CCNA Switching and Network Access Practice Question
Network Topology
You are connected to the console of a Catalyst 2960+ switch named SW2. Configure the switch so that the IP phone connected to interface FastEthernet0/5 receives power via PoE and uses VLAN 150 for voice traffic, while the PC connected through the phone uses VLAN 50 for data. Additionally, the access point connected to interface FastEthernet0/10 must receive PoE and be placed in VLAN 100. Assume the interfaces are already correctly configured as access ports in VLAN 50 and VLAN 100, respectively. Verify your configuration using the appropriate show commands.
⚠ Common exam trap
Avoid adding unnecessary commands like setting the access VLAN on a port that already has it configured. Also, use the correct show command: show interfaces switchport for voice VLAN, not show vlan or show interfaces trunk.
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
✓
On interface FastEthernet0/5: switchport voice vlan 150, power inline auto. On interface FastEthernet0/10: power inline auto. Verify with show interfaces switchport and show power inline.
The switch had no voice VLAN or PoE configured on the ports. On FastEthernet0/5, you need to add 'switchport voice vlan 150' to separate voice traffic from data, and 'power inline auto' to enable PoE for the IP phone. On FastEthernet0/10, you only need to enable PoE with 'power inline auto' because the AP already has its access VLAN set. After configuration, 'show interfaces switchport' will confirm the voice VLAN, and 'show power inline' will verify PoE status.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✓
On interface FastEthernet0/5: switchport voice vlan 150, power inline auto. On interface FastEthernet0/10: power inline auto. Verify with show interfaces switchport and show power inline.
Why this is correct
The IP phone on FastEthernet0/5 must have its voice traffic separated onto VLAN 150 with the interface-level command switchport voice vlan 150, while the access point on FastEthernet0/10 only needs power negotiation, so power inline auto on both ports is sufficient. Verifying with show interfaces switchport exposes the administrative and operational voice VLAN for Fa0/5 as well as the access VLAN, and show power inline displays the per-port PoE status such as auto, on, off, or fault. Because this applies the exact features to the correct interfaces and uses the precise verification commands, it is the complete and accurate answer.
- ✗
On interface FastEthernet0/5: switchport voice vlan 150, power inline auto. On interface FastEthernet0/10: switchport access vlan 100, power inline auto. Verify with show interfaces switchport and show power inline.
Why it's wrong here
This is incorrect because the access point on FastEthernet0/10 is already in VLAN 100 by default or previous configuration; the question does not require changing the access VLAN. Adding switchport access vlan 100 is unnecessary and may cause issues if the port was already configured differently.
- ✗
On interface FastEthernet0/5: switchport voice vlan 150, power inline auto. On interface FastEthernet0/10: power inline auto. Verify with show vlan and show power inline.
Why it's wrong here
This option fails at the verification step because show vlan displays only the global VLAN list and which ports belong to each VLAN as access ports; it never reports an interface's voice VLAN assignment. Voice VLAN is an interface-scoped parameter that appears only in show interfaces switchport under the 'Voice VLAN' field, so show vlan cannot confirm that VLAN 150 is actually active on Fa0/5. While the show power inline command would properly validate PoE status, the lack of an interface-level voice VLAN check leaves the configuration unverified and the answer incomplete.
- ✗
On interface FastEthernet0/5: switchport voice vlan 150, power inline auto. On interface FastEthernet0/10: power inline auto. Verify with show interfaces trunk and show power inline.
Why it's wrong here
This option is wrong because show interfaces trunk is only useful for switchports that are administratively or dynamically in trunking mode, whereas Fa0/5 and Fa0/10 are access ports connecting an IP phone and an access point, respectively. Voice VLAN configuration on an access port is a separate feature that carries 802.1Q-tagged voice traffic from the phone, and it is confirmed with show interfaces switchport—not with show interfaces trunk, which would show nothing for these non-trunking ports. Thus, even though the configuration commands themselves are correct, the chosen verification command would not produce any relevant output to validate the setup.
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.
✓On interface FastEthernet0/5: switchport voice vlan 150, power inline auto. On interface FastEthernet0/10: power inline auto. Verify with show interfaces switchport and show power inline.Correct answer▾
Why this is correct
The IP phone on FastEthernet0/5 must have its voice traffic separated onto VLAN 150 with the interface-level command switchport voice vlan 150, while the access point on FastEthernet0/10 only needs power negotiation, so power inline auto on both ports is sufficient. Verifying with show interfaces switchport exposes the administrative and operational voice VLAN for Fa0/5 as well as the access VLAN, and show power inline displays the per-port PoE status such as auto, on, off, or fault. Because this applies the exact features to the correct interfaces and uses the precise verification commands, it is the complete and accurate answer.
✗On interface FastEthernet0/5: switchport voice vlan 150, power inline auto. On interface FastEthernet0/10: switchport access vlan 100, power inline auto. Verify with show interfaces switchport and show power inline.Wrong answer — click to see why▾
Why this is wrong here
The error is adding an unnecessary access VLAN command for the AP port, which is not required and could conflict with existing configuration.
Why candidates choose this
Candidates might think they need to explicitly set the access VLAN for the AP, but the question only asks to place it in VLAN 100, which is already the default or preconfigured VLAN.
✗On interface FastEthernet0/5: switchport voice vlan 150, power inline auto. On interface FastEthernet0/10: power inline auto. Verify with show vlan and show power inline.Wrong answer — click to see why▾
Why this is wrong here
The error is using show vlan instead of show interfaces switchport to verify voice VLAN on a port.
Why candidates choose this
Candidates may confuse show vlan with show interfaces switchport, thinking show vlan provides per-interface voice VLAN details.
✗On interface FastEthernet0/5: switchport voice vlan 150, power inline auto. On interface FastEthernet0/10: power inline auto. Verify with show interfaces trunk and show power inline.Wrong answer — click to see why▾
Why this is wrong here
The error is using show interfaces trunk, which is for trunk ports, not for verifying voice VLAN on an access port.
Why candidates choose this
Candidates might think show interfaces trunk shows all VLAN information, but it only shows allowed VLANs on trunk links, not voice VLAN on access ports.
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
Configuring Switch Ports for Desktops, VoIP Phones, APs, IoT, and Virtualized Hosts
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
Voice VLAN
A Voice VLAN is a separate virtual local area network configured on a network switch to carry voice traffic, such as from IP phones, ensuring quality of service and security by isolating it from data traffic.
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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.