CCNA Switching and Network Access Practice Question

Answer analysis

Option-by-option breakdown

For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.

• ✓

  The EtherChannel should form if the other interface settings are compatible.

  Why this is correct

  A valid LACP EtherChannel can form with both switches in active mode because active interfaces actively transmit LACP protocol data units (PDUs) and negotiate the bundle. As long as the physical interface settings (speed, duplex, allowed VLANs, trunk encapsulation, and switchport mode) are consistent on both sides, the channel will come up. The active/active pairing is a standard and robust configuration for dynamic link aggregation.

• ✗

  The channel fails because both sides must be passive.

  Why it's wrong here

  If both sides are configured with LACP passive mode, the channel will fail to form because passive interfaces only respond to received LACP PDUs and never initiate negotiation. With no active device to start the handshake, neither switch will recognize the peer's capability for aggregation, leaving the member links in a standalone state. Thus, passive/passive is the pairing that prevents LACP from establishing the bundle.

  When this WOULD be correct

  In a different scenario, if the question stated that both sides were configured for LACP passive, then this option would be correct. The question would need to specify that both switches cannot negotiate the EtherChannel actively, thus requiring one side to be passive for the channel to form.

• ✗

  The channel becomes a routed interface automatically.

  Why it's wrong here

  LACP is a link aggregation control protocol that operates independently of the Layer 2 or Layer 3 configuration of the ports; it does not automatically convert an EtherChannel into a routed interface. Whether the resulting port-channel is a Layer 2 switchport or a Layer 3 routed port is determined by the 'switchport' or 'no switchport' configuration, not by LACP itself. Therefore, the channel remains in its configured mode unless the administrator explicitly changes the interface type.

  When this WOULD be correct

  In a different scenario where the question states that the EtherChannel is configured with 'no switchport' command on both ends, indicating that the interfaces are intended to be routed, this option would be correct as the interfaces would indeed become routed interfaces.

• ✗

  All VLAN tags are removed from the bundle by default.

  Why it's wrong here

  Forming an EtherChannel does not strip or alter VLAN tags on the aggregated link. When operating as a Layer 2 trunk, each member interface carries the same VLAN tags as any standard trunk port, and the EtherChannel bundle simply aggregates bandwidth while preserving 802.1Q tagging. The statement confuses logical bundling with VLAN manipulation; VLAN tags remain intact for all traffic traversing the channel.

  When this WOULD be correct

  In a different question, if it asked about a specific configuration where the EtherChannel is set up to operate in a mode that strips VLAN tags, such as when using a specific type of trunking protocol that does not support VLANs, this option would be correct.

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.

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?”