CCNA Switching and Network Access Practice Question
A multilayer switch has working SVIs for VLAN 10 and VLAN 20, but traffic between the VLANs fails. Hosts can ping their own gateway interfaces. Which misconfiguration is most strongly suggested if the SVIs themselves are correct?
⚠ Common exam trap
Remember that SVIs alone do not enable inter-VLAN routing; IP routing must be explicitly enabled on the switch.
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 is not enabled on the multilayer switch.
IP routing is not enabled. The switch can ping SVIs locally because they are directly connected, but without `ip routing`, it cannot forward packets between VLANs. Option B is wrong because different VLANs require different subnets for routing. Option C is wrong because access ports do not need to be trunks; SVIs handle routing at Layer 3. Option D is wrong because the wireless controller does not provide the default gateway for wired VLAN routing; the SVI does.
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 is not enabled on the multilayer switch.
Why this is correct
The correct answer is that IP routing is not enabled globally on the multilayer switch. Even with SVIs for VLAN 10 and 20 created and hosts able to ping their respective gateways, the switch will not forward packets between VLANs unless the `ip routing` global configuration command has been issued. Without this command, the switch functions as a Layer 2 device; it has SVI interfaces but no Layer 3 forwarding table to route traffic from one subnet to another. To fix this, you must enable IP routing and, if needed, configure static routes or a dynamic routing protocol.
- ✗
Both VLANs need to use the same IP subnet.
Why it's wrong here
The claim that both VLANs must use the same IP subnet is incorrect, and in fact that would break inter-VLAN routing. Each VLAN must have its own unique IP subnet so that the SVI can act as a distinct routed interface and the switch can make routing decisions between subnets. If both VLANs shared the same subnet, hosts would assume the destination is on the local segment and send ARP requests, but Layer 2 broadcast domains are isolated per VLAN, preventing communication. Moreover, having two SVIs with overlapping addresses would cause an IP address conflict on the switch, rendering routing impossible.
When this WOULD be correct
In a different scenario where the question states that both VLAN 10 and VLAN 20 are configured with the same IP subnet, such as 192.168.1.0/24, this option would be correct. This would lead to IP address conflicts and prevent inter-VLAN communication.
- ✗
All access ports must be converted into trunks.
Why it's wrong here
Converting all access ports to trunks would not resolve inter-VLAN routing failure because the SVIs are already correctly configured and hosts can ping their gateways, indicating Layer 2 connectivity is intact. The issue lies in the switch’s routing table or IP routing being disabled, not in port mode. This option is tempting because trunks carry multiple VLANs and are necessary for inter-switch VLAN traffic, but here the problem is Layer 3 forwarding, not trunk encapsulation.
When this WOULD be correct
In a different scenario, if the question stated that VLANs 10 and 20 were configured on a switch with all ports set as access ports and required trunking to allow inter-VLAN traffic, then this option would be correct.
- ✗
The wireless controller must provide the default gateway.
Why it's wrong here
The wireless controller is not responsible for providing the default gateway for wired SVIs on a multilayer switch. In this scenario, the SVIs for VLAN 10 and 20 are the Layer 3 interfaces that serve as the gateways for hosts in those VLANs; any routing between VLANs happens on the switch itself. A wireless LAN controller (WLC) manages access points and wireless client traffic, but it does not participate in routing between wired VLANs unless specifically configured as a router, which is not the case here. Thus, involving the WLC would not resolve the inter-VLAN routing failure, which stems solely from the switch's Layer 3 routing capability being disabled.
When this WOULD be correct
In a different scenario where the question states that hosts in VLAN 10 and VLAN 20 are connected to a wireless network and the wireless controller is responsible for routing traffic between VLANs, then this option would be correct. For example, if the question specifies that the wireless controller is the primary device managing VLAN traffic, then it would need to provide the default gateway.
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 is not enabled on the multilayer switch.Correct answer▾
Why this is correct
The correct answer is that IP routing is not enabled globally on the multilayer switch. Even with SVIs for VLAN 10 and 20 created and hosts able to ping their respective gateways, the switch will not forward packets between VLANs unless the `ip routing` global configuration command has been issued. Without this command, the switch functions as a Layer 2 device; it has SVI interfaces but no Layer 3 forwarding table to route traffic from one subnet to another. To fix this, you must enable IP routing and, if needed, configure static routes or a dynamic routing protocol.
✗Both VLANs need to use the same IP subnet.Wrong answer — click to see why▾
Why this is wrong here
This option is incorrect because VLANs can communicate with each other through a multilayer switch as long as they are configured with distinct subnets. The issue in the question is related to IP routing, not subnetting.
★ When this WOULD be the correct answer
In a different scenario where the question states that both VLAN 10 and VLAN 20 are configured with the same IP subnet, such as 192.168.1.0/24, this option would be correct. This would lead to IP address conflicts and prevent inter-VLAN communication.
Why candidates choose this
Candidates may choose this option due to a misunderstanding of VLAN configurations, thinking that VLANs must share the same subnet for communication, which is a common misconception in networking.
✗All access ports must be converted into trunks.Wrong answer — click to see why▾
Why this is wrong here
This option is wrong because access ports do not need to be converted into trunks for inter-VLAN routing to function; SVIs can route traffic between VLANs as long as IP routing is enabled.
★ When this WOULD be the correct answer
In a different scenario, if the question stated that VLANs 10 and 20 were configured on a switch with all ports set as access ports and required trunking to allow inter-VLAN traffic, then this option would be correct.
Why candidates choose this
Candidates may choose this option because they might confuse the need for trunking in scenarios involving multiple VLANs on a single physical link, leading them to mistakenly believe that all access ports must be trunks for routing to occur.
✗The wireless controller must provide the default gateway.Wrong answer — click to see why▾
Why this is wrong here
This option is incorrect because the default gateway for hosts in VLANs is typically configured on the multilayer switch's SVIs, not on the wireless controller. The issue in the question is related to inter-VLAN routing, not gateway configuration.
★ When this WOULD be the correct answer
In a different scenario where the question states that hosts in VLAN 10 and VLAN 20 are connected to a wireless network and the wireless controller is responsible for routing traffic between VLANs, then this option would be correct. For example, if the question specifies that the wireless controller is the primary device managing VLAN traffic, then it would need to provide the default gateway.
Why candidates choose this
Candidates might choose this option due to a common misconception that wireless networks always require a controller for routing, leading them to overlook the multilayer switch's role in inter-VLAN communication.
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?”
Visual reference
Go deeper
Related to this question
Learn chapter
Configuring Switch Ports for Desktops, VoIP Phones, APs, IoT, and Virtualized Hosts
Key term
Default gateway
A default gateway is a network device, typically a router, that acts as the exit point for traffic from a local network to other networks, including the internet.
Key term
Ping
Ping is a network utility used to test whether a remote computer or device is reachable across an IP network and to measure the round-trip time of data packets.
About these practice questions
Courseiva writes every 200-301 question from scratch — 1,389 in total, each with an explanation and a wrong-answer breakdown. None are copied from real exams or dumps. Learn why practice questions differ from exam dumps →
JA
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.