Question 519 of 1,389
CCNA Switching and Network Access Practice Question
Exhibit
SW1# show ip interface brief Interface IP-Address OK? Method Status Protocol Vlan1 192.168.1.1 YES NVRAM up up Vlan10 172.16.10.1 YES NVRAM down down Vlan20 172.16.20.1 YES NVRAM up up GigabitEthernet0/0 unassigned YES unset up up GigabitEthernet0/1 unassigned YES unset up up GigabitEthernet0/2 unassigned YES unset up up GigabitEthernet0/3 unassigned YES unset up up
Refer to the exhibit. A network administrator is troubleshooting connectivity to devices in VLAN 10 on a Layer 3 switch. The administrator issues the show ip interface brief command on SW1 and sees the output displayed. What is the most likely reason that the VLAN 10 SVI is not functioning?
⚠ Common exam trap
Cisco often tests the subtle distinction between an SVI being 'down/down' due to no active ports in the VLAN versus 'administratively down' due to a shutdown command, and candidates may incorrectly assume a misconfigured IP address or trunk port issue is the cause.
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
✓
No active ports are assigned to VLAN 10.
The VLAN 10 SVI will remain in a down/down state if there are no active ports assigned to VLAN 10, because a Layer 3 switch requires at least one active Layer 2 interface in the VLAN to bring the SVI up. This is a fundamental behavior of Cisco switches: the SVI is operationally down until the VLAN has at least one active port in a non-blocking state. The show ip interface brief output would show the VLAN10 interface as 'down/down' rather than 'administratively down' or 'up/up'.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✓
No active ports are assigned to VLAN 10.
Why this is correct
The SVI for VLAN 10 will not transition to up/up until at least one switch port is in the up/up state and actively assigned to VLAN 10 (either as an access port in that VLAN or as a trunk port that has VLAN 10 allowed and active). With no active member ports, the switch considers the VLAN to have no operational Layer 2 presence, so the SVI's line protocol remains down even though the VLAN exists and is configured with an IP address. This is a standard Cisco IOS behavior: the SVI's status mirrors the presence of an active port in the associated VLAN, not merely the VLAN's existence.
- ✗
The VLAN 10 SVI has been administratively shut down.
Why it's wrong here
If the VLAN 10 SVI had been administratively shut down, the interface status would read "administratively down" instead of "down." The exhibit clearly shows the status as "down" (and protocol "down"), which indicates a Layer 1/Layer 2 issue in the VLAN—not an administrative configuration. An administratively down interface also requires a 'no shutdown' command to restore, and would not be resolved by adding active ports to the VLAN. Therefore, the evidence directly contradicts this option.
- ✗
The IP address configured on the VLAN 10 SVI is incorrect for the subnet.
Why it's wrong here
An incorrect IP address would not cause the SVI to be down/down. It would still show up/up (or possibly up/down if there were a Layer 2 issue), but the IP-related problem would only affect reachability, not interface status.
- ✗
The switch ports assigned to VLAN 10 are all configured as trunk ports.
Why it's wrong here
Trunk ports can still carry VLAN 10 traffic and provide an active member port for the VLAN, provided they are up/up and the VLAN is allowed and active on the trunk. This would not prevent the SVI from coming up if those trunks are functioning.
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.
✓No active ports are assigned to VLAN 10.Correct answer▾
Why this is correct
The SVI for VLAN 10 will not transition to up/up until at least one switch port is in the up/up state and actively assigned to VLAN 10 (either as an access port in that VLAN or as a trunk port that has VLAN 10 allowed and active). With no active member ports, the switch considers the VLAN to have no operational Layer 2 presence, so the SVI's line protocol remains down even though the VLAN exists and is configured with an IP address. This is a standard Cisco IOS behavior: the SVI's status mirrors the presence of an active port in the associated VLAN, not merely the VLAN's existence.
✗The VLAN 10 SVI has been administratively shut down.Wrong answer — click to see why▾
Why this is wrong here
Candidates often confuse 'down' with 'administratively down', assuming any disabled interface will show 'down'. They need to distinguish the two statuses.
✗The IP address configured on the VLAN 10 SVI is incorrect for the subnet.Wrong answer — click to see why▾
Why this is wrong here
Some candidates think a misconfigured IP address can cause an interface to be down, but status does not reflect IP configuration.
✗The switch ports assigned to VLAN 10 are all configured as trunk ports.Wrong answer — click to see why▾
Why this is wrong here
A common misunderstanding is that trunk ports do not make a VLAN active; in reality, a trunk carrying VLAN 10 can activate the SVI as long as the trunk is up/up and the VLAN is not pruned.
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?”
Visual reference
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Last reviewed: Jul 4, 2026
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