A phone and PC share one switchport. The phone registers successfully, but the workstation receives an address from the wrong subnet. Which explanation is strongest?
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.
Best answer
The workstation is likely in the wrong data VLAN even though the phone is in the correct voice VLAN.
This is correct because voice and data can use different VLAN roles on the same physical port.
Distractor review
If the phone works, the data VLAN must also be correct automatically.
This is wrong because voice and data VLAN behavior is separated.
Distractor review
The problem must be CAPWAP because phones require AP controllers.
This is wrong because the scenario is wired edge switching, not wireless controller operation.
Distractor review
The phone registration proves that DHCP cannot be the issue for the PC.
This is wrong because the PC can still be assigned within the wrong VLAN or wrong scope.
Common exam trap
Common exam trap: an active trunk can still block the VLAN you need
A trunk being up does not prove every VLAN is crossing it. Check allowed VLAN lists, native VLAN mismatch, VLAN existence and access-port assignment.
Technical deep dive
How to think about this question
VLAN questions usually combine access-port and trunking clues. The key is to identify whether the issue is local to one switchport, caused by the trunk, or caused by the VLAN not existing where it needs to exist.
KKey Concepts to Remember
- Access ports place end devices into a single VLAN.
- Trunk ports carry multiple VLANs between switches.
- Allowed VLAN lists decide which VLANs can cross a trunk.
- Native VLAN mismatch can create confusing symptoms.
TExam Day Tips
- Use show vlan brief to verify access VLANs.
- Use show interfaces trunk to verify trunk state and allowed VLANs.
- Do not treat every same-VLAN issue as a routing problem.
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?
Access ports place end devices into a single VLAN.
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: The workstation is likely in the wrong data VLAN even though the phone is in the correct voice VLAN. — The strongest explanation is that the access VLAN for the workstation side of the port is incorrect. In practical terms, the phone may still be using the correct voice VLAN while the attached workstation is placed into the wrong data VLAN. Because voice and data are separated logically on the same port, one can succeed while the other fails. This is a very realistic access-layer troubleshooting scenario for enterprise IP telephony environments.
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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