The answer is that the EtherChannel will not form because neither side initiates LACP negotiation. LACP passive mode is exactly that—passive: it listens for incoming LACP packets but never sends them. When both ends are set to passive, each switch waits for the other to start the negotiation, creating a deadlock where no LACP frames are exchanged, and the bundle remains down. This is a deterministic failure, not a probabilistic one, and it directly tests your understanding of LACP modes on the CCNA 200-301 v2 exam. A common trap is assuming that passive means “willing to negotiate,” but it only responds, never initiates. Remember the mnemonic: “Passive waits, Active initiates—two passives leaves the link in a passive state of failure.”
CCNA Switching and Network Access Practice Question
This 200-301 practice question tests your understanding of switching and network access. The scenario asks you to isolate a root cause — eliminate options that address a different problem before choosing. A key principle to apply: lACP bundles multiple physical Ethernet links into a single logical EtherChannel to increase bandwidth and provide redundancy.. 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.
Two switches are configured for LACP EtherChannel. One side is set to passive and the other side is also set to passive. What is the most likely outcome?
Clue words in this question
Noticing these words before you look at the options changes how you read each choice.
Clue: "most likely"
Why it matters: Probability qualifier — the question wants the most probable cause or outcome, not a guaranteed one. Eliminate low-probability options.
The EtherChannel will not form because neither side initiates LACP negotiation.
This is correct because LACP passive mode listens for negotiation but does not initiate it. With both sides passive, no LACP packets are sent, so the EtherChannel never forms.
B
The EtherChannel always forms because passive mode is preferred.
Why wrong: This is wrong because passive does not actively initiate the channel.
C
The links automatically become a routed interface.
Why wrong: This is wrong because LACP mode does not convert the ports into Layer 3 interfaces.
D
The switches delete the bundle configuration automatically.
Why wrong: This is wrong because the configuration is not automatically removed.
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
The EtherChannel will not form because neither side initiates LACP negotiation.
The EtherChannel will not form because LACP passive mode only listens for negotiation; it does not initiate it. When both sides are set to passive, neither side sends LACP packets, so the bundle cannot be established. This is a deterministic outcome, not merely unlikely.
Key principle: LACP bundles multiple physical Ethernet links into a single logical EtherChannel to increase bandwidth and provide redundancy.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
✓
The EtherChannel will not form because neither side initiates LACP negotiation.
Why this is correct
This is correct because LACP passive mode listens for negotiation but does not initiate it. With both sides passive, no LACP packets are sent, so the EtherChannel never forms.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "most likely" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
LACP bundles multiple physical Ethernet links into a single logical EtherChannel to increase bandwidth and provide redundancy.
✗
The EtherChannel always forms because passive mode is preferred.
Why it's wrong here
This is wrong because passive does not actively initiate the channel.
When this WOULD be correct
In a different scenario where both switches are configured to use LACP but one switch is set to active mode while the other is set to passive, this option could be correct. In such a case, the active switch would initiate the negotiation, allowing the EtherChannel to form successfully.
✗
The links automatically become a routed interface.
Why it's wrong here
This is wrong because LACP mode does not convert the ports into Layer 3 interfaces.
When this WOULD be correct
If the question were to state that both switches are configured for LACP but with one switch set to active mode and the other to passive, the links could potentially become routed interfaces if the configuration allows for it. This scenario would require specific routing configurations to be in place.
✗
The switches delete the bundle configuration automatically.
Why it's wrong here
This is wrong because the configuration is not automatically removed.
When this WOULD be correct
In a different scenario where a switch is configured to automatically remove any EtherChannel configurations if no negotiation occurs within a certain timeout period, this option could be correct. For instance, a question could specify that the switches have a timeout setting that triggers deletion of the bundle if no active negotiation is detected.
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.
✓The EtherChannel will not form because neither side initiates LACP negotiation.Correct answer▾
Why this is correct
This is correct because LACP passive mode listens for negotiation but does not initiate it. With both sides passive, no LACP packets are sent, so the EtherChannel never forms.
✗The EtherChannel always forms because passive mode is preferred.Wrong answer — click to see why▾
Why this is wrong here
Passive mode does not initiate LACP negotiation; it only responds to incoming LACPDUs. Therefore, with both sides passive, no LACPDUs are exchanged, and the EtherChannel will not form. The statement that passive mode is preferred is incorrect; active mode is typically used on at least one side to initiate the channel.
★ When this WOULD be the correct answer
In a different scenario where both switches are configured to use LACP but one switch is set to active mode while the other is set to passive, this option could be correct. In such a case, the active switch would initiate the negotiation, allowing the EtherChannel to form successfully.
Why candidates choose this
Students may confuse passive mode with desirable mode in PAgP, where desirable-desirable forms a channel. Since LACP passive is similar to PAgP auto, they might incorrectly assume that passive-passive works, but LACP requires at least one active side.
✗The links automatically become a routed interface.Wrong answer — click to see why▾
Why this is wrong here
LACP operates at Layer 2 and does not change the interface type. The ports remain switchports (Layer 2) unless explicitly configured with 'no switchport'. LACP mode has no effect on Layer 3 routing functionality.
★ When this WOULD be the correct answer
If the question were to state that both switches are configured for LACP but with one switch set to active mode and the other to passive, the links could potentially become routed interfaces if the configuration allows for it. This scenario would require specific routing configurations to be in place.
Why candidates choose this
Some students might think that because LACP is a protocol that runs between switches, it could automatically enable routing, but that is not the case. The confusion may arise from the fact that some EtherChannel configurations can be used for routed interfaces, but the LACP mode itself does not cause that.
✗The switches delete the bundle configuration automatically.Wrong answer — click to see why▾
Why this is wrong here
LACP configuration is not automatically deleted when negotiation fails. The configuration remains in the running-config, and the ports will simply not form an EtherChannel. The administrator must manually remove the configuration if desired.
★ When this WOULD be the correct answer
In a different scenario where a switch is configured to automatically remove any EtherChannel configurations if no negotiation occurs within a certain timeout period, this option could be correct. For instance, a question could specify that the switches have a timeout setting that triggers deletion of the bundle if no active negotiation is detected.
Why candidates choose this
Students might think that if the EtherChannel does not form, the switch would automatically clean up the configuration to avoid errors, but Cisco switches do not automatically remove configured port-channel interfaces or channel-group assignments.
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: answer the scenario, not the keyword
Ensure at least one side is set to active in LACP configurations to avoid non-formation of the channel.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Link Aggregation Control Protocol (LACP) is a standardized protocol used to bundle multiple physical Ethernet links into a single logical link called an EtherChannel. This bundling increases bandwidth and provides redundancy. LACP operates in two modes: active and passive. Active mode actively initiates negotiation by sending LACP packets to the peer, while passive mode only responds to LACP packets but does not initiate them. The negotiation process ensures that both ends agree on which links to aggregate and maintain consistent configurations.
When configuring LACP EtherChannel, at least one side must be set to active mode to initiate the negotiation process. If both sides are set to passive mode, neither device sends LACP packets to start the negotiation. As a result, the EtherChannel does not form because the switches wait indefinitely for the other side to initiate. This behavior is specific to LACP and differs from other EtherChannel protocols like PAgP, which have different negotiation rules.
The exam trap here is assuming that passive mode alone can establish an EtherChannel. Many candidates incorrectly believe that two passive sides will negotiate successfully, but since passive mode only listens and never initiates, the bundle remains down. In practical networking, this means the physical links remain separate and do not provide the benefits of EtherChannel such as increased bandwidth or redundancy. Understanding this behavior is critical for configuring EtherChannel correctly and troubleshooting link aggregation issues.
KKey Concepts to Remember
LACP bundles multiple physical Ethernet links into a single logical EtherChannel to increase bandwidth and provide redundancy.
LACP operates in two modes: active mode initiates negotiation, while passive mode only responds to negotiation packets.
An EtherChannel using LACP requires at least one side to be in active mode to start the negotiation process.
If both switches are set to passive mode, neither side sends LACP packets, so the EtherChannel does not form.
Passive/passive LACP configurations cause member links to remain unbundled and do not provide link aggregation benefits.
LACP negotiation ensures both ends agree on link aggregation parameters before forming the EtherChannel.
Incorrect assumptions about passive mode initiating negotiation are a common cause of EtherChannel formation failures.
Understanding LACP mode behavior is essential for configuring and troubleshooting EtherChannel in Cisco networks.
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.
Key takeaway
LACP bundles multiple physical Ethernet links into a single logical EtherChannel to increase bandwidth and provide redundancy.
Real-world example
How this comes up in practice
A practitioner preparing for the 200-301 exam encounters this exact type of scenario on the job. The correct answer here is not the most general option — it is the best answer for the specific constraint described. LACP bundles multiple physical Ethernet links into a single logical EtherChannel to increase bandwidth and provide redundancy. Real exam questions reward reading the full scenario before eliminating options, because the constraint defines which answer fits.
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 lACP bundles multiple physical Ethernet links into a single logical EtherChannel to increase bandwidth and provide redundancy., then practise related 200-301 questions on the same topic to reinforce the concept.
Switching and Network Access — This question tests Switching and Network Access — LACP bundles multiple physical Ethernet links into a single logical EtherChannel to increase bandwidth and provide redundancy..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: The EtherChannel will not form because neither side initiates LACP negotiation. — The EtherChannel will not form because LACP passive mode only listens for negotiation; it does not initiate it. When both sides are set to passive, neither side sends LACP packets, so the bundle cannot be established. This is a deterministic outcome, not merely unlikely.
What should I do if I get this 200-301 question wrong?
Review lACP bundles multiple physical Ethernet links into a single logical EtherChannel to increase bandwidth and provide redundancy., then practise related 200-301 questions on the same topic to reinforce the concept.
Are there clue words in this question I should notice?
Yes — watch for: "most likely". Probability qualifier — the question wants the most probable cause or outcome, not a guaranteed one. Eliminate low-probability options.
What is the key concept behind this question?
LACP bundles multiple physical Ethernet links into a single logical EtherChannel to increase bandwidth and provide redundancy.
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