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.

• ✓

  Enter global configuration mode, create the port-channel interface, configure channel-group mode active on each physical interface, verify the configuration.

  Why this is correct

  The correct sequence begins with entering global configuration mode so that interface-level commands can be executed. After that, creating the port-channel interface establishes the logical aggregator (e.g., interface Port-channel1) before any physical link is bound to it. Configuring 'channel-group 1 mode active' on each physical interface then places those interfaces into LACP active mode, which initiates the LACP negotiation. Finally, verifying the configuration with commands such as 'show etherchannel summary' confirms that the channel is up and both member ports are bundled correctly.

• ✗

  Create the port-channel interface, enter global configuration mode, configure channel-group mode active on each physical interface, verify the configuration.

  Why it's wrong here

  This option is invalid because it attempts to create the port-channel interface before entering global configuration mode. On Cisco IOS, interface configuration commands are only accepted after the 'configure terminal' command has moved the user to global configuration mode, so 'interface Port-channel1' would fail if issued from privileged exec mode. Additionally, even if the mode were correct, the port-channel interface must exist before physical interfaces are bound to it, but the fatal flaw here is the initial mode error, which prevents the entire sequence from running.

• ✗

  Enter global configuration mode, configure channel-group mode active on each physical interface, create the port-channel interface, verify the configuration.

  Why it's wrong here

  This ordering is incorrect because the 'channel-group mode active' command on each physical interface references the port-channel interface number, which must already exist for the configuration to be accepted cleanly. Without a pre-created Port-channel interface, the command may be rejected or may rely on auto-creation, which is platform-dependent and not the recommended practice. The port-channel interface must be created first as the logical destination, and verification should always be the final step, not interleaved with configuration commands.

• ✗

  Create the port-channel interface, configure channel-group mode active on each physical interface, enter global configuration mode, verify the configuration.

  Why it's wrong here

  This option is doubly flawed: it places 'enter global configuration mode' after interface configuration commands, which is impossible without the proper CLI context, and it puts verification in the middle of the process rather than at the end. Creating the port-channel interface and assigning physical interfaces before entering global config means those commands would be executed from the wrong mode and would be rejected. The only acceptable procedure is to enter global config first, create the logical channel, bind physical links, and verify as the final step.

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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