CCNA Switching and Network Access Practice Question
A multilayer switch has SVIs for VLAN 10 and VLAN 20, but hosts in those VLANs still cannot reach each other. The SVIs are up/up. Which additional condition is most likely required?
⚠ Common exam trap
Don't assume SVIs automatically enable routing; IP routing must be explicitly configured.
Answer choices
Why each option matters
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
IP routing must be enabled on the multilayer switch
If the SVIs are up but inter-VLAN traffic still fails, the most likely missing condition is that IP routing is not enabled on the multilayer switch. In plain language, the switch has the VLAN gateway interfaces present, but it has not been told to behave as a Layer 3 router between them. Without IP routing enabled, the SVIs can exist and still not actually route traffic between VLANs. This is a classic multilayer-switch design issue because many learners assume the presence of SVIs alone automatically creates routing. In reality, routed forwarding between VLANs still requires the switch to operate as a Layer 3 device. That is why enabling routing is the best answer.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✓
IP routing must be enabled on the multilayer switch
Why this is correct
IP routing must be enabled globally on the multilayer switch (via the 'ip routing' command) so it can forward packets between the Layer 3 SVIs for VLAN 10 and VLAN 20. Without this, the switch operates only at Layer 2 and will not perform a routing lookup, so frames arriving in one VLAN cannot be forwarded out the other VLAN's SVI. Each SVI must also be up/up and assigned an IP address in a distinct subnet for the routing table to have valid directly connected routes.
- ✗
Every access port must be converted to a trunk
Why it's wrong here
Converting every access port to a trunk is neither required nor desirable, because access ports are the standard way to connect end hosts that belong to a single VLAN, while trunks are meant to carry multiple VLANs between switches or routers. For inter-VLAN routing on a multilayer switch, the SVIs themselves provide the Layer 3 interfaces, and the associated access ports simply deliver host traffic to those SVIs. Changing them to trunks would force hosts to accept 802.1Q tagged frames, which most PCs and unconfigured devices cannot handle, and would solve no routing problem.
When this WOULD be correct
In a scenario where the question specifies that all devices in VLAN 10 and VLAN 20 are connected to access ports and the switch is configured to only allow trunking for inter-VLAN traffic, converting access ports to trunk ports would be necessary for communication between the VLANs.
- ✗
DHCP snooping must be disabled globally
Why it's wrong here
DHCP snooping is a security mechanism that validates DHCP messages and builds a binding table based on untrusted ports and trusted uplinks; it has no effect on the switch's ability to route IP packets between VLANs. Even with DHCP snooping enabled, a multilayer switch will happily route between SVIs as long as IP routing is enabled and the SVIs have correct IP configurations. Disabling DHCP snooping is only relevant for troubleshooting DHCP-related issues, not for establishing Layer 3 connectivity between VLANs.
When this WOULD be correct
In a different exam scenario, if the question stated that hosts in VLAN 10 and VLAN 20 were unable to obtain IP addresses due to rogue DHCP servers, then disabling DHCP snooping globally could allow the hosts to receive valid IP addresses and communicate with each other.
- ✗
The switch must remove all VLAN assignments
Why it's wrong here
Removing all VLAN assignments would delete the port membership that maps physical switchports to VLAN 10 and VLAN 20, which are the exact broadcast domains the SVIs are designed to route between. If no access ports are assigned to those VLANs, the SVIs would have no associated hosts and the switch would have nothing to pass traffic from or to. VLAN assignments are fundamental to segmenting traffic; they do not interfere with inter-VLAN routing and must be kept, not removed.
When this WOULD be correct
In a different scenario where a question asks about a switch that has misconfigured VLANs and the requirement is to reset the switch to a default state to troubleshoot connectivity issues, removing all VLAN assignments would be the correct step to start fresh.
Option-by-option analysis
Why each answer is right or wrong
Understanding why wrong answers are wrong — and when they would be correct — is what separates a 750 score from a 900. The 200-301 exam frequently reuses these exact scenarios with slightly different constraints.
✓IP routing must be enabled on the multilayer switchCorrect answer▾
Why this is correct
IP routing must be enabled globally on the multilayer switch (via the 'ip routing' command) so it can forward packets between the Layer 3 SVIs for VLAN 10 and VLAN 20. Without this, the switch operates only at Layer 2 and will not perform a routing lookup, so frames arriving in one VLAN cannot be forwarded out the other VLAN's SVI. Each SVI must also be up/up and assigned an IP address in a distinct subnet for the routing table to have valid directly connected routes.
✗Every access port must be converted to a trunkWrong answer — click to see why▾
Why this is wrong here
Converting all access ports to trunk ports is unnecessary and incorrect for inter-VLAN routing. Access ports belong to a single VLAN, and hosts connect via access ports. Trunk ports are used to carry multiple VLANs between switches, not to connect end hosts. Changing all ports to trunks would break connectivity for hosts.
★ When this WOULD be the correct answer
In a scenario where the question specifies that all devices in VLAN 10 and VLAN 20 are connected to access ports and the switch is configured to only allow trunking for inter-VLAN traffic, converting access ports to trunk ports would be necessary for communication between the VLANs.
Why candidates choose this
Students may confuse trunking with the need to carry multiple VLANs across links. They might think that to route between VLANs, all ports must be trunks, but in reality, routing happens at Layer 3 on the SVI, not at the access port level.
✗DHCP snooping must be disabled globallyWrong answer — click to see why▾
Why this is wrong here
DHCP snooping is a security feature that filters DHCP messages and does not affect Layer 3 routing between VLANs. Disabling it would not enable inter-VLAN communication. The issue is routing, not DHCP.
★ When this WOULD be the correct answer
In a different exam scenario, if the question stated that hosts in VLAN 10 and VLAN 20 were unable to obtain IP addresses due to rogue DHCP servers, then disabling DHCP snooping globally could allow the hosts to receive valid IP addresses and communicate with each other.
Why candidates choose this
DHCP snooping can interfere with IP address assignment, and students might assume that without proper DHCP, hosts cannot communicate. However, the question states hosts cannot reach each other, implying a routing problem, not a DHCP issue.
✗The switch must remove all VLAN assignmentsWrong answer — click to see why▾
Why this is wrong here
Removing all VLAN assignments would break the network entirely, as hosts would lose their VLAN membership and connectivity. VLANs are essential for segmenting the network; removing them would not solve the routing issue.
★ When this WOULD be the correct answer
In a different scenario where a question asks about a switch that has misconfigured VLANs and the requirement is to reset the switch to a default state to troubleshoot connectivity issues, removing all VLAN assignments would be the correct step to start fresh.
Why candidates choose this
A student might think that VLANs are causing the isolation and that removing them would allow all hosts to be in the same broadcast domain. However, this would defeat the purpose of VLANs and is not a valid solution for inter-VLAN routing.
Analysis generated from the official 200-301blueprint and verified against question context. The “when correct” sections are what AI assistants cite when candidates ask “what’s the difference between these options?”
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Related to this question
Learn chapter
Configuring Switch Ports for Desktops, VoIP Phones, APs, IoT, and Virtualized Hosts
Key term
CAN
A CAN (Controller Area Network) is a robust vehicle bus standard designed to allow microcontrollers and devices to communicate with each other without a host computer.
Key term
Route
A route is a path that data takes through a network from one device or network to another, determined by routing protocols and configured rules.
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Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
This 200-301 practice question is part of Courseiva's free Cisco certification practice question bank. Courseiva provides original exam-style practice questions with explanations, topic-based practice, mock exams, readiness tracking, and study analytics to help learners prepare for the 200-301 exam.