only
  • YANG directly executes configuration changes on devices

Explanation: Topic 22.8.5

YANG (Yet Another Next Generation) is a data modeling language, not a transport protocol. Its primary purpose is to provide a highly structured way to describe what can be configured on a network device and what operational state data can be monitored.

Key concepts include:

  • Hierarchical Organization: YANG data modeling is tree-structured, using definition hierarchies known as schema trees to organize nodes.
  • Protocol Independence: While initially designed for NETCONF, YANG is independent of the transport protocol; it defines the data structure, while protocols like NETCONF or RESTCONF handle the actual transmission of that data.
  • Vendor Neutrality: YANG is an open standard (RFC 7950) used for both vendor-specific models (like Cisco native models) and vendor-neutral models created by groups like the IETF and OpenConfig.

61. Which REST API response code indicates that the request was successful and a new resource was created?

  • 201 Created
  • 202 Accepted
  • 200 OK
  • 204 No Content

Explanation: Topic 26.3.1

REST APIs use standard HTTP status codes to communicate the outcome of a request. Successful requests are indicated by codes in the 2xx range.

  • 201 Created: This specific code indicates that the request was successful and resulted in the creation of a new resource on the server.
  • 200 OK: This code indicates a general success where the action was completed, but it does not necessarily signify the creation of a new object (it is commonly used for GET or PUT requests).
  • 202 Accepted: This indicates the request was accepted but the final processing has not yet been completed, often used for asynchronous tasks where a taskId is returned.
  • 204 No Content: This indicates the request was successful, but there is no data to return in the response body.

62. Refer to the exhibit. A network engineer is reviewing the enterprise campus design. Which three statements accurately describe this topology? (Choose three.)

                    [Core Layer]
                    /          \
        [Distribution]        [Distribution]
              /    \               /    \
        [Access]  [Access]   [Access]  [Access]
           |         |          |         |
         [PCs]     [VoIP]     [APs]    [Servers]
  • The core layer should provide the highest switching speeds
  • This represents a collapsed core design
  • This represents a 3-tier hierarchical design model
  • The distribution layer provides routing and policy enforcement
  • End-user devices should connect directly to the distribution layer

63. Which two OSPF network types require manual neighbor configuration? (Choose two.)

  • Point-to-point
  • Point-to-multipoint
  • Non-broadcast
  • Point-to-multipoint non-broadcast
  • Broadcast

63. Refer to the exhibit. A network engineer is configuring a GRE tunnel between two sites. Based on the configuration, what is missing or incorrect?

R1(config)# interface Tunnel0
R1(config-if)# ip address 172.16.1.1 255.255.255.252
R1(config-if)# tunnel source GigabitEthernet0/0
R1(config-if)# tunnel destination 203.0.113.2

R2(config)# interface Tunnel0
R2(config-if)# ip address 172.16.1.2 255.255.255.252
R2(config-if)# tunnel source 198.51.100.1
R2(config-if)# tunnel destination 203.0.113.1
  • The tunnel mode GRE IP command is missing on both routers
  • The tunnel interface IP addresses must be on the same subnet as the physical interfaces
  • The tunnel destination on R2 should be 203.0.113.2
  • The tunnel destination configured on R1 does not match the tunnel source IP address of R2
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4 Corrections & Clarifications