CCNA Network Services and Security Practice Question
A network administrator needs to configure a Cisco router to act as a DHCP server for a small LAN. The router should lease addresses from the 192.168.10.0/24 network, exclude addresses 192.168.10.1 through 192.168.10.10 for static devices, and set the default gateway to 192.168.10.1. Which command is required to exclude the static addresses from the DHCP pool?
⚠ Common exam trap
Candidates often confuse the global excluded-address command with a pool-level command, or using a subnet mask instead of an end address.
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 dhcp excluded-address 192.168.10.1 192.168.10.10
The ip dhcp excluded-address command is used in global configuration mode to prevent the DHCP server from assigning specific addresses. It takes a starting and ending IP address, and any address in that range is excluded from all DHCP pools. This is the correct way to reserve addresses for static devices like routers, servers, and printers.
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 dhcp excluded-address 192.168.10.1 192.168.10.10
Why this is correct
The ip dhcp excluded-address command, entered in global configuration mode, specifies a range of addresses that the DHCP server will not assign to clients. Using the start and end addresses excludes the entire range 192.168.10.1 through 192.168.10.10, which are reserved for static devices such as the router and servers.
- ✗
ip dhcp pool excluded 192.168.10.1 192.168.10.10
Why it's wrong here
This command syntax is invalid. The ip dhcp pool command creates a DHCP pool and enters DHCP pool configuration mode, but it does not accept an address range as an argument. Excluding addresses is done with the separate global configuration command ip dhcp excluded-address, not within the pool definition.
- ✗
exclude-address 192.168.10.1 192.168.10.10
Why it's wrong here
This command is not a valid Cisco IOS command in any configuration mode. The correct command includes the ip dhcp prefix and is entered in global configuration mode. Without the correct prefix, the router will reject the command, and the static addresses would remain available for DHCP assignment.
- ✗
ip dhcp excluded-address 192.168.10.1 255.255.255.0
Why it's wrong here
The second argument must be the last IP address in the excluded range, not a subnet mask. Using a mask such as 255.255.255.0 would be interpreted as an invalid end address, and the exclusion would not work as intended. The correct syntax uses two IP addresses to define the range.
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Troubleshoot: DHCP Relay Not Working
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
LAN
Local Area Network — a network confined to a single physical location such as an office, building, or campus.
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JA
Written and reviewed by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
Last reviewed September 2026 · checked against the official Cisco exam blueprint
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.