CCNA Network Infrastructure and Connectivity Practice Question
Network Topology
You are troubleshooting connectivity between R1 and R2. The link is down, and you need to identify and fix the issue. Examine the provided 'show interfaces' output and running configuration, then apply the necessary commands to restore connectivity.
⚠ Common exam trap
The trap is that candidates may focus on physical layer issues (speed/duplex) or protocol issues (keepalives) instead of recognizing the clear 'administratively down' indication. Always check the interface status first: if it says 'administratively down', the solution is 'no shutdown'.
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
✓
Enter interface configuration mode for the down interface and issue the 'no shutdown' command.
The interface is administratively down because the 'shutdown' command is present. The line protocol is down because the interface is disabled. To fix this, you must issue the 'no shutdown' command on the interface. After that, the interface will come up, and the line protocol will become up if the other side is properly configured.
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 for the down interface and issue the 'no shutdown' command.
Why this is correct
Entering interface configuration mode and issuing 'no shutdown' is the correct action because an interface that is administratively down is placed into a shutdown state by the 'shutdown' command. The 'no shutdown' command reverses that state, moving the interface to an administratively up condition, which then permits the line protocol to negotiate and come up if physical layer connectivity and remote configuration are valid. Until this command is issued, the interface remains in a 'shutdown' or 'administratively down' state regardless of other configuration changes.
- ✗
Enter global configuration mode and issue the 'interface reset' command to reset the interface counters.
Why it's wrong here
The 'interface reset' command is not a valid Cisco IOS command, so issuing it in global configuration mode would generate an error and have no effect on the interface. Even if a command that resets interface counters existed, it would only clear traffic statistics and would not alter the administrative state of the interface, which is controlled solely by the 'shutdown' and 'no shutdown' commands. Therefore, this option fails to address the root cause of the interface being administratively down.
- ✗
Enter interface configuration mode and issue the 'speed' command to set the interface speed to match the connected device.
Why it's wrong here
Setting the interface speed with the 'speed' command addresses potential physical layer mismatches that can cause errors or link drops, but it does not affect the administrative state of the interface. An interface that has been placed in the shutdown state remains administratively down regardless of its speed setting, because the interface's line protocol is disabled until a 'no shutdown' command is issued. Thus, changing speed cannot solve a problem where the interface is down due to an administrative shutdown.
- ✗
Enter interface configuration mode and issue the 'no keepalive' command to disable keepalives.
Why it's wrong here
Disabling keepalives with the 'no keepalive' command changes the interface's method of detecting remote link failures by disabling the periodic transmission of keepalive packets, but it does nothing to bring an administratively down interface up. Keepalives are used to confirm that the far end of the link is operational; they do not control the local interface's administrative state, which is determined by the 'shutdown' command. Therefore, this option is irrelevant to resolving an administratively down interface.
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.
✓Enter interface configuration mode for the down interface and issue the 'no shutdown' command.Correct answer▾
Why this is correct
Entering interface configuration mode and issuing 'no shutdown' is the correct action because an interface that is administratively down is placed into a shutdown state by the 'shutdown' command. The 'no shutdown' command reverses that state, moving the interface to an administratively up condition, which then permits the line protocol to negotiate and come up if physical layer connectivity and remote configuration are valid. Until this command is issued, the interface remains in a 'shutdown' or 'administratively down' state regardless of other configuration changes.
✗Enter global configuration mode and issue the 'interface reset' command to reset the interface counters.Wrong answer — click to see why▾
Why this is wrong here
The specific factual error: 'interface reset' is not a real command; the correct command to reset counters is 'clear counters'.
Why candidates choose this
Candidates might confuse resetting counters with re-enabling the interface, thinking a reset will fix the issue.
✗Enter interface configuration mode and issue the 'speed' command to set the interface speed to match the connected device.Wrong answer — click to see why▾
Why this is wrong here
The specific factual error: speed mismatch causes line protocol issues but not administrative down state.
Why candidates choose this
Candidates may think that speed/duplex mismatches are common causes of interface down and overlook the administrative shutdown.
✗Enter interface configuration mode and issue the 'no keepalive' command to disable keepalives.Wrong answer — click to see why▾
Why this is wrong here
The specific factual error: 'no keepalive' affects line protocol detection but does not change administrative state.
Why candidates choose this
Candidates might think that keepalives are causing the interface to stay down, but the issue is administrative shutdown.
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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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.