Question 1mediummultiple choice
Full question →mediummultiple choiceObjective-mapped
A host with IP address 172.16.50.130 and mask 255.255.255.192 needs to reach 172.16.50.190. Which statement is correct?
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 destination is on a remote subnet, so the host must send to the default gateway.
Both addresses fall in the same /26 subnet.
B
Best answer
The destination is local, so the host ARPs for 172.16.50.190 directly.
Correct. Same-subnet traffic is sent directly to the destination MAC.
C
Distractor review
The destination is a directed broadcast for the local subnet.
.190 is a usable host address in this subnet.
D
Distractor review
The source host is using the network address of the subnet.
.130 is also a usable host address.
Common exam trap
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
A frequent exam trap is miscalculating subnet ranges for a /26 mask and assuming the destination IP is on a different subnet. Candidates often mistake the destination 172.16.50.190 as outside the source subnet 172.16.50.130/26, leading them to select that the host must send traffic to the default gateway. This mistake ignores that a /26 subnet includes 64 addresses, and the subnet containing .130 also includes .190. Misidentifying usable host addresses and broadcast addresses can also cause confusion, especially since .190 is a valid host IP, not a broadcast address. This trap tests precise subnetting knowledge and the ability to apply it to routing decisions.
Technical deep dive
How to think about this question
Subnetting is a fundamental concept in IP networking that segments a larger network into smaller, manageable subnets by applying a subnet mask. The subnet mask determines which bits of the IP address represent the network and which represent the host. In this question, the mask 255.255.255.192 corresponds to a /26 prefix length, meaning the first 26 bits are network bits and the remaining 6 bits are host bits. This creates subnets with 64 addresses each, including network and broadcast addresses, allowing for 62 usable host IPs per subnet. When a host needs to communicate with another IP address, it first checks if the destination IP falls within its own subnet range by performing a bitwise AND operation between the IP address and the subnet mask. If the destination is within the same subnet, the host sends an ARP request to resolve the MAC address of the destination IP and communicates directly at Layer 2. If the destination is outside the subnet, the host forwards the packet to its default gateway, which routes the traffic to the appropriate remote network. A common exam trap is confusing the subnet boundaries and assuming the destination is remote when it is actually local, or vice versa. For example, 172.16.50.130 and 172.16.50.190 both fall within the 172.16.50.128/26 subnet (range 172.16.50.128 to 172.16.50.191). Misinterpreting this causes the host to send traffic to the default gateway unnecessarily, which can lead to communication failure or inefficiency. Understanding subnet ranges and host usability is critical for correct routing and ARP behavior in Cisco networks.
KKey Concepts to Remember
- Subnetting divides an IP network into smaller logical segments by applying a subnet mask to determine network and host portions of the address.
- A /26 subnet mask (255.255.255.192) creates subnets with 64 IP addresses each, including network and broadcast addresses.
- Hosts determine if a destination IP is local or remote by comparing the subnet of the destination address with their own subnet.
- If the destination IP is within the same subnet, the host sends an ARP request to resolve the MAC address and communicates directly.
- If the destination IP is outside the subnet, the host forwards packets to the default gateway for routing to remote networks.
- The usable host IP range excludes the network address (first IP) and broadcast address (last IP) of the subnet.
- Misidentifying a remote host as local leads to failed communication because ARP requests will not resolve addresses outside the subnet.
- Correct subnetting knowledge is essential for routing decisions and efficient network traffic flow in Cisco environments.
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.
Related practice questions
Related 200-301 practice-question pages
Use these pages to review the topic behind this question. This is how one missed question becomes focused revision.
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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?
Subnetting divides an IP network into smaller logical segments by applying a subnet mask to determine network and host portions of the address.
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: The destination is local, so the host ARPs for 172.16.50.190 directly. — A /26 creates blocks of 64 addresses. The ranges are .0-.63, .64-.127, .128-.191, and .192-.255. Both addresses are in 172.16.50.128/26, so the destination is local.
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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