Question 1hardmultiple choice
Full question →hardmultiple choiceObjective-mapped
Two switches should form an EtherChannel with LACP. One side is set to active and the other is set to passive. If the remaining interface settings match, what is the expected result?
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
Best answer
The EtherChannel should form successfully.
This is correct because active/passive is a valid LACP negotiation pairing.
B
Distractor review
The EtherChannel fails because both sides must be active.
This is wrong because passive can form a bundle with an active peer.
C
Distractor review
The interfaces automatically become routed ports.
This is wrong because LACP mode does not convert interfaces into Layer 3 ports.
D
Distractor review
The switches delete the port-channel automatically.
This is wrong because LACP negotiation failure does not automatically delete the configuration.
Common exam trap
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
A frequent exam trap is believing that both sides of an EtherChannel must be set to active mode for LACP to form the bundle. This misconception leads to selecting incorrect answers that claim the EtherChannel fails if one side is passive. In reality, an active/passive pairing works because the active side initiates negotiation and the passive side responds. Another trap is confusing passive/passive mode with active/passive; passive/passive fails because no negotiation packets are sent. Misunderstanding these mode interactions can cause candidates to overlook the correct answer and misinterpret EtherChannel behavior in Cisco environments.
Technical deep dive
How to think about this question
EtherChannel is a technology that bundles multiple physical Ethernet links into a single logical link to increase bandwidth and provide redundancy. Link Aggregation Control Protocol (LACP) is a dynamic protocol used to negotiate and manage EtherChannel links between switches, ensuring that both ends agree on the link aggregation parameters before forming the bundle. LACP operates in two modes: active and passive. Active mode actively initiates negotiation by sending LACP packets, while passive mode only responds to LACP packets but does not initiate them. When one switch port is set to active and the other to passive, the active side sends LACP negotiation packets, and the passive side listens and responds. This combination allows the EtherChannel to form successfully because the negotiation is initiated and acknowledged. Both sides must also match in interface settings such as speed, duplex, VLAN membership, and switchport mode for the EtherChannel to come up. If these parameters differ, the EtherChannel will not form even if LACP negotiation occurs. A common exam trap is confusing the active/passive pairing with the passive/passive pairing. Passive/passive mode means neither side initiates negotiation, so the EtherChannel will not form because no LACP packets are sent. Another trap is assuming both sides must be active, which is incorrect. Understanding how LACP modes interact and the importance of matching interface parameters helps avoid these mistakes and ensures proper EtherChannel formation in Cisco environments.
KKey Concepts to Remember
- LACP uses active and passive modes to negotiate EtherChannel links dynamically between switches.
- An active LACP mode port initiates negotiation by sending LACP packets, while a passive mode port only responds to these packets.
- An EtherChannel forms successfully when one side is active and the other is passive, provided interface settings match.
- Matching interface parameters such as speed, duplex, VLAN membership, and switchport mode are required for EtherChannel formation.
- Passive/passive LACP mode pairing fails to form an EtherChannel because neither side initiates negotiation.
- LACP negotiation failure does not automatically delete the port-channel configuration on Cisco switches.
- EtherChannel interfaces do not convert to routed ports simply due to LACP mode settings.
- Understanding LACP mode interactions prevents common mistakes in EtherChannel configuration and troubleshooting.
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?
LACP uses active and passive modes to negotiate EtherChannel links dynamically between switches.
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: The EtherChannel should form successfully. — The EtherChannel should form successfully. In practical terms, active mode initiates LACP negotiation and passive mode listens and responds. Because one side is actively starting the negotiation, the bundle can come up if the interfaces also match in operational settings such as speed, duplex, switchport mode, and VLAN characteristics. This is a classic LACP pairing question. Active/passive works. Passive/passive is the combination that usually fails to start the bundle.
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.