Question 700 of 1,819

Network Infrastructure and Connectivity →mediumDrag & DropObjective-mapped

Quick Answer

The correct order begins with examining the cable and connectors for physical damage or dirt, as this is the most fundamental layer‑1 check in any fiber optic link troubleshooting order for CCNA. This sequence follows Cisco’s recommended methodology because you must rule out simple physical faults before moving to transceiver diagnostics or interface commands; a dirty connector or broken fiber will cause errors regardless of SFP compatibility or optical levels. On the CCNA 200-301 v2 exam, this drag‑and‑drop task tests your ability to apply a logical, top‑down troubleshooting flow rather than jumping to advanced diagnostics, and a common trap is placing optical power checks before verifying the interface is up and the SFP is recognized. Remember the mnemonic “Cable, SFP, Status, Light, Errors” — or simply think “Physical first, then digital, then optical, then counters” to lock in the correct order.

CCNA Network Infrastructure and Connectivity Practice Question

This 200-301 practice question tests your understanding of network infrastructure and connectivity. The scenario asks you to isolate a root cause — eliminate options that address a different problem before choosing. After answering, compare your reasoning against the explanation and wrong-answer breakdown below. Once you have made your selection, read the full explanation to reinforce the concept and understand why each distractor is designed to mislead on exam day.

Drag and drop the following steps into the correct order to troubleshoot a fiber optic link that is down on a Cisco switch using SFP transceiver diagnostics and interface commands.

Question 1mediumdrag order

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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

✓

Physically verify the fiber cable connectors are clean, undamaged, and correctly mated with the SFP transceiver.

The logical troubleshooting sequence moves from simple physical checks to detailed diagnostics. Step 1 verifies the most basic physical layer (cable and connectors). Step 2 confirms the SFP compatibility and seating. Step 3 checks the interface administrative and protocol status. Step 4 inspects optical levels, which can only be meaningful if the interface is up and the SFP is recognized. Step 5 examines error counters for deeper layer‑1 issues. This order follows Cisco’s recommended troubleshooting methodology: physical → transceiver → interface status → optical diagnostics → error counters.

Key principle: NAT direction and interface roles matter as much as the IP address mapping. Inside/outside designation controls which traffic is translated.

Common exam traps

Common exam trap: NAT rules depend on direction and matching traffic

NAT is not only about the public address. The inside/outside interface roles and the ACL or rule that matches traffic are just as important.

Detailed technical explanation

How to think about this question

NAT questions usually test address translation, overload/PAT behaviour, static mappings and whether the right traffic is being translated. Read the interface direction and address terms carefully.

KKey Concepts to Remember

Static NAT maps one inside address to one outside address.
PAT allows many inside hosts to share one public address using ports.
Inside local and inside global describe the private and translated addresses.
NAT ACLs identify traffic for translation, not always security filtering.

TExam Day Tips

Identify inside and outside interfaces first.
Check whether the scenario needs static NAT, dynamic NAT or PAT.
Do not confuse NAT matching ACLs with normal packet-filtering intent.

Key takeaway

NAT direction and interface roles matter as much as the IP address mapping. Inside/outside designation controls which traffic is translated.

Real-world example

How this comes up in practice

A small business has 20 workstations on the 192.168.1.0/24 network and one public IP from its ISP. The router uses PAT (NAT overload) so all 20 devices share one public address using different source ports. NAT questions test whether you understand the four address terms and which direction each translation applies.

What to study next

Got this wrong? Here's your next step.

Review the four NAT address types (inside local, inside global, outside local, outside global), PAT port overload, and static vs dynamic NAT use cases. Then practise related 200-301 NAT questions on configuration and troubleshooting.

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FAQ

Questions learners often ask

What does this 200-301 question test?

Network Infrastructure and Connectivity — This question tests Network Infrastructure and Connectivity — Static NAT maps one inside address to one outside address..

What is the correct answer to this question?

The correct answer is: Physically verify the fiber cable connectors are clean, undamaged, and correctly mated with the SFP transceiver. — The logical troubleshooting sequence moves from simple physical checks to detailed diagnostics. Step 1 verifies the most basic physical layer (cable and connectors). Step 2 confirms the SFP compatibility and seating. Step 3 checks the interface administrative and protocol status. Step 4 inspects optical levels, which can only be meaningful if the interface is up and the SFP is recognized. Step 5 examines error counters for deeper layer‑1 issues. This order follows Cisco’s recommended troubleshooting methodology: physical → transceiver → interface status → optical diagnostics → error counters.

What should I do if I get this 200-301 question wrong?

What is the key concept behind this question?

Static NAT maps one inside address to one outside address.

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Same concept, more angles

1 more ways this is tested on 200-301

These questions test the same concept from different angles. Work through them to make sure you can recognise it however the exam phrases it.

Variation 1. Drag and drop the following steps into the correct order to troubleshoot a link-down issue on a GigabitEthernet interface using an SFP transceiver.

medium

✓ A.Identify the interface with the link-down condition using the 'show interfaces' command and note any input/output errors.
✓ B.Verify the physical connection matches the SFP type (e.g., fiber patch cord for fiber SFP, copper cable for copper SFP) and the connector is secure.
✓ C.Confirm the SFP transceiver is properly seated and recognized by the switch using 'show inventory' or 'show interface transceiver.'
✓ D.Examine the SFP’s health and optical power levels with 'show interfaces transceiver detail' to check TX/RX power, temperature, and voltage.
✓ E.If optical power is outside the acceptable range, clean fiber connectors and re-test; if levels are normal but the link is still down, replace the SFP transceiver.

Why A: Troubleshooting begins by verifying the interface status and physical layer (steps 1-2). Next, you ensure the SFP is physically and logically recognized (step 3) before retrieving specific diagnostic data (step 4). Only after confirming the health of the transceiver do you take corrective action (step 5), because replacing hardware without diagnostics may waste resources.

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