View Full Cisco 350-401 Exam Dumps and Practice Test Dumps

 

Question 221

Which BGP message is used to exchange routing information after a BGP session has been established?

1. OPEN
2. NOTIFICATION
3. KEEPALIVE
4. UPDATE

Correct Answer: 4

Explanation

The BGP UPDATE message is used to advertise new routes, withdraw previously advertised routes, and communicate path attributes. After two BGP peers establish a session using TCP and exchange OPEN messages, they use UPDATE messages to exchange routing information. KEEPALIVE messages maintain the established session, while NOTIFICATION messages report errors and terminate sessions when necessary. UPDATE messages therefore represent the primary mechanism through which BGP peers communicate reachable prefixes and their associated attributes for path selection.

Question 222

What is the primary purpose of a VLAN in a switched network?

1. Increase physical cable length
2. Create separate Layer 2 broadcast domains
3. Encrypt Ethernet traffic
4. Replace IP routing

Correct Answer: 2

Explanation

A Virtual LAN (VLAN) logically separates a switched network into different Layer 2 broadcast domains. Devices assigned to different VLANs are isolated at Layer 2 unless a routing mechanism is provided for communication between them. VLANs improve segmentation, organization, security, and traffic management without requiring physically separate switches for every group. VLANs do not inherently encrypt traffic or replace routing. When communication between VLANs is required, a Layer 3 device such as a router or multilayer switch must provide inter-VLAN routing.

Question 223

Which OSPF LSA type is generated by an ASBR to advertise external routes into an OSPF domain?

1. Type 5
2. Type 2
3. Type 3
4. Type 1

Correct Answer: 1

Explanation

OSPF Type 5 LSAs are generated by Autonomous System Boundary Routers (ASBRs) to advertise routes redistributed into the OSPF autonomous system from external sources. These LSAs are normally flooded throughout the OSPF domain, except into areas with restrictions such as stub areas. Type 1 LSAs describe router links, Type 2 LSAs represent transit network information from designated routers, and Type 3 LSAs are generated by ABRs to advertise inter-area networks. Type 5 LSAs are therefore associated with external OSPF routes.

Question 224

A switch receives an Ethernet frame destined for a MAC address that is not in its MAC address table. What does the switch normally do?

1. Drops the frame immediately
2. Sends it only to the default gateway
3. Floods it out other ports in the VLAN
4. Converts it into an IP packet

Correct Answer: 3

Explanation

When a switch receives a frame with an unknown destination MAC address, it normally treats the frame as an unknown unicast and floods it out all appropriate ports within the same VLAN, except the port on which the frame arrived. This allows the destination device to receive the frame and respond, enabling the switch to learn its MAC address. The switch does not automatically send unknown Layer 2 traffic to a default gateway. Once the destination MAC is learned, future frames can be forwarded directly to the correct port.

Question 225

Which IPv6 mechanism allows a host to configure its address automatically using information advertised by a router?

1. SLAAC
2. NAT
3. ARP
4. PAT

Correct Answer: 1

Explanation

Stateless Address Autoconfiguration (SLAAC) allows IPv6 hosts to automatically configure addresses using information received from Router Advertisement messages. The router advertises the IPv6 prefix and other network information, allowing the host to generate an interface address without requiring a traditional DHCPv6 server for basic address configuration. IPv6 uses Neighbor Discovery rather than ARP for local address resolution and related functions. NAT and PAT are primarily associated with IPv4 address translation. SLAAC is therefore a fundamental method for automatic IPv6 host configuration.

Question 226

Which BGP attribute is locally significant within an autonomous system and is normally preferred when it has a higher value?

1. MED
2. Origin
3. Local Preference
4. AS Path

Correct Answer: 3

Explanation

BGP Local Preference is used within an autonomous system to influence which outbound path routers should prefer. A higher Local Preference value is normally preferred. Because the attribute is distributed through iBGP, it can provide consistent outbound routing policy across the autonomous system. Local Preference is evaluated earlier than several other BGP attributes, making it an important policy tool. MED generally favors lower values, while AS Path and Origin are evaluated at different stages of the BGP path-selection process.

Question 227

Which protocol is commonly used to securely retrieve configuration or operational information from a Cisco device using a model-driven management approach?

1. TFTP
2. FTP
3. HTTP
4. NETCONF

Correct Answer: 4

Explanation

NETCONF is a model-driven network management protocol used to retrieve and modify configuration data on network devices. It commonly operates over SSH and works with structured data models such as YANG. NETCONF supports operations including retrieving configuration, editing configuration, committing changes, and validating structured device data. Unlike TFTP, which is primarily used for file transfers, NETCONF is designed specifically for programmatic network management. Its transactional capabilities also make it useful for automation because configuration changes can be applied in a controlled manner.

Question 228

Which spanning-tree feature places an access port directly into the forwarding state for end-host connectivity?

1. PortFast
2. Root Guard
3. BPDU Filter
4. Loop Guard

Correct Answer: 1

Explanation

PortFast allows a switch access port connected to an end device to transition rapidly into the forwarding state instead of going through the normal spanning-tree listening and learning stages. This reduces the time required for devices such as computers to obtain network connectivity after the link becomes active. PortFast should generally be used on ports connected to end devices rather than between switches. Features such as Root Guard and Loop Guard protect different aspects of the spanning-tree topology and serve different purposes.

Question 229

Which BGP attribute represents the sequence of autonomous systems through which a route has passed?

1. Weight
2. MED
3. AS Path
4. Local Preference

Correct Answer: 3

Explanation

The BGP AS Path attribute records the sequence of autonomous systems that a route advertisement has traversed. It serves an important role in preventing routing loops because a BGP router can reject a route if its own AS number appears in the AS Path. AS Path length is also commonly considered during BGP path selection, with a shorter path generally preferred when earlier decision criteria are equal. Administrators can manipulate AS Path information, such as through prepending, to influence routing decisions made by neighboring autonomous systems.

Question 230

Which mechanism allows multiple equal-cost routes to be installed in a routing table simultaneously?

1. Route redistribution
2. ECMP
3. Route filtering
4. Summarization

Correct Answer: 2

Explanation

Equal-Cost Multi-Path (ECMP) allows a router to install multiple routes to the same destination when those routes have equivalent routing metrics according to the relevant routing protocol. The router can then distribute traffic across the available paths, improving bandwidth utilization and providing redundancy. The exact load-sharing behavior depends on the platform and configuration. Route redistribution exchanges information between routing protocols, filtering controls which routes are accepted or advertised, and summarization combines multiple prefixes. ECMP specifically addresses the use of multiple equal-cost forwarding paths.

Question 231

Which protocol is commonly used to send event and error messages from network devices to a centralized logging server?

1. NTP
2. SNMP
3. Syslog
4. DHCP

Correct Answer: 3

Explanation

Syslog is commonly used to send system messages, event notifications, warnings, and error information from network devices to centralized logging servers. Centralized logging allows administrators to monitor events across many devices and makes troubleshooting and security analysis easier. Messages can include information about interface changes, authentication events, routing conditions, and system problems. NTP provides time synchronization, SNMP is commonly used for monitoring and management, and DHCP provides network configuration. Syslog is therefore the standard choice for centralized device event logging.

Question 232

Which routing concept causes a router to select the most specific matching route for a destination IP address?

1. Administrative distance
2. Longest prefix match
3. Route redistribution
4. Split horizon

Correct Answer: 2

Explanation

Longest prefix match means a router selects the routing-table entry with the most specific prefix that matches the destination address. For example, if routes for 10.0.0.0/8 and 10.1.0.0/16 both match a destination of 10.1.5.10, the /16 route is more specific and is selected. This process occurs during forwarding before other considerations between equally matching routes become relevant. Administrative distance compares route sources, while redistribution exchanges routes between protocols. Longest prefix matching provides precise destination-based forwarding.

Question 233

Which protocol is designed to provide centralized authentication, authorization, and accounting for network device access?

1. TACACS+
2. DNS
3. NTP
4. TFTP

Correct Answer: 1

Explanation

TACACS+ is an AAA protocol commonly used to centrally manage administrative access to network devices. Authentication verifies the administrator’s identity, authorization determines what actions or commands the administrator is allowed to perform, and accounting records activity for auditing. TACACS+ is especially useful when organizations require detailed control over administrative commands and centralized user management. DNS resolves names, NTP synchronizes clocks, and TFTP transfers files. TACACS+ therefore provides the centralized AAA functionality needed for controlled network-device administration.

Question 234

Which Cisco technology can mirror traffic from one or more switch ports to another port for analysis?

1. NetFlow
2. IP SLA
3. SPAN
4. DHCP snooping

Correct Answer: 3

Explanation

Switched Port Analyzer (SPAN) copies traffic from selected source interfaces or VLANs to a designated destination interface where a monitoring or analysis device can inspect the traffic. SPAN is useful for troubleshooting, security monitoring, packet analysis, and application investigations. The destination port receives mirrored traffic rather than participating normally in forwarding the original traffic. NetFlow provides flow-level statistics, IP SLA generates and measures synthetic traffic, and DHCP snooping protects DHCP operations. SPAN is therefore the appropriate feature for direct traffic mirroring.

Question 235

Which protocol is used by Cisco devices to exchange routing information within an autonomous system using a link-state algorithm?

1. BGP
2. OSPF
3. RIP
4. HSRP

Correct Answer: 2

Explanation

Open Shortest Path First (OSPF) is a link-state interior gateway protocol designed to exchange routing information within an autonomous system. Routers build a Link-State Database representing the network topology and use the Shortest Path First algorithm to calculate optimal paths. OSPF supports hierarchical designs through areas and can converge efficiently after topology changes. BGP is primarily used for inter-domain routing, RIP uses a distance-vector approach, and HSRP provides gateway redundancy rather than routing. OSPF is therefore the appropriate link-state IGP in this scenario.

Question 236

Which IPv6 feature is used to detect duplicate addresses before an interface begins normal use of the address?

1. Router Advertisement
2. Neighbor Solicitation
3. Duplicate Address Detection
4. Router Solicitation

Correct Answer: 3

Explanation

Duplicate Address Detection (DAD) is an IPv6 mechanism used to determine whether another device is already using an address that a host intends to configure. The process uses Neighbor Discovery messages, particularly Neighbor Solicitation, to check whether the address is already active on the local link. If another device responds appropriately, the address cannot safely be used. DAD helps prevent address conflicts in IPv6 networks and is performed before an address is considered valid for normal communication.

Question 237

Which BGP technique adds additional copies of an autonomous system number to make a route path appear longer?

1. Route reflection
2. Aggregation
3. Community tagging
4. AS Path prepending

Correct Answer: 4

Explanation

AS Path prepending intentionally adds multiple copies of an autonomous system number to a BGP route’s AS Path. Because a longer AS Path is generally less preferred during BGP path selection, prepending can influence neighboring networks to choose an alternative route. This technique is commonly used to influence inbound traffic when an organization has multiple connections to another network or provider. It should be applied carefully because routing decisions also depend on other BGP attributes and the policies configured by neighboring autonomous systems.

Question 238

Which protocol is used by Cisco switches to negotiate the creation of an EtherChannel dynamically with a neighboring device?

1. LACP
2. STP
3. VTP
4. DTP

Correct Answer: 1

Explanation

Link Aggregation Control Protocol (LACP) is an IEEE standard used to dynamically negotiate EtherChannel links between compatible network devices. LACP allows multiple physical Ethernet interfaces to operate as a single logical bundle, providing increased bandwidth and redundancy. It uses active and passive modes to establish aggregation. STP prevents Layer 2 loops, VTP distributes VLAN information, and DTP negotiates trunking. LACP is therefore the appropriate protocol when dynamic standards-based EtherChannel negotiation is required.

Question 239

Which wireless architecture centralizes control and management of lightweight access points?

1. Autonomous AP architecture
2. Controller-based WLAN architecture
3. Peer-to-peer WLAN
4. Ad hoc routing architecture

Correct Answer: 2

Explanation

A controller-based WLAN architecture centralizes many wireless management and control functions through a Wireless LAN Controller (WLC). Lightweight access points communicate with the controller, which can manage configuration, security policies, radio settings, and other WLAN operations. Centralized management makes it easier to deploy and maintain larger wireless environments consistently. Autonomous access points perform more functions locally and do not depend on a central controller in the same manner. Controller-based WLANs are therefore well suited for enterprise-scale wireless deployments.

Question 240

Which network automation technology uses YAML-based playbooks to describe tasks that should be executed on managed devices?

1. Python
2. RESTCONF
3. Ansible
4. NETCONF

Correct Answer: 3

Explanation

Ansible uses human-readable YAML playbooks to describe automation tasks and workflows. Administrators can use playbooks to configure network devices, deploy standardized settings, gather information, and perform repeatable operational tasks. Ansible is commonly used in network automation because it can manage multiple devices consistently without requiring administrators to configure each device manually. Python can also automate networks but is a programming language rather than a playbook-based automation framework. RESTCONF and NETCONF provide management interfaces that automation tools can use to interact with network devices.