Question 1hardmultiple choice
Full question →hardmultiple choiceObjective-mapped
A switchport connected to another switch should carry multiple VLANs, but it was manually configured as an access port. What is the most likely operational result?
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
Best answer
The link will not carry multiple VLANs as intended because an access port handles one VLAN only.
This is correct because access mode is the wrong role for a multi-VLAN inter-switch link.
B
Distractor review
The switch automatically converts the access port into a proper trunk.
This is wrong because the device does not simply self-correct the design requirement.
C
Distractor review
The port becomes a routed Layer 3 interface.
This is wrong because access-port configuration does not create a routed port.
D
Distractor review
The VLANs are summarized into one prefix automatically.
This is wrong because VLAN transport and route summarization are unrelated concepts.
Common exam trap
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
A common exam trap is assuming that a switchport configured as an access port will automatically handle multiple VLANs or convert itself into a trunk port. Candidates might think the link will carry all VLANs as intended because the physical connection is up. However, an access port strictly handles traffic for only one VLAN and does not tag frames. This leads to VLAN traffic being dropped or isolated, causing communication failures between switches. The trap lies in confusing physical link status with correct VLAN transport behavior, which the exam tests by requiring knowledge of switchport modes and VLAN tagging.
Technical deep dive
How to think about this question
A switchport configured as an access port is designed to carry traffic for only a single VLAN. This means that any frame entering or leaving the port is tagged or untagged according to that single VLAN assignment. In contrast, a trunk port is used to carry traffic for multiple VLANs simultaneously by tagging frames with IEEE 802.1Q VLAN tags. This tagging allows switches to differentiate and forward frames to the correct VLAN across inter-switch links. When a link between two switches is intended to carry multiple VLANs, it must be configured as a trunk port. The trunk port encapsulates frames with VLAN tags so that multiple VLANs can share the same physical link without traffic mixing. If the port is manually set as an access port instead, it will only forward untagged frames belonging to the configured VLAN, effectively blocking traffic from other VLANs. This causes a logical mismatch and prevents the intended multi-VLAN communication. This misconfiguration is a common exam trap because the physical link may still come up and appear operational, but VLAN traffic will not flow correctly. The access port does not negotiate or convert itself into a trunk, so the multi-VLAN design fails silently. Network engineers must verify switchport modes carefully to ensure that inter-switch links carrying multiple VLANs are set to trunk mode, avoiding connectivity issues and VLAN isolation problems.
KKey Concepts to Remember
- A switchport configured as an access port carries traffic for only one VLAN and does not tag frames with VLAN identifiers.
- Trunk ports use IEEE 802.1Q tagging to carry multiple VLANs simultaneously over a single physical link between switches.
- Inter-switch links designed to carry multiple VLANs must be configured as trunk ports to maintain VLAN separation and forwarding.
- An access port cannot automatically convert into a trunk port; manual configuration is required to enable trunking.
- VLAN tagging is essential for multi-VLAN transport and prevents traffic from different VLANs from mixing on the same link.
- Physical link status does not guarantee correct VLAN transport; a link can be up but still fail to carry multiple VLANs if misconfigured.
- Misconfiguring a trunk link as an access port causes VLAN traffic isolation and communication failures between switches.
- Switchport mode mismatches between connected devices cause VLAN connectivity issues and are a common troubleshooting focus in CCNA.
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 as an access port carries traffic for only one VLAN and does not tag frames with VLAN identifiers.
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: The link will not carry multiple VLANs as intended because an access port handles one VLAN only. — The most likely result is that traffic will not be carried across the link the way a multi-VLAN trunk requires. In practical terms, an access port is designed to carry one VLAN only. If the link is meant to support multiple VLANs between switches, the wrong switchport mode creates a logical mismatch with the design. This is a common switching fault pattern because the link may still come up physically while VLAN connectivity behaves incorrectly.
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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