Question 1mediummultiple choice
Full question →mediummultiple choiceObjective-mapped
A host at 192.168.50.10/24 needs to send traffic to 192.168.60.20. Which MAC address will it normally place in the Ethernet destination field for the first frame?
Answer choices
Why each option matters
Good practice is not just finding the correct option. The wrong answers often show the exact trap the exam wants you to fall into.
A
Distractor review
The MAC address of the remote host at 192.168.60.20
This is wrong because the remote host is on a different IP network. ARP works on the local link, not across routers.
B
Distractor review
The broadcast MAC address only
This is wrong because broadcast is not the normal destination MAC for the actual data frame. Only the ARP request may be broadcast.
C
Best answer
The MAC address of its configured default gateway
This is correct because the default gateway is the local next-hop device for off-subnet traffic.
D
Distractor review
Its own source MAC address
This is wrong because a device’s own MAC address is used as the source MAC, not the destination MAC.
Common exam trap
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
A frequent exam trap is selecting the remote host’s MAC address as the Ethernet destination for off-subnet traffic. This is incorrect because ARP requests cannot resolve MAC addresses beyond the local subnet. Candidates may confuse IP routing with MAC addressing and assume direct frame delivery to the remote device. The trap lies in overlooking the default gateway’s role as the local next-hop device that receives frames destined for remote IPs. Remember, the host always sends the frame to the gateway’s MAC, not the remote host’s MAC, when the destination is outside the local subnet.
Technical deep dive
How to think about this question
In IP networking, devices communicate on a local subnet using MAC addresses resolved via ARP (Address Resolution Protocol). When a host wants to send a packet to an IP address within its own subnet, it uses ARP to find the MAC address of the destination device and sends the Ethernet frame directly to that MAC. However, if the destination IP is outside the local subnet, the host cannot resolve the remote device's MAC address directly because ARP requests do not cross routers. The decision process for sending frames to off-subnet destinations involves the default gateway, typically a router interface on the local subnet. The host recognizes the destination IP is outside its subnet by applying its subnet mask and then forwards the frame to the default gateway's MAC address. The IP packet inside the frame still carries the final destination IP, but the Ethernet frame is addressed to the gateway's MAC. This allows the router to receive the frame, route the packet appropriately, and forward it toward the remote destination. A common exam trap is assuming the host sends the frame directly to the remote host's MAC address. This mistake ignores the role of subnetting and routing in Ethernet frame addressing. Practically, hosts never ARP for off-subnet IPs; they only ARP for the gateway's MAC. Understanding this behavior is crucial for troubleshooting LAN-to-WAN communication and for correctly configuring routing and ARP on Cisco devices.
KKey Concepts to Remember
- A host uses ARP to resolve MAC addresses only for IP addresses within its local subnet.
- When the destination IP is outside the local subnet, the host sends frames to the MAC address of its configured default gateway.
- The default gateway acts as the next-hop router for all off-subnet traffic from the host.
- Ethernet frames carry the MAC address of the next-hop device, while IP packets inside carry the ultimate destination IP address.
- Hosts do not ARP for remote IP addresses because ARP requests are limited to the local broadcast domain.
- Subnetting determines whether a destination IP is local or remote, influencing MAC address resolution and frame forwarding.
- Routers forward packets between subnets by receiving frames addressed to their MAC and routing the encapsulated IP packets accordingly.
- Misunderstanding the role of the default gateway MAC address leads to common exam mistakes about frame addressing.
TExam Day Tips
- Watch for words such as best, first, most likely and least administrative effort.
- Review why wrong options are wrong, not only why the correct option is correct.
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More questions from this exam
Keep practising from the same exam bank, or move into a focused topic page if this question exposed a weak area.
Question 1
A router learns the same prefix from both OSPF and EIGRP. Which route is installed by default?
Question 2
A router shows this output: R1#show ip ospf neighbor Neighbor ID Pri State Dead Time Address Interface 10.1.1.2 1 FULL/DR 00:00:34 192.168.12.2 GigabitEthernet0/0 10.1.1.3 1 2WAY/DROTHER 00:00:39 192.168.12.3 GigabitEthernet0/0 Which statement is correct?
Question 3
What is the OSPF metric called?
Question 4
A non-root switch has two uplinks toward the root bridge. One path has a lower total STP cost than the other. What role will the lower-cost uplink have?
Question 5
A router interface applies this ACL inbound: 10 deny tcp any any eq 80 20 permit ip any any A user reports that web browsing to a server by IP address fails, but ping works. Which statement best explains the behavior?
Question 6
A router learns route 198.51.100.0/24 from OSPF with AD 110 and also has a static route to the same prefix configured with AD 150. Which route is installed?
FAQ
Questions learners often ask
What does this 200-301 question test?
A host uses ARP to resolve MAC addresses only for IP addresses within its local subnet.
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: The MAC address of its configured default gateway — When a host wants to send traffic to a different IP subnet, it does not send the frame directly to the remote device’s MAC address. In plain language, the host knows the destination IP is off its local network, so it hands the traffic to the local router. That means the Ethernet frame is addressed to the default gateway’s MAC address, while the IP packet inside still carries the final remote IP destination. A host uses ARP to learn MAC addresses on its own LAN. Since the remote host is not local, the sender does not ARP for the remote host’s MAC. Instead, it ARPs for the gateway interface on the same subnet.
What should I do if I get this 200-301 question wrong?
Then try more questions from the same exam bank and focus on understanding why the wrong options are tempting.
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