Question 1mediummatching
Full question →Match each trunking term to its most accurate meaning.
Answer choices are not available in this preview. Open the full question page for the complete review.
mediummatchingObjective-mapped
Match each trunking term to its most accurate meaning.
Common exam trap
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
A frequent exam trap is mixing up the native VLAN and access VLAN concepts. Candidates often assume that untagged traffic on a trunk is related to the access VLAN, but it actually belongs to the native VLAN. Another pitfall is neglecting the allowed VLAN list, mistakenly believing all VLANs always traverse a trunk. Misunderstanding these terms can lead to VLAN mismatches, causing communication failures or security risks such as VLAN hopping attacks. The exam may test subtle differences, so confusing these roles can cause incorrect answers.
Technical deep dive
How to think about this question
Trunking in Cisco networks refers to a physical or logical link between switches that carries traffic for multiple VLANs simultaneously. This is achieved by tagging Ethernet frames with VLAN identifiers using protocols like IEEE 802.1Q. The trunk link enables VLAN segmentation across switches, allowing devices in the same VLAN but on different switches to communicate as if they were on the same LAN segment. The allowed VLAN list on a trunk port controls which VLANs are permitted to traverse that trunk. By default, all VLANs are allowed, but network administrators can restrict this list to improve security and reduce unnecessary traffic. The native VLAN is a special VLAN on an 802.1Q trunk that carries untagged frames; it is typically VLAN 1 by default but can be changed for security reasons. Access VLANs are assigned to access ports that connect end devices; these ports carry traffic for a single VLAN and do not tag frames. A common exam trap is confusing the native VLAN with the access VLAN or misunderstanding the role of the allowed VLAN list. For example, untagged traffic on a trunk is always associated with the native VLAN, not the access VLAN. Misconfiguring the native VLAN or allowed VLAN list can cause VLAN hopping or traffic loss. Practically, ensuring consistent native VLAN configuration on both ends of a trunk and carefully managing allowed VLANs prevents VLAN mismatches and security vulnerabilities.
KKey Concepts to Remember
- A trunk port carries traffic for multiple VLANs simultaneously by tagging frames with VLAN identifiers using 802.1Q encapsulation.
- The allowed VLAN list on a trunk port determines which VLANs are permitted to send traffic across the trunk link, restricting unnecessary VLAN traffic.
- The native VLAN on an 802.1Q trunk carries untagged frames and must be consistently configured on both ends to avoid VLAN mismatches.
- An access VLAN is assigned to an access port connecting end devices and carries traffic for only one VLAN without tagging frames.
- Cisco switches use VLAN tagging on trunks to maintain VLAN separation across multiple switches, enabling scalable network segmentation.
- Misconfiguring the native VLAN or allowed VLAN list can cause traffic loss, VLAN hopping, or security vulnerabilities in a switched network.
- Understanding the difference between trunk ports and access ports is critical for proper VLAN design and troubleshooting in Cisco networks.
- The native VLAN is not the same as the access VLAN; the native VLAN applies only to trunks, while the access VLAN applies only to access ports.
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 trunk port carries traffic for multiple VLANs simultaneously by tagging frames with VLAN identifiers using 802.1Q encapsulation.
What exam trap should I watch out for?
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword: A frequent exam trap is mixing up the native VLAN and access VLAN concepts. Candidates often assume that untagged traffic on a trunk is related to the access VLAN, but it actually belongs to the native VLAN. Another pitfall is neglecting the allowed VLAN list, mistakenly believing all VLANs always traverse a trunk. Misunderstanding these terms can lead to VLAN mismatches, causing communication failures or security risks such as VLAN hopping attacks. The exam may test subtle differences, so confusing these roles can cause incorrect answers.
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.