CCNA IP Routing 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.

• ✓

  Enter interface configuration mode, set HSRP version, configure virtual IP, set priority (if needed), enable preempt, then verify with 'show standby'.

  Why this is correct

  Enter interface configuration mode, set HSRP version, configure virtual IP, set priority (if needed), enable preempt, then verify with 'show standby'. This is the correct sequence because HSRP is configured entirely in interface configuration mode on the Layer 3 interface that will act as the virtual gateway. Setting the HSRP version (e.g., 'standby version 2') first ensures the correct group number range and timers are available, then 'standby [group] ip [virtual-ip]' defines the gateway address. Priority is optionally adjusted to control the initial active router election, and preempt ('standby [group] preempt') ensures the highest-priority router can regain its role after a failure. 'show standby' verifies all of this by displaying the group state, virtual IP, active/standby status, and priority.

• ✗

  Enter global configuration mode, create a VLAN, assign an IP address, then enable HSRP on the VLAN interface.

  Why it's wrong here

  Incorrect. Creating a VLAN and assigning an IP to the VLAN interface is not part of HSRP configuration. HSRP is applied on an existing Layer 3 interface (e.g., a routed port or SVI) that already has an IP, but the virtual IP is separate.

• ✗

  Configure HSRP priority first, then set the virtual IP, then enter interface configuration mode, and finally verify with 'show running-config'.

  Why it's wrong here

  Configure HSRP priority first, then set the virtual IP, then enter interface configuration mode, and finally verify with 'show running-config'. This ordering is invalid because HSRP parameters such as priority and virtual IP are interface-specific and must be configured after entering interface configuration mode, typically with the virtual IP set first before fine-tuning priority. Also, running 'show running-config' only displays the configuration commands that are already saved, not the dynamic HSRP state; it cannot show whether a router is active or standby. Verification requires 'show standby', which reports the group state, virtual IP, local priority, preemption enabled, and the active/standby relationship.

• ✗

  Enable HSRP globally with a 'router hsrp' command, then assign the virtual IP on the interface, and verify with 'debug standby'.

  Why it's wrong here

  Enable HSRP globally with a 'router hsrp' command, then assign the virtual IP on the interface, and verify with 'debug standby'. HSRP is a First Hop Redundancy Protocol that operates per-interface, not as a global routing process; there is no 'router hsrp' command in IOS. The virtual IP is configured directly on the Layer 3 interface with 'standby [group] ip' and the active/standby roles are determined by priority and preemption, not by a global command. 'debug standby' is a real-time troubleshooting tool that can flood the console, whereas 'show standby' provides a concise, deterministic verification of the HSRP state, virtual IP, and active/standby roles.

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?”

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