CCNA Switching and Network Access Practice Question
This 200-301 practice question tests your understanding of switching and network access. The scenario asks you to isolate a root cause — eliminate options that address a different problem before choosing. 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.
A network administrator notices that hosts in VLAN 10 cannot ping the default gateway (192.168.10.1). The switch's SVI for VLAN 10 is configured and the output of the show ip interface brief command shows its status as up/up. An embedded packet capture is configured. The exhibit shows ARP requests from a host to 192.168.10.1 but no ARP reply. Based on the exhibit, what is the most likely cause of the connectivity issue?
Clue words in this question
Noticing these words before you look at the options changes how you read each choice.
Clue: "most likely"
Why it matters: Probability qualifier — the question wants the most probable cause or outcome, not a guaranteed one. Eliminate low-probability options.
The default gateway is configured incorrectly on the host.
Why wrong: The host is sending ICMP requests to 192.168.10.1, which is the correct default gateway, and the switch replies, so the gateway is reachable.
B
The switchport connecting the host is not assigned to VLAN 10.
The SVI for VLAN 10 is configured and responding to pings, but the host cannot ping the gateway because it is in a different VLAN. The access port must be in VLAN 10 for the host to communicate with the SVI.
C
An ACL is applied to the SVI blocking ICMP.
Why wrong: The capture shows ICMP replies from 192.168.10.1, so no ACL is blocking ICMP traffic.
D
The SVI is administratively down.
Why wrong: The SVI shows 'no shutdown' and is replying to pings, so it is administratively up.
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
The switchport connecting the host is not assigned to VLAN 10.
The correct answer is B because the packet capture shows ARP requests from the host but no reply, indicating the switch's VLAN 10 SVI is not receiving the ARP frames. Since the SVI is confirmed up/up, the most likely cause is that the switchport connecting the host is not assigned to VLAN 10, causing the frames to be on a different VLAN. Option A is incorrect because the host's default gateway is correctly set to 192.168.10.1 (the SVI's IP); ARP requests are being sent but not answered. Option C is wrong because an ACL on the SVI would not block ARP (ARP is a Layer 2 protocol not filtered by IP ACLs), and the capture would show a reply if the SVI received the request. Option D is incorrect because the exhibit shows the SVI is up/up, ruling out an administratively down condition.
Key principle: Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
✗
The default gateway is configured incorrectly on the host.
Why it's wrong here
The host is sending ICMP requests to 192.168.10.1, which is the correct default gateway, and the switch replies, so the gateway is reachable.
✓
The switchport connecting the host is not assigned to VLAN 10.
Why this is correct
The SVI for VLAN 10 is configured and responding to pings, but the host cannot ping the gateway because it is in a different VLAN. The access port must be in VLAN 10 for the host to communicate with the SVI.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "most likely" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
An ACL is applied to the SVI blocking ICMP.
Why it's wrong here
The capture shows ICMP replies from 192.168.10.1, so no ACL is blocking ICMP traffic.
✗
The SVI is administratively down.
Why it's wrong here
The SVI shows 'no shutdown' and is replying to pings, so it is administratively up.
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.
✓The switchport connecting the host is not assigned to VLAN 10.Correct answer▾
Why this is correct
The SVI for VLAN 10 is configured and responding to pings, but the host cannot ping the gateway because it is in a different VLAN. The access port must be in VLAN 10 for the host to communicate with the SVI.
✗The default gateway is configured incorrectly on the host.Wrong answer — click to see why▾
Why this is wrong here
The capture shows the host sending packets to 192.168.10.1, which is the SVI IP, so the gateway is correctly configured.
✗An ACL is applied to the SVI blocking ICMP.Wrong answer — click to see why▾
Why this is wrong here
If an ACL were blocking ICMP, the switch would not send replies, but the capture shows successful replies.
✗The SVI is administratively down.Wrong answer — click to see why▾
Why this is wrong here
The capture confirms the SVI is responding, so it cannot be administratively down.
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: answer the scenario, not the keyword
Cisco often tests the distinction between Layer 2 connectivity (VLAN assignment) and Layer 3 issues (ACL, SVI state), where candidates mistakenly blame IP configuration or ACLs when the root cause is a VLAN mismatch preventing ARP resolution.
Trap categories for this question
Command / output trap
The capture shows ICMP replies from 192.168.10.1, so no ACL is blocking ICMP traffic.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
An SVI (Switch Virtual Interface) is a Layer 3 interface that represents a VLAN; for the SVI to respond to ARP, the switch must receive the ARP request on a port that is an access port in VLAN 10 or a trunk allowing VLAN 10. If the access VLAN is misconfigured (e.g., default VLAN 1), the switch will not bridge the frame to the SVI, and the SVI will never see the ARP request. In real-world scenarios, this often occurs after port reconfigurations or when a host is moved to a different switch port without updating the VLAN assignment.
KKey Concepts to Remember
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Find the constraint that changes the correct option.
Eliminate answers that are true in general but not in this case.
TExam Day Tips
→Watch for words such as best, first, most likely and least administrative effort.
→Review why wrong options are wrong, not only why the correct option is correct.
Key takeaway
Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
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.
Related glossary terms
Concepts from this question explained
These glossary pages explain the core terms tested in this 200-301 question in full detail.
Switching and Network Access — This question tests Switching and Network Access — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: The switchport connecting the host is not assigned to VLAN 10. — The correct answer is B because the packet capture shows ARP requests from the host but no reply, indicating the switch's VLAN 10 SVI is not receiving the ARP frames. Since the SVI is confirmed up/up, the most likely cause is that the switchport connecting the host is not assigned to VLAN 10, causing the frames to be on a different VLAN. Option A is incorrect because the host's default gateway is correctly set to 192.168.10.1 (the SVI's IP); ARP requests are being sent but not answered. Option C is wrong because an ACL on the SVI would not block ARP (ARP is a Layer 2 protocol not filtered by IP ACLs), and the capture would show a reply if the SVI received the request. Option D is incorrect because the exhibit shows the SVI is up/up, ruling out an administratively down condition.
What should I do if I get this 200-301 question wrong?
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
Are there clue words in this question I should notice?
Yes — watch for: "most likely". Probability qualifier — the question wants the most probable cause or outcome, not a guaranteed one. Eliminate low-probability options.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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