CCNA IP Routing Practice Question
Exhibit
R1# show standby brief
P indicates configured to preempt.
|
Interface Grp Pri P State Active Standby Virtual IP
Gi0/0.100 1 100 Active local 192.0.2.2 192.0.2.254
R1# show running-config | section interface GigabitEthernet0/0.100
interface GigabitEthernet0/0.100
encapsulation dot1Q 100
ip address 192.0.2.1 255.255.255.0
standby 1 ip 192.0.2.254
standby 1 priority 100
standby 1 preempt
standby 1 track GigabitEthernet0/1 20
!
R2# show standby brief (from show ip arp, not shown, but known that both are active)You are connected to R1. Configure HSRP on R1 and R2 so that R1 is the active gateway for VLAN 100 with a virtual IP of 192.0.2.254. R1 should preempt and track its G0/1 interface to decrement priority by 20 if it goes down. Currently, both routers show active for the group, and the virtual IP is incorrectly set. Troubleshoot and fix the configuration on R1 only.
⚠ Common exam trap
Trap: Candidates may focus on the track command or preempt, but the primary issue is the virtual IP mismatch and default priority. Always verify the virtual IP belongs to the same subnet as the interface and adjust priority to ensure the desired active router.
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
✓
Change the virtual IP to 192.0.2.254 and set priority to 110.
The issue is that both routers are active because the virtual IP on R1 was 192.168.100.254, which is not in the same subnet as the interface IP (192.0.2.1/24), so HSRP couldn't form a common group. Changing the virtual IP to 192.0.2.254 fixes the subnet mismatch. Additionally, setting R1's priority to 110 ensures it becomes the active router because it has preempt configured, and the higher priority overrides R2's default 100. The track command remains correct as it reduces priority if G0/1 fails.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✓
Change the virtual IP to 192.0.2.254 and set priority to 110.
Why this is correct
The virtual IP must match the configured subnet; 192.0.2.254 is the correct VIP for this segment, whereas the previous value (e.g., 192.168.100.254) caused R1 and R2 to belong to different HSRP groups despite the same group number. Setting priority to 110 (above the default 100) ensures that R1, after preemption, becomes the active router. Preempt alone is not enough if the priority is equal, as the current active router would not yield solely based on IP address tiebreakers. This combination of a valid VIP and a higher priority precisely fulfills the requirement to have R1 active while retaining proper failover.
- ✗
Change the virtual IP to 192.0.2.254 and remove the track command.
Why it's wrong here
Removing the track command would disable HSRP's interface tracking, so R1 would no longer decrement its priority when G0/1 fails. This is counterproductive because the task explicitly requires R1 to yield active status if its uplink goes down, and the current track configuration is valid. Even with the virtual IP corrected to 192.0.2.254, without tracking R1 could remain active while having lost connectivity, defeating the redundancy objective. Thus, this change is incomplete and harmful.
- ✗
Change the virtual IP to 192.0.2.254 and configure preempt on R2.
Why it's wrong here
This is incorrect because the task explicitly says to fix the configuration on R1 only. Configuring preempt on R2 does not address the issue on R1 and may cause R2 to preempt R1, which is not desired.
- ✗
Change the virtual IP to 192.0.2.254 and set priority to 100.
Why it's wrong here
This is incorrect because setting priority to 100 (default) would not make R1 the active router if R2 also has priority 100. Without a higher priority, R1 may not become active, especially if R2 has preempt disabled.
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.
✓Change the virtual IP to 192.0.2.254 and set priority to 110.Correct answer▾
Why this is correct
The virtual IP must match the configured subnet; 192.0.2.254 is the correct VIP for this segment, whereas the previous value (e.g., 192.168.100.254) caused R1 and R2 to belong to different HSRP groups despite the same group number. Setting priority to 110 (above the default 100) ensures that R1, after preemption, becomes the active router. Preempt alone is not enough if the priority is equal, as the current active router would not yield solely based on IP address tiebreakers. This combination of a valid VIP and a higher priority precisely fulfills the requirement to have R1 active while retaining proper failover.
✗Change the virtual IP to 192.0.2.254 and remove the track command.Wrong answer — click to see why▾
Why this is wrong here
Removing the track command would prevent R1 from decrementing priority when G0/1 fails, violating the requirement to track the interface.
Why candidates choose this
Candidates might think the track command is causing both routers to be active, but the real issue is the virtual IP mismatch and priority.
✗Change the virtual IP to 192.0.2.254 and configure preempt on R2.Wrong answer — click to see why▾
Why this is wrong here
Configuring preempt on R2 might allow it to take over, but the task only asks to fix R1; the primary issue is the virtual IP mismatch on R1.
Why candidates choose this
Candidates might think both routers need preempt to avoid both being active, but the problem is that R1's virtual IP is wrong and its priority is too low.
✗Change the virtual IP to 192.0.2.254 and set priority to 100.Wrong answer — click to see why▾
Why this is wrong here
Setting priority to 100 (the default) without preempt? Actually, R1 already has preempt, but with equal priority, the highest IP wins, which might be R2, so R1 might not become active. Increasing priority to 110 is required.
Why candidates choose this
Candidates might assume that fixing the virtual IP alone is sufficient, but priority must be increased to force R1 to be active.
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
OSPFv3 Single-Area Configuration for IPv6
Key term
VLAN
A VLAN (Virtual Local Area Network) is a logical grouping of network devices that behave as if they are on the same physical network segment, regardless of their actual physical location.
Key term
VIP
A Virtual IP Address (VIP) is a logical IP address shared among multiple devices to provide high availability and load balancing.
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JA
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.