These questions describe a network symptom and ask you to identify the root cause or the correct fix. They appear across all certification exams and reward systematic thinking over memorisation. The best candidates follow a consistent troubleshooting framework even under time pressure.
Start Scenario PracticeA network administrator is troubleshooting a BGP routing issue where routes from an eBGP neighbor are not being installed in the routing table. The 'show ip bgp' output shows the routes are received but not valid. What is the most likely cause?
Explanation: For a BGP route to be considered valid and installed in the routing table, the next-hop IP address must be reachable via an IGP or a static route. If the next hop is not reachable, the route will appear in the 'show ip bgp' output but will be marked as not valid (often with a 'r' for received but not valid). This is the most common cause when routes are received from an eBGP neighbor but not installed.
A network engineer is troubleshooting a problem where Cisco DNA Center is not receiving syslog messages from a critical core switch. The switch is configured to send syslog to the DNA Center's IP address. The engineer checks the DNA Center syslog collector and finds that it is enabled. What should the engineer check next?
Explanation: Cisco DNA Center's syslog collector listens on specific ports (default UDP 514). If the switch is configured to send syslog but DNA Center is not receiving it, a common issue is that the syslog port is blocked by a firewall or ACL between the switch and DNA Center. The engineer should verify network connectivity and port accessibility.
A network engineer is troubleshooting a model-driven telemetry deployment on a Cisco IOS-XE router. The telemetry subscription is configured to stream interface statistics using gRPC dial-out to a collector at 10.1.1.100:50051. The engineer verifies that the collector is listening on the port and the router can reach it. However, the collector shows no data received. The engineer checks the router's telemetry logs and sees 'Connection refused' errors. What is the most likely cause?
Explanation: That the collector is not configured to accept gRPC connections, or the gRPC server on the collector is not running. The 'Connection refused' error indicates that the TCP connection is being rejected, typically because the collector's gRPC server is not listening on that port. The other options are incorrect because the router can reach the collector, so firewall is not blocking; the subscription is configured correctly; and the encoding is not the cause of connection refusal.
Drag and drop the steps of troubleshooting NetFlow export issues into the correct order, from first to last.
Explanation: Start by verifying NetFlow is enabled on the interface. Then check the exporter configuration and collector reachability. Next, inspect the flow cache for active records. Finally, review export statistics for errors.
Drag and drop the steps of EtherChannel troubleshooting and verification steps into the correct order, from first to last.
Explanation: Troubleshooting EtherChannel should begin with checking the physical port status using 'show interfaces' to identify any link-level issues such as errors or down ports. Next, verify the EtherChannel bundle with 'show etherchannel summary' to confirm that the bundle is formed and which ports are members. Then, inspect protocol details with 'show etherchannel detail' to look for mismatches in configuration like PAgP/LACP modes or VLAN allowed lists. After that, check load-balancing with 'show etherchannel load-balance' to ensure traffic is distributed as expected. Finally, test end-to-end connectivity with ping and traceroute to confirm data flow across the bundle.
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Practice all Troubleshooting Scenario QuestionsThese questions describe a network symptom and ask you to identify the root cause or the correct fix. They appear across all certification exams and reward systematic thinking over memorisation. The best candidates follow a consistent troubleshooting framework even under time pressure. These appear throughout the 350-401 and require you to apply your knowledge, not just recall facts.
Cisco doesn't publish an exact breakdown, but scenario-based questions (especially exhibit and command-output formats) make up a significant portion of the 350-401. Practicing each scenario type ensures you're ready for any format.
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