Question 1hardmultiple choice
Full question →hardmultiple choiceObjective-mapped
A host is configured with 10.1.1.34/30. Which address is the broadcast address for its subnet?
Answer choices
Why each option matters
Good practice is not just finding the correct option. The wrong answers often show the exact trap the exam wants you to fall into.
A
Distractor review
10.1.1.31
This is wrong because .31 is in the previous /30 block.
B
Best answer
10.1.1.35
This is correct because .34 is in the 32–35 subnet block.
C
Distractor review
10.1.1.32
This is wrong because .32 is the network address of the block.
D
Distractor review
10.1.1.36
This is wrong because .36 begins the next /30 block.
Common exam trap
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
A frequent exam trap is confusing the broadcast address with either the next subnet’s network address or a host address within the subnet. Candidates often mistakenly select 10.1.1.35 as a host IP or 10.1.1.31, which belongs to the previous subnet block. This happens because they fail to calculate the subnet block boundaries correctly or misunderstand the block size of a /30 subnet. Remember, the broadcast address is always the last IP in the subnet block, not the first IP of the next block or a host IP within the subnet.
Technical deep dive
How to think about this question
Subnetting divides an IP network into smaller, manageable segments by borrowing bits from the host portion of the address to create subnetworks. A /30 subnet mask means 30 bits are used for the network portion, leaving 2 bits for host addresses. This results in 4 IP addresses per subnet block: one network address, two usable host addresses, and one broadcast address. The block size for a /30 subnet is 4 addresses, which helps determine the range of addresses within each subnet. To find the broadcast address for a host configured with 10.1.1.34/30, you first identify the subnet block it belongs to. Since the block size is 4, the subnet blocks increment by 4 in the last octet: 0–3, 4–7, 8–11, ..., 32–35, etc. Because 34 falls within the 32–35 block, the network address is 10.1.1.32, the usable hosts are 10.1.1.33 and 10.1.1.34, and the broadcast address is the last address in the block, 10.1.1.35. A common exam trap is confusing the broadcast address with the next subnet’s network address or a host address within the subnet. For example, mistaking 10.1.1.35 as a host address instead of the broadcast address or choosing 10.1.1.31, which belongs to the previous subnet block, leads to errors. Understanding the block size and correctly identifying subnet boundaries is critical to avoid this mistake and correctly determine broadcast addresses in Cisco subnetting scenarios.
KKey Concepts to Remember
- A /30 subnet mask uses 30 bits for the network portion, leaving 2 bits for host addresses, resulting in 4 IP addresses per subnet block.
- The block size for a /30 subnet is 4, which determines the range of IP addresses in each subnet incrementing by 4 in the last octet.
- The broadcast address is always the last IP address in the subnet block, used to send packets to all hosts within that subnet.
- The network address is the first IP in the subnet block and cannot be assigned to a host device.
- Hosts within a subnet have IP addresses between the network address and the broadcast address, excluding both.
- Correctly identifying subnet blocks requires dividing the IP address’s host portion by the block size and locating the matching range.
- Mistaking the broadcast address for a host IP or the next subnet’s network address is a common subnetting exam trap.
- Cisco devices use subnet masks to determine network boundaries and correctly forward packets within and between subnets.
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.
Related practice questions
Related 200-301 practice-question pages
Use these pages to review the topic behind this question. This is how one missed question becomes focused revision.
CCNA subnetting practice questions
Practise IPv4 subnetting, CIDR, masks, host ranges and subnet selection.
CCNA OSPF practice questions
Practise OSPF neighbours, router IDs, metrics, areas and routing-table interpretation.
CCNA VLAN practice questions
Practise VLANs, access ports, trunks, allowed VLANs and switching scenarios.
CCNA STP practice questions
Practise spanning tree, root bridge election, port roles and STP troubleshooting.
CCNA EtherChannel practice questions
Practise LACP, PAgP, port-channel behaviour and bundle requirements.
CCNA ACL practice questions
Practise standard and extended ACLs, permit/deny logic and traffic filtering.
CCNA NAT practice questions
Practise static NAT, dynamic NAT, PAT and inside/outside address translation.
CCNA DHCP practice questions
Practise DHCP scopes, relay, leases and troubleshooting.
CCNA show ip route practice questions
Practise routing-table output, longest-prefix match, AD and route selection.
CCNA show interfaces trunk practice questions
Practise trunk verification and VLAN forwarding across switches.
CCNA wireless security practice questions
Practise WLAN security, authentication and wireless architecture concepts.
CCNA IPv6 practice questions
Practise IPv6 addressing, routes, neighbour discovery and common IPv6 exam traps.
More questions from this exam
Keep practising from the same exam bank, or move into a focused topic page if this question exposed a weak area.
Question 1
A router learns the same prefix from both OSPF and EIGRP. Which route is installed by default?
Question 2
A router shows this output: R1#show ip ospf neighbor Neighbor ID Pri State Dead Time Address Interface 10.1.1.2 1 FULL/DR 00:00:34 192.168.12.2 GigabitEthernet0/0 10.1.1.3 1 2WAY/DROTHER 00:00:39 192.168.12.3 GigabitEthernet0/0 Which statement is correct?
Question 3
What is the OSPF metric called?
Question 4
A non-root switch has two uplinks toward the root bridge. One path has a lower total STP cost than the other. What role will the lower-cost uplink have?
Question 5
A router interface applies this ACL inbound: 10 deny tcp any any eq 80 20 permit ip any any A user reports that web browsing to a server by IP address fails, but ping works. Which statement best explains the behavior?
Question 6
A router learns route 198.51.100.0/24 from OSPF with AD 110 and also has a static route to the same prefix configured with AD 150. Which route is installed?
FAQ
Questions learners often ask
What does this 200-301 question test?
A /30 subnet mask uses 30 bits for the network portion, leaving 2 bits for host addresses, resulting in 4 IP addresses per subnet block.
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: 10.1.1.35 — A /30 subnet has a block size of 4. In practical terms, the last-octet blocks are 0–3, 4–7, 8–11, and so on. Because 34 falls within the 32–35 block, the broadcast address is the last address in that block: 10.1.1.35. This question tests whether you can identify the correct subnet block before choosing the broadcast address.
What should I do if I get this 200-301 question wrong?
Then try more questions from the same exam bank and focus on understanding why the wrong options are tempting.
Discussion
Loading comments…
Sign in to join the discussion.