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CCNA Practice Question: Which TWO statements correctly describe the…

This 200-301 practice question tests your understanding of 200-301 exam topics. Examine the command output carefully: the correct answer depends on what the output actually shows, not on general recall alone. 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.

Which TWO statements correctly describe the configuration and behavior of a router-on-a-stick setup for inter-VLAN routing?

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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

Each subinterface on the router must be configured with an IP address that belongs to the corresponding VLAN's subnet.

A router-on-a-stick configuration uses a single physical router interface with multiple subinterfaces to route between VLANs. Each subinterface must be assigned an IP address in the respective VLAN's subnet, and 802.1Q trunking must be enabled on the switch port connecting to the router. The native VLAN traffic is untagged on the trunk, so the router's subinterface for the native VLAN should not use encapsulation. The router's physical interface must be in a 'no shutdown' state for subinterfaces to work, but the subinterfaces themselves do not require a separate 'no shutdown' command.

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.

  • Each subinterface on the router must be configured with an IP address that belongs to the corresponding VLAN's subnet.

    Why this is correct

    For the router to route traffic for a VLAN, the subinterface must have an IP address in the same subnet as that VLAN. This allows the router to act as the default gateway for hosts in that VLAN.

    Related concept

    Access ports place end devices into a single VLAN.

  • The switch port connecting to the router must be configured as an access port in VLAN 1.

    Why it's wrong here

    The switch port must be configured as a trunk port to carry multiple VLANs to the router. An access port would only carry a single VLAN, which would not support inter-VLAN routing.

  • The native VLAN on the trunk must be the same VLAN as the one used for management traffic.

    Why it's wrong here

    While the native VLAN can be used for management, there is no requirement that it must be the management VLAN. The native VLAN is simply the VLAN that carries untagged traffic on the trunk.

  • The router's physical interface must be in 'no shutdown' state, but subinterfaces do not require a separate 'no shutdown' command.

    Why this is correct

    The physical interface must be administratively up for subinterfaces to function. Subinterfaces inherit the 'no shutdown' state from the physical interface and do not have their own 'no shutdown' command.

    Related concept

    Access ports place end devices into a single VLAN.

  • The router's subinterface for the native VLAN must use the 'encapsulation dot1q <vlan-id> native' command.

    Why it's wrong here

    The native VLAN traffic is untagged, so the subinterface representing the native VLAN should not use encapsulation. The 'native' keyword is used on the switch, not on the router subinterface.

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.

Each subinterface on the router must be configured with an IP address that belongs to the corresponding VLAN's subnet.Correct answer

Why this is correct

For the router to route traffic for a VLAN, the subinterface must have an IP address in the same subnet as that VLAN. This allows the router to act as the default gateway for hosts in that VLAN.

The switch port connecting to the router must be configured as an access port in VLAN 1.Wrong answer — click to see why

Why this is wrong here

A trunk port is required, not an access port.

The native VLAN on the trunk must be the same VLAN as the one used for management traffic.Wrong answer — click to see why

Why this is wrong here

The native VLAN can be any VLAN, not necessarily the management VLAN.

The router's subinterface for the native VLAN must use the 'encapsulation dot1q <vlan-id> native' command.Wrong answer — click to see why

Why this is wrong here

The router subinterface for the native VLAN should not have encapsulation; it should be configured without the 'encapsulation dot1q' command.

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

  • Keyword trap

    The native VLAN traffic is untagged, so the subinterface representing the native VLAN should not use encapsulation. The 'native' keyword is used on the switch, not on the router subinterface.

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: Each subinterface on the router must be configured with an IP address that belongs to the corresponding VLAN's subnet. — A router-on-a-stick configuration uses a single physical router interface with multiple subinterfaces to route between VLANs. Each subinterface must be assigned an IP address in the respective VLAN's subnet, and 802.1Q trunking must be enabled on the switch port connecting to the router. The native VLAN traffic is untagged on the trunk, so the router's subinterface for the native VLAN should not use encapsulation. The router's physical interface must be in a 'no shutdown' state for subinterfaces to work, but the subinterfaces themselves do not require a separate 'no shutdown' command.

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.

What is the key concept behind this question?

Access ports place end devices into a single VLAN.

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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.