The answer is the four-command configuration applied to interface Vlan100: `standby 100 ip 192.168.100.1`, `standby 100 priority 110`, `standby 100 preempt`, and `standby 100 track GigabitEthernet0/1 20`. This corrects the misconfigured virtual IP, establishes R1 as the active router with a higher priority, and enables preempt so R1 reclaims the active role after a failure recovery, while the tracking command decrements priority by 20 if the upstream interface goes down, forcing a failover to R2. On the CCNA 200-301 v2 exam, HSRP configuration with preempt and tracking tests your ability to troubleshoot dual-active scenarios and ensure deterministic failover; a common trap is forgetting that without preempt, a router with higher priority will not automatically become active after recovering from a failure. A reliable memory tip is the acronym “P-P-T” for Priority, Preempt, and Tracking—always apply them together when you need a stable active gateway.
CCNA IP Routing Practice Question
This 200-301 practice question tests your understanding of ip routing. 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.
Network Topology
You are connected to R1, a multilayer switch acting as an HSRP active gateway for VLAN 100. The network requires R1 to be the active router with a virtual IP of 192.168.100.1. Currently, both R1 and the peer router R2 show as active in 'show standby brief', and the virtual IP is misconfigured. Configure HSRP on R1 to fix these issues: set priority to 110, enable preempt, correct the virtual IP, and track interface GigabitEthernet0/1 (decrement priority by 20 if it goes down).
Current relevant configuration and output on R1:
R1# show running-config | section interface Vlan100
interface Vlan100
ip address 192.168.100.10 255.255.255.0
standby version 2
standby 100 ip 192.168.100.254
standby 100 priority 100
no standby preempt
!
R1# show standby brief
P indicates configured to preempt.
|
Interface Grp Pri P State Active Standby Virtual IP
Vl100 100 100 Active local 192.168.100.11 192.168.100.254
R1# show ip interface brief | include GigabitEthernet0/1
GigabitEthernet0/1 10.0.0.1 YES manual up up
This configuration correctly sets the virtual IP to 192.168.100.1, assigns a priority of 110 (higher than default), enables preempt so R1 reclaims active role after recovery, and tracks GigabitEthernet0/1 to decrement priority by 20 if the interface goes down, ensuring R1 remains active under normal conditions.
Why wrong: This is incorrect because the virtual IP is set to 192.168.100.254 instead of the required 192.168.100.1. The virtual IP must match the configured gateway address for the hosts in VLAN 100.
Why wrong: This is incorrect because the priority is set to 100, which is the default value. With equal priority, both routers could still be active or the active role could be determined by other factors, not ensuring R1 is the active router.
Why wrong: This is incorrect because the preempt command is missing. Without preempt, even if R1 has higher priority, it will not take over the active role after recovering from a failure; the current active router (R2) would remain active.
The problem had multiple issues: the virtual IP was wrong (192.168.100.254 instead of 192.168.100.1), preempt was not enabled (both routers could claim active), and priority was default (100). Additionally, interface tracking was missing to decrement priority if the upstream link failed. The solution consists of four commands: 'standby 100 ip 192.168.100.1' to set the correct virtual IP, 'standby 100 priority 110' to make R1 the active router, 'standby 100 preempt' to allow R1 to reclaim active role after recovery, and 'standby 100 track GigabitEthernet0/1 20' to reduce priority by 20 if that interface goes down.
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.
This configuration correctly sets the virtual IP to 192.168.100.1, assigns a priority of 110 (higher than default), enables preempt so R1 reclaims active role after recovery, and tracks GigabitEthernet0/1 to decrement priority by 20 if the interface goes down, ensuring R1 remains active under normal conditions.
Related concept
Access ports place end devices into a single VLAN.
This is incorrect because the virtual IP is set to 192.168.100.254 instead of the required 192.168.100.1. The virtual IP must match the configured gateway address for the hosts in VLAN 100.
This is incorrect because the priority is set to 100, which is the default value. With equal priority, both routers could still be active or the active role could be determined by other factors, not ensuring R1 is the active router.
This is incorrect because the preempt command is missing. Without preempt, even if R1 has higher priority, it will not take over the active role after recovering from a failure; the current active router (R2) would remain active.
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.
This configuration correctly sets the virtual IP to 192.168.100.1, assigns a priority of 110 (higher than default), enables preempt so R1 reclaims active role after recovery, and tracks GigabitEthernet0/1 to decrement priority by 20 if the interface goes down, ensuring R1 remains active under normal conditions.
✗interface Vlan100
standby 100 ip 192.168.100.254
standby 100 priority 110
standby 100 preempt
standby 100 track GigabitEthernet0/1 20Wrong answer — click to see why▾
Why this is wrong here
The virtual IP address is wrong; it should be 192.168.100.1, not 192.168.100.254.
Why candidates choose this
Candidates might confuse the virtual IP with a typical gateway address or misremember the correct IP from the scenario.
✗interface Vlan100
standby 100 ip 192.168.100.1
standby 100 priority 100
standby 100 preempt
standby 100 track GigabitEthernet0/1 20Wrong answer — click to see why▾
Why this is wrong here
Priority must be higher than the default (100) to ensure R1 becomes the active router; 110 is required.
Why candidates choose this
Candidates might think the default priority is sufficient or forget that a higher priority is needed to guarantee active status.
✗interface Vlan100
standby 100 ip 192.168.100.1
standby 100 priority 110
standby 100 track GigabitEthernet0/1 20Wrong answer — click to see why▾
Why this is wrong here
Preempt is required to allow R1 to reclaim the active role when its priority becomes higher again after a failure.
Why candidates choose this
Candidates might overlook preempt, thinking that higher priority alone is enough to become active, but preempt is necessary for the router to actively take over.
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
Command / output trap
This is incorrect because the preempt command is missing. Without preempt, even if R1 has higher priority, it will not take over the active role after recovering from a failure; the current active router (R2) would remain active.
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.
Related glossary terms
Concepts from this question explained
These glossary pages explain the core terms tested in this 200-301 question in full detail.
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.
IP Routing — This question tests IP Routing — Access ports place end devices into a single VLAN..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: interface Vlan100
standby 100 ip 192.168.100.1
standby 100 priority 110
standby 100 preempt
standby 100 track GigabitEthernet0/1 20 — The problem had multiple issues: the virtual IP was wrong (192.168.100.254 instead of 192.168.100.1), preempt was not enabled (both routers could claim active), and priority was default (100). Additionally, interface tracking was missing to decrement priority if the upstream link failed. The solution consists of four commands: 'standby 100 ip 192.168.100.1' to set the correct virtual IP, 'standby 100 priority 110' to make R1 the active router, 'standby 100 preempt' to allow R1 to reclaim active role after recovery, and 'standby 100 track GigabitEthernet0/1 20' to reduce priority by 20 if that interface goes down.
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.
About these practice questions
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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. You are connected to R1. Configure HSRP on interface GigabitEthernet0/0 so that R1 becomes the active router for group 10 with a virtual IP of 192.0.2.254/24. Ensure that R1 preempts if it regains a higher priority, and track interface GigabitEthernet0/1 to decrement priority by 20 if it goes down. Additionally, troubleshoot the current configuration: both routers are showing as active for group 11 with virtual IP 203.0.113.1, which is incorrect — the virtual IP should be 203.0.113.254 for group 11.
Why A: Both routers showing active for group 11 indicates a mismatch in the virtual IP address or missing preempt. To fix group 11, correct the virtual IP to 203.0.113.254 with 'standby 11 ip 203.0.113.254'. Add preempt with 'standby 11 preempt' to break the tie. For group 10, to ensure R1 becomes active, you must configure preempt ('standby 10 preempt') and interface tracking ('standby 10 track GigabitEthernet0/1 20'). However, with default priority, R1 might not become active if R2's interface IP is higher; therefore, a priority command like 'standby 10 priority 110' may be necessary. The options shown do not include that priority command, so in practice the configuration is incomplete.
Variation 2. You are connected to R1. Configure HSRP so that R1 becomes the active router for VLAN 10, with a virtual IP of 192.168.10.1. Ensure that R1 preempts if it comes back online after a failure. Also, configure R1 to decrement its HSRP priority by 20 if its GigabitEthernet0/1 interface goes down. The current configuration shows both routers as active — identify and fix the issues.
hard
✓ A.Change the virtual IP to 192.168.10.1, set priority to 110, enable preempt, and track interface GigabitEthernet0/1 with decrement 20.
B.Change the virtual IP to 192.168.10.1, set priority to 100, enable preempt, and track interface GigabitEthernet0/1 with decrement 20.
C.Change the virtual IP to 192.168.10.254, set priority to 110, enable preempt, and track interface GigabitEthernet0/1 with decrement 20.
D.Change the virtual IP to 192.168.10.1, set priority to 110, enable preempt, but do not track any interface.
Why A: The scenario indicates both routers appear as Active, which is abnormal. This could result from a misconfigured virtual IP or group number mismatch. The required fix is to set the virtual IP to 192.168.10.1, assign R1 a higher priority (110 vs R2's default 100), enable preempt so R1 reclaims active role after failure, and track GigabitEthernet0/1 with a decrement of 20 to lower priority if that interface goes down.
Variation 3. You are connected to R1. Configure HSRP on R1 and R2 so that R1 is the active gateway for VLAN 100 with a virtual IP of 192.0.2.254. R1 should preempt and track its G0/1 interface to decrement priority by 20 if it goes down. Currently, both routers show active for the group, and the virtual IP is incorrectly set. Troubleshoot and fix the configuration on R1 only.
hard
✓ A.Change the virtual IP to 192.0.2.254 and set priority to 110.
B.Change the virtual IP to 192.0.2.254 and remove the track command.
C.Change the virtual IP to 192.0.2.254 and configure preempt on R2.
D.Change the virtual IP to 192.0.2.254 and set priority to 100.
Why A: The issue is that both routers are active because the virtual IP on R1 was 192.168.100.254, which is not in the same subnet as the interface IP (192.0.2.1/24), so HSRP couldn't form a common group. Changing the virtual IP to 192.0.2.254 fixes the subnet mismatch. Additionally, setting R1's priority to 110 ensures it becomes the active router because it has preempt configured, and the higher priority overrides R2's default 100. The track command remains correct as it reduces priority if G0/1 fails.
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