Question 1hardmultiple choice
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Question 1,407 of 1,052
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CCNA Practice Question: An engineer is troubleshooting a first-hop…
This 200-301 practice question tests your understanding of 200-301 exam topics. 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.
Exhibit
R1# show standby Vlan100 - Group 10 Local state is Standby, priority 100 (configured 100) Hellotime 3 sec, holdtime 10 sec Next hello sent in 1.920 sec Virtual IP address is 192.168.10.1 Active router is 192.168.10.2, priority 150 (expires in 8.832 sec) Standby router is local 1 state changes, last state change 00:00:45 Virtual MAC address is 0000.0c07.ac0a Preemption enabled
An engineer is troubleshooting a first-hop redundancy issue on a subnet where two routers, R1 and R2, are configured with HSRP. Hosts on the VLAN are intermittently losing connectivity to the default gateway. The engineer examines the HSRP status on R1 and sees the output below. What is the most likely root cause of the problem?
Clue words in this question
Noticing these words before you look at the options changes how you read each choice.
Clue:
"first"Why it matters: Order matters here. You are being tested on which action comes before the others — not which action is generally useful.
Clue:
"most likely"Why it matters: Probability qualifier — the question wants the most probable cause or outcome, not a guaranteed one. Eliminate low-probability options.
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
✓
Increase the priority on R1 above 150.
The correct answer is to increase the priority on R1 above 150. The exhibit shows R1 as Standby with priority 100, while the Active router (R2) has priority 150. Since preemption is enabled, R1 should take over if its priority is higher than the current active. However, R1's priority is lower, so it remains standby. The symptom of intermittent connectivity can occur if the active router (R2) is unstable or if the standby cannot take over properly due to low priority. Increasing R1's priority to a value greater than 150 (e.g., 200) would allow R1 to preempt and become active, providing a more stable gateway. The other options do not address the fact that R1's priority is insufficient to preempt the current active router.
Key principle: A trunk being up does not mean the VLAN is allowed across it. Always verify the allowed VLAN list and whether the VLAN exists on both switches.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✓
Increase the priority on R1 above 150.
Why this is correct
R1's priority of 100 is lower than the active router's 150. With preemption enabled, R1 will only become active if its priority is higher. Raising R1's priority above 150 allows it to preempt and become the active router, resolving the instability.
Clue confirmation
The clue words "first", "most likely" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Access ports place end devices into a single VLAN.
- ✗
Change the HSRP group number on R1 to 20.
Why it's wrong here
The group number must match on both routers for HSRP to operate. Changing the group on R1 would cause the routers to be in different groups, preventing them from forming an HSRP pair.
- ✗
Disable preemption on R1.
Why it's wrong here
Disabling preemption would prevent R1 from taking over even if its priority were higher later, which could lead to a less stable scenario. The problem is that R1 cannot become active due to low priority, not that preemption is causing flapping.
- ✗
Increase the hello timer on R1 to 10 seconds.
Why it's wrong here
The hello timer affects how often HSRP hellos are sent, but the current hellotime of 3 seconds is standard. Changing it would not affect priority or preemption; it could actually cause the active router to be declared down more slowly if the timer were increased too much.
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.
✓Increase the priority on R1 above 150.Correct answer▾
Why this is correct
R1's priority of 100 is lower than the active router's 150. With preemption enabled, R1 will only become active if its priority is higher. Raising R1's priority above 150 allows it to preempt and become the active router, resolving the instability.
✗Change the HSRP group number on R1 to 20.Wrong answer — click to see why▾
Why this is wrong here
This would break the HSRP relationship entirely, not fix the priority issue.
✗Disable preemption on R1.Wrong answer — click to see why▾
Why this is wrong here
Preemption is not the cause; it is actually desired to allow a higher-priority router to take over.
✗Increase the hello timer on R1 to 10 seconds.Wrong answer — click to see why▾
Why this is wrong here
This does not address the priority mismatch and could worsen convergence time.
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?”
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: an active trunk can still block the VLAN you need
A trunk being up does not prove every VLAN is crossing it. Check allowed VLAN lists, native VLAN mismatch, VLAN existence and access-port assignment.
Trap categories for this question
Scenario analysis trap
Disabling preemption would prevent R1 from taking over even if its priority were higher later, which could lead to a less stable scenario. The problem is that R1 cannot become active due to low priority, not that preemption is causing flapping.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
VLAN questions usually combine access-port and trunking clues. The key is to identify whether the issue is local to one switchport, caused by the trunk, or caused by the VLAN not existing where it needs to exist.
KKey Concepts to Remember
- Access ports place end devices into a single VLAN.
- Trunk ports carry multiple VLANs between switches.
- Allowed VLAN lists decide which VLANs can cross a trunk.
- Native VLAN mismatch can create confusing symptoms.
TExam Day Tips
- Use show vlan brief to verify access VLANs.
- Use show interfaces trunk to verify trunk state and allowed VLANs.
- Do not treat every same-VLAN issue as a routing problem.
Key takeaway
A trunk being up does not mean the VLAN is allowed across it. Always verify the allowed VLAN list and whether the VLAN exists on both switches.
Real-world example
How this comes up in practice
A help-desk technician troubleshoots why a newly connected PC cannot reach shared printers on the same floor. The cable is good, the switch port is active, but the PC is in VLAN 20 and the printers are in VLAN 10. The uplink trunk only allows VLAN 10. A trunk being up does not mean every VLAN crosses it.
What to study next
Got this wrong? Here's your next step.
Review VLAN allowed lists, native VLAN mismatch detection, and how to verify VLAN membership with show vlan brief and show interfaces trunk. Then practise related 200-301 questions on switching, trunking, and access-port configuration.
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FAQ
Questions learners often ask
What does this 200-301 question test?
Access ports place end devices into a single VLAN.
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Increase the priority on R1 above 150. — The correct answer is to increase the priority on R1 above 150. The exhibit shows R1 as Standby with priority 100, while the Active router (R2) has priority 150. Since preemption is enabled, R1 should take over if its priority is higher than the current active. However, R1's priority is lower, so it remains standby. The symptom of intermittent connectivity can occur if the active router (R2) is unstable or if the standby cannot take over properly due to low priority. Increasing R1's priority to a value greater than 150 (e.g., 200) would allow R1 to preempt and become active, providing a more stable gateway. The other options do not address the fact that R1's priority is insufficient to preempt the current active router.
What should I do if I get this 200-301 question wrong?
Review VLAN allowed lists, native VLAN mismatch detection, and how to verify VLAN membership with show vlan brief and show interfaces trunk. Then practise related 200-301 questions on switching, trunking, and access-port configuration.
Are there clue words in this question I should notice?
Yes — watch for: "first", "most likely". Order matters here. You are being tested on which action comes before the others — not which action is generally useful.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Access ports place end devices into a single VLAN.
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