Question 1hardmultiple choice
Full question →hardmultiple choiceObjective-mapped
Exhibit
POST /dna/intent/api/v1/template-programmer/project HTTP/1.1 Host: controller.example.com X-Auth-Token: expired-token HTTP/1.1 401 Unauthorized
Exhibit: A script sends an API request and receives HTTP status code 401. What does that code indicate?
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
The requested resource was not found
That would be a 404 error.
B
Best answer
The client is not authenticated successfully
401 Unauthorized points to an authentication problem.
C
Distractor review
The server completed the request successfully
A successful response would be in the 2xx range.
D
Distractor review
The server rejected the request because the JSON body was too large
That is a different class of error.
Common exam trap
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
A common exam trap is confusing the HTTP 401 Unauthorized status code with the 404 Not Found error or assuming it means the server rejected the request for reasons unrelated to authentication. Candidates might incorrectly select options indicating resource absence or payload issues. The key mistake is overlooking that 401 specifically signals an authentication failure, not a missing resource or successful request. Misinterpreting this can lead to incorrect troubleshooting steps and wrong exam answers.
Technical deep dive
How to think about this question
HTTP status codes are standardized responses from a web server to a client's request, indicating the outcome of the request. The 401 Unauthorized status code specifically signals that the client must authenticate itself to get the requested response. This means the server received the request but refuses to authorize it because the authentication credentials were missing, invalid, or expired. In the context of Cisco automation and programmability, when using APIs to interact with network devices, proper authentication is mandatory to access resources or execute commands. When a script sends an API requests and receives a 401 status code, it indicates an authentication failure. This failure can occur due to incorrect username/password, missing or malformed authentication tokens, or improper authorization headers. The server expects valid credentials before granting access. Unlike a 403 Forbidden error, which indicates that authentication succeeded but access is denied, a 401 error means the client has not successfully authenticated yet. Network engineers must verify the authentication method, token validity, and header formatting when troubleshooting such errors in Cisco device APIs. A common exam trap is confusing the 401 Unauthorized error with other HTTP errors such as 404 Not Found or 403 Forbidden. Candidates might mistakenly think a 401 means the resource does not exist or that the server rejected the request for other reasons like payload size. However, 401 strictly relates to authentication failure. Practically, when automating Cisco devices, ensuring the correct authentication credentials and token formats are used is critical to avoid this error and successfully perform network automation tasks.
KKey Concepts to Remember
- HTTP 401 Unauthorized status code indicates the client failed to authenticate successfully with the server.
- API requests to Cisco devices require valid authentication tokens or credentials to avoid 401 errors.
- A 401 error differs from a 404 error, which means the requested resource was not found on the server.
- Successful API requests return status codes in the 2xx range, indicating the server processed the request correctly.
- Authentication failures cause the server to reject requests with a 401 status, requiring credential verification.
- Malformed or missing authentication headers commonly cause 401 errors in Cisco network automation scripts.
- Understanding HTTP status codes helps network engineers troubleshoot API communication issues effectively.
- The 401 Unauthorized error does not imply permission denial after authentication, which is indicated by a 403 Forbidden.
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?
HTTP 401 Unauthorized status code indicates the client failed to authenticate successfully with the server.
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: The client is not authenticated successfully — HTTP 401 means the request was not accepted because authentication is required or the provided credentials or token were invalid. In practice, the first thing to check is the token, username, password, or auth header format.
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.