CCNA IP Routing Practice Question
Network Topology
You are connected to R1, a multilayer switch acting as an HSRP active gateway for VLAN 100. The network requires R1 to be the active router with a virtual IP of 192.168.100.1. Currently, both R1 and the peer router R2 show as active in 'show standby brief', and the virtual IP is misconfigured. Configure HSRP on R1 to fix these issues: set priority to 110, enable preempt, correct the virtual IP, and track interface GigabitEthernet0/1 (decrement priority by 20 if it goes down).
⚠ Common exam trap
Watch out for three common HSRP pitfalls: (1) virtual IP must match the configured gateway, (2) preempt is required for a router to reclaim active role after recovery, and (3) priority must be higher than the peer to be preferred. Also, remember that interface tracking decrements priority, so the tracked interface must be specified correctly.
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
✓
interface Vlan100 standby 100 ip 192.168.100.1 standby 100 priority 110 standby 100 preempt standby 100 track GigabitEthernet0/1 20
The problem had multiple issues: the virtual IP was wrong (192.168.100.254 instead of 192.168.100.1), preempt was not enabled (both routers could claim active), and priority was default (100). Additionally, interface tracking was missing to decrement priority if the upstream link failed. The solution consists of four commands: 'standby 100 ip 192.168.100.1' to set the correct virtual IP, 'standby 100 priority 110' to make R1 the active router, 'standby 100 preempt' to allow R1 to reclaim active role after recovery, and 'standby 100 track GigabitEthernet0/1 20' to reduce priority by 20 if that interface goes down.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✓
interface Vlan100 standby 100 ip 192.168.100.1 standby 100 priority 110 standby 100 preempt standby 100 track GigabitEthernet0/1 20
Why this is correct
This configuration correctly sets the virtual IP to 192.168.100.1, assigns a priority of 110 (higher than default), enables preempt so R1 reclaims active role after recovery, and tracks GigabitEthernet0/1 to decrement priority by 20 if the interface goes down, ensuring R1 remains active under normal conditions.
- ✗
interface Vlan100 standby 100 ip 192.168.100.254 standby 100 priority 110 standby 100 preempt standby 100 track GigabitEthernet0/1 20
Why it's wrong here
This configuration is incorrect because the HSRP virtual IP is set to 192.168.100.254, but the required gateway (virtual IP) for VLAN 100 hosts is 192.168.100.1. In HSRP, the virtual IP must be the exact address assigned as the default gateway on client devices; using any other address means hosts will not reach the standby group, and the router will not answer ARP requests for the expected gateway, breaking Layer 3 reachability for the subnet.
- ✗
interface Vlan100 standby 100 ip 192.168.100.1 standby 100 priority 100 standby 100 preempt standby 100 track GigabitEthernet0/1 20
Why it's wrong here
This is incorrect because the priority is set to 100, which is the default value. With equal priority, both routers could still be active or the active role could be determined by other factors, not ensuring R1 is the active router.
- ✗
interface Vlan100 standby 100 ip 192.168.100.1 standby 100 priority 110 standby 100 track GigabitEthernet0/1 20
Why it's wrong here
This is incorrect because the preempt command is missing. Without preempt, even if R1 has higher priority, it will not take over the active role after recovering from a failure; the current active router (R2) would remain active.
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.
✓interface Vlan100 standby 100 ip 192.168.100.1 standby 100 priority 110 standby 100 preempt standby 100 track GigabitEthernet0/1 20Correct answer▾
Why this is correct
This configuration correctly sets the virtual IP to 192.168.100.1, assigns a priority of 110 (higher than default), enables preempt so R1 reclaims active role after recovery, and tracks GigabitEthernet0/1 to decrement priority by 20 if the interface goes down, ensuring R1 remains active under normal conditions.
✗interface Vlan100 standby 100 ip 192.168.100.254 standby 100 priority 110 standby 100 preempt standby 100 track GigabitEthernet0/1 20Wrong answer — click to see why▾
Why this is wrong here
The virtual IP address is wrong; it should be 192.168.100.1, not 192.168.100.254.
Why candidates choose this
Candidates might confuse the virtual IP with a typical gateway address or misremember the correct IP from the scenario.
✗interface Vlan100 standby 100 ip 192.168.100.1 standby 100 priority 100 standby 100 preempt standby 100 track GigabitEthernet0/1 20Wrong answer — click to see why▾
Why this is wrong here
Priority must be higher than the default (100) to ensure R1 becomes the active router; 110 is required.
Why candidates choose this
Candidates might think the default priority is sufficient or forget that a higher priority is needed to guarantee active status.
✗interface Vlan100 standby 100 ip 192.168.100.1 standby 100 priority 110 standby 100 track GigabitEthernet0/1 20Wrong answer — click to see why▾
Why this is wrong here
Preempt is required to allow R1 to reclaim the active role when its priority becomes higher again after a failure.
Why candidates choose this
Candidates might overlook preempt, thinking that higher priority alone is enough to become active, but preempt is necessary for the router to actively take over.
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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Related to this question
Learn chapter
Interpreting HSRP and VRRP Operational Status
Key term
Switch
A switch is a networking device that connects devices on a local area network and uses MAC addresses to forward data only to the intended recipient.
Key term
VLAN
A VLAN logically segments a physical network into isolated broadcast domains without requiring separate physical switches.
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Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
This 200-301 practice question is part of Courseiva's free Cisco certification practice question bank. Courseiva provides original exam-style practice questions with explanations, topic-based practice, mock exams, readiness tracking, and study analytics to help learners prepare for the 200-301 exam.