Question 1hardmulti select
Full question →hardmulti selectObjective-mapped
A switch interface connected to a Cisco IP phone with a PC behind it must carry voice and data correctly. Which two switchport commands are appropriate on that access port?
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
switchport mode trunk
A user-facing phone port is not typically configured as a trunk.
B
Best answer
switchport access vlan 10
That assigns the PC data VLAN.
C
Best answer
switchport voice vlan 20
That assigns the tagged voice VLAN for the IP phone.
D
Distractor review
channel-group 1 mode active
EtherChannel is unrelated to a single user edge port.
E
Distractor review
spanning-tree cost 1
This does not address the phone-plus-PC access-port requirement.
Common exam trap
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
A frequent exam trap is selecting switchport mode trunk for a port connected to an IP phone with a PC behind it. Candidates may assume that because voice VLAN uses tagging, the port must be a trunk. However, the correct design keeps the port as an access port with a voice VLAN configured. Trunk mode is intended for switch-to-switch or switch-to-router links, not for user-facing ports. Choosing trunk mode can cause connectivity issues for the PC and phone and is marked incorrect on the exam.
Technical deep dive
How to think about this question
In Cisco campus networks, when connecting an IP phone with a PC behind it to a switch port, the port must handle both voice and data traffic properly. The switchport access vlan command assigns the untagged VLAN for the PC’s data traffic, ensuring that the workstation’s frames are forwarded in the correct VLAN. The switchport voice vlan command configures a separate VLAN for the IP phone’s voice traffic, which is tagged with 802.1Q frames to separate voice from data logically on the same physical port. The switchport remains in access mode because the PC does not send tagged frames, and the phone inserts tagged voice frames. The switchport voice vlan command enables the switch to accept tagged voice frames on that port and associate them with the voice VLAN, while untagged frames are assigned to the access VLAN. This design supports Quality of Service (QoS) and security by isolating voice traffic from data traffic on the same physical interface. A common exam trap is confusing the need for trunk mode on the port. Although voice VLAN uses tagging, the port itself is not configured as a trunk because the PC behind the phone does not tag frames. The voice VLAN feature allows the switch to handle tagged voice frames without requiring trunk mode, which is reserved for switch-to-switch links or links to routers. Understanding this distinction is critical for correct switchport configuration and passing the CCNA exam.
KKey Concepts to Remember
- A switchport configured with switchport access vlan assigns untagged data frames to the specified VLAN for PC traffic.
- The switchport voice vlan command enables the port to accept tagged voice frames from the IP phone on a separate VLAN.
- An access port with voice VLAN remains in access mode, not trunk mode, to support untagged PC traffic and tagged voice traffic simultaneously.
- Voice VLAN tagging uses 802.1Q to separate voice traffic logically without requiring the entire port to operate as a trunk.
- Cisco IP phones insert tagged voice frames on the same physical port where the PC sends untagged data frames.
- Configuring channel-group or EtherChannel on a single user-facing port is incorrect because EtherChannel aggregates multiple physical links.
- Spanning-tree cost commands do not affect VLAN tagging or voice/data separation on access ports connected to IP phones.
- Proper VLAN separation of voice and data traffic improves network security and Quality of Service for voice communications.
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.
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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?
A switchport configured with switchport access vlan assigns untagged data frames to the specified VLAN for PC traffic.
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: switchport access vlan 10 — The access VLAN carries the workstation data traffic, and the voice VLAN carries tagged voice traffic for the IP phone. That is the standard campus switchport design for a phone with a PC behind it. The port itself remains an access port, but the two most directly relevant commands here are the access VLAN and voice VLAN assignments.
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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