Drag and drop the cable/transceiver types on the left to the correct descriptions on the right.
Drag a concept onto its matching description — or click a concept then click the description.
Supports 1000BASE-T up to 100 meters with auto-negotiation for speed/duplex
Supports up to 5 km (or more with longer optics) using 1310 nm laser
Supports up to 300 meters over OM3 fiber at 10 Gbps
Single-mode transceiver for 10 Gbps links up to 10 km
1000BASE-T copper SFP transceiver for up to 100 meters on CAT5e/CAT6
Quick Answer
The correct pairing for Cat6a is an Ethernet cable supporting up to 10 Gbps at 500 MHz over 100 meters because its enhanced shielding and tighter twist ratio reduce crosstalk at higher frequencies, making it the standard for 10GBASE-T deployments. On the CCNA 200-301 v2 exam, this drag-and-drop task tests your ability to match cable types—like single-mode fiber with 1000BASE-LX SFP for 1310 nm long-haul links up to 5 km, or multimode fiber with 10GBASE-SR SFP+ for 300-meter runs over OM3—against their transceiver specifications and distance limits. A common trap is confusing multimode’s short-reach design with single-mode’s long-reach capability, such as pairing SFP-10G-LR (10 km) with multimode fiber. Remember the mnemonic “Single for distance, Multi for short” to keep laser wavelengths and reach straight.
⚠ Common exam trap
A common mistake is confusing Cat6 and Cat6a: Cat6 only supports 10 Gbps up to 55 meters, while Cat6a supports it over the full 100 meters. Also, single-mode fiber is often misidentified as using LED light (it uses laser), and multimode uses LED or VCSEL.
Answer choices
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
Cat5e: Ethernet cable supporting up to 1 Gbps at 100 MHz
Cat5e supports up to 1 Gbps at 100 MHz, standard for 1000BASE-T over 100 meters. Cat6 supports up to 10 Gbps at 250 MHz but is limited to 55 meters for 10GBASE-T. Cat6a supports 10 Gbps at 500 MHz over full 100 meters. Single-mode fiber uses laser light for long distances, typically beyond 1 km.
Answer analysis
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
Cat5e: Ethernet cable supporting up to 1 Gbps at 100 MHz
Why this is correct
Cat5e is twisted-pair copper cabling rated for up to 1 Gbps at 100 MHz, commonly used for 1000BASE-T networks up to 100 meters.
Cat6: Ethernet cable supporting up to 10 Gbps at 250 MHz (up to 55m)
Why this is correct
Cat6 supports up to 10 Gbps at 250 MHz, but only up to 55 meters for 10GBASE-T; beyond that, it is limited to 1 Gbps.
Cat6a: Ethernet cable supporting up to 10 Gbps at 500 MHz (up to 100m)
Why this is correct
Cat6a supports up to 10 Gbps at 500 MHz over the full 100 meters, making it suitable for 10GBASE-T without distance restrictions.
Fiber single-mode: Uses laser light for long-distance, high-bandwidth transmission
Why this is correct
Single-mode fiber (OS1/OS2) uses a small core and laser light to achieve very long distances (up to 40 km or more) and high bandwidth, typically used in WAN links.
Go deeper
Learn chapter
IPv6 Address Types
Key term
UTP
Unshielded Twisted Pair (UTP) is a copper cabling type with pairs of twisted wires and no shielding, used for Ethernet networks.
Key term
Unshielded Twisted Pair
Unshielded Twisted Pair (UTP) is a type of copper cabling used in Ethernet networks, where pairs of wires are twisted together to reduce electrical interference, without additional metallic shielding.
About these practice questions
One of 1,389 original 200-301 practice questions on Courseiva, each with a full explanation and wrong-answer analysis — not exam dumps or protected exam content. Learn why practice questions differ from exam dumps →
Same concept, more angles
These questions test the same concept from different angles. Work through them to make sure you can recognise it however the exam phrases it.
Variation 1. Drag and drop the cable types on the left to the correct maximum distance or connector type on the right. PAIRS: Cat5e → 100 meters (max distance) Cat6a → 100 meters (max distance) Single-mode fiber → LC connector Multimode fiber (OM3) → 300 meters (max distance at 10 Gbps) Coaxial cable (RG-6) → F-type connector
mediumWhy A: The correct pairing from the list is Cat5e to 100 meters. Option A correctly states this. Option B is incorrect because Cat6 supports 10GBASE-T only up to 55 meters, not 100 meters. Option C is true about single-mode fiber in general, but the prompt pairs single-mode fiber with LC connector, not distance. Option D is incorrect because OM3 multimode fiber supports 300 meters at 10 Gbps, not 550 meters.
Variation 2. Drag and drop the cable/transceiver types on the left to the correct distance and speed descriptions on the right.
mediumWhy A: Option A is correct: Cat5e UTP supports 1000BASE-T at 100 m and 1 Gbps. Option B is incorrect: Cat6 supports 10GBASE-T only up to 55 m; it requires Cat6A for 100 m at 10 Gbps. Option C is correct: 1000BASE-LX over single-mode fiber has a standard reach of 5 km at 1 Gbps. Option D is correct: 1000BASE-SX over 50 µm multimode fiber has a standard reach of 550 m at 1 Gbps.
Variation 3. Drag and drop the cable or transceiver types on the left to the corresponding distance limits or characteristics on the right.
mediumWhy A: 1000BASE-T over Cat5e/6 UTP copper has a maximum distance of 100 meters. 1000BASE-SX over 50/125 µm multimode fiber supports up to 550 meters (220/275 m on 62.5/125 µm, but 550 m is the commonly quoted maximum for 50/125 µm). 1000BASE-LX over single-mode fiber supports up to 5 kilometers (550 m on multimode with mode-conditioning patch cord). 1000BASE-ZX is a Cisco-defined single-mode transceiver supporting distances up to 70 kilometers. Therefore, each listed pairing is correct.
Variation 4. Drag and drop the cable types and transceivers on the left to their corresponding distance limits or interface diagnostics on the right.
mediumWhy A: Each cable type or transceiver has a specified maximum distance based on IEEE standards and fiber-optic characteristics. Cat5e UTP supporting 1000BASE-T is limited to 100 meters due to signal attenuation and the 1000BASE-T standard. Multimode fiber OM3 with 1000BASE-SX (short wavelength) reaches up to 550 meters because of modal dispersion and the SX transceiver's power budget. Singlemode fiber with 1000BASE-LX (long wavelength) can transmit up to 5 kilometers due to lower attenuation and reduced dispersion in single-mode fiber. The SFP-10G-SR (short-reach 10 Gigabit) transceiver over OM3 multimode fiber has a maximum distance of 300 meters per the 10GBASE-SR standard. The 'show interfaces' command displays critical interface diagnostics such as input/output errors, speed, duplex settings, and CRC errors, which are essential for troubleshooting link issues.
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.