The answer is that VLAN 30 has been administratively shut down. This is the most likely cause because when a VLAN is placed into shutdown state under its configuration mode, it is removed from the output of the show vlan brief command, even though it may still appear in the running-config. Any access ports assigned to that VLAN, such as Gi0/3, become unable to forward traffic, effectively isolating users from the VLAN resources. On the CCNA 200-301 v2 exam, this scenario tests your understanding that a shutdown VLAN behaves differently from an inactive or missing VLAN—a common trap is assuming the VLAN does not exist when it is simply disabled. Remember that a VLAN can be active in the database but still administratively down, and the show vlan brief command only lists VLANs that are both created and operationally up. A quick memory tip: if the VLAN is missing from the brief but present in the config, think “shutdown silences the show.”
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. 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.
Exhibit
SW1# show vlan brief
VLAN Name Status Ports
---- -------------------------------- --------- -------------------------------
1 default active Gi0/1, Gi0/2, Gi0/4, Gi0/5, Gi0/6
10 Management active Gi0/7, Gi0/8
20 Sales active Gi0/9, Gi0/10
30 Engineering act/lshut Gi0/3
1002 fddi-default act/unsup
1003 token-ring-default act/unsup
1004 fddinet-default act/unsup
1005 trnet-default act/unsup
Refer to the exhibit. A network administrator is troubleshooting a connectivity issue on switch SW1. Users connected to port Gi0/3 are unable to reach resources in VLAN 30. The administrator issues the show vlan brief command and receives the output shown. What is the most likely cause of the problem?
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.
SW1# show vlan brief
VLAN Name Status Ports
---- -------------------------------- --------- -------------------------------
1 default active Gi0/1, Gi0/2, Gi0/4, Gi0/5, Gi0/6
10 Management active Gi0/7, Gi0/8
20 Sales active Gi0/9, Gi0/10
30 Engineering act/lshut Gi0/3
1002 fddi-default act/unsup
1003 token-ring-default act/unsup
1004 fddinet-default act/unsup
1005 trnet-default act/unsup
A
The Gi0/3 port is in an error-disabled state due to port security violations.
Why wrong: show vlan brief lists the VLAN status, not the interface error state. The exhibit shows the VLAN as administratively shut down (act/lshut), not a port security issue that would cause an err-disable state.
B
The VLAN 30 SVI is administratively down.
Why wrong: The show vlan brief command displays Layer 2 VLAN information, not the state of the switched virtual interface (SVI). The 'act/lshut' status refers to the VLAN itself being shut down, not to Interface VLAN 30.
C
VLAN 30 is administratively shut down.
The Status field for VLAN 30 clearly displays 'act/lshut', which is Cisco’s notation for an administratively shut-down VLAN. This prevents any data plane forwarding on ports assigned to that VLAN.
D
Spanning Tree Protocol has placed Gi0/3 into a blocking state for VLAN 30.
Why wrong: The show vlan brief output does not contain Spanning Tree Protocol (STP) port state information. STP states are viewed with 'show spanning-tree' commands. The exhibited 'act/lshut' is a VLAN-level administrative status, not an STP state.
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
VLAN 30 is administratively shut down.
The 'show vlan brief' output shows VLAN 30 as 'active' but the ports assigned to it are not listed, and the VLAN is not present in the output at all. This indicates that VLAN 30 has been administratively shut down (shutdown command applied under the VLAN configuration mode), which prevents any traffic from being forwarded through that VLAN, even if the switch port Gi0/3 is configured as an access port in VLAN 30. The correct answer is C because an administratively shutdown VLAN will not appear in the 'show vlan brief' output, and all ports assigned to it will be unable to communicate within that VLAN.
Key principle: Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
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 Gi0/3 port is in an error-disabled state due to port security violations.
Why it's wrong here
show vlan brief lists the VLAN status, not the interface error state. The exhibit shows the VLAN as administratively shut down (act/lshut), not a port security issue that would cause an err-disable state.
✗
The VLAN 30 SVI is administratively down.
Why it's wrong here
The show vlan brief command displays Layer 2 VLAN information, not the state of the switched virtual interface (SVI). The 'act/lshut' status refers to the VLAN itself being shut down, not to Interface VLAN 30.
✓
VLAN 30 is administratively shut down.
Why this is correct
The Status field for VLAN 30 clearly displays 'act/lshut', which is Cisco’s notation for an administratively shut-down VLAN. This prevents any data plane forwarding on ports assigned to that VLAN.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "most likely" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
Spanning Tree Protocol has placed Gi0/3 into a blocking state for VLAN 30.
Why it's wrong here
The show vlan brief output does not contain Spanning Tree Protocol (STP) port state information. STP states are viewed with 'show spanning-tree' commands. The exhibited 'act/lshut' is a VLAN-level administrative status, not an STP state.
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.
✓VLAN 30 is administratively shut down.Correct answer▾
Why this is correct
The Status field for VLAN 30 clearly displays 'act/lshut', which is Cisco’s notation for an administratively shut-down VLAN. This prevents any data plane forwarding on ports assigned to that VLAN.
✗The Gi0/3 port is in an error-disabled state due to port security violations.Wrong answer — click to see why▾
Why this is wrong here
Candidates often confuse port-level issues with VLAN-level states. Port security violations would result in an err-disable status, which is not reflected in the VLAN status column; the VLAN would still show 'active' if it were enabled.
✗The VLAN 30 SVI is administratively down.Wrong answer — click to see why▾
Why this is wrong here
Candidates may mistake the VLAN shutdown for an SVI shutdown because both involve the 'shutdown' keyword. However, the SVI state would appear in 'show ip interface brief' or 'show interface vlan 30', not here.
✗Spanning Tree Protocol has placed Gi0/3 into a blocking state for VLAN 30.Wrong answer — click to see why▾
Why this is wrong here
Candidates often attribute connectivity loss to STP blocking, which is a common cause of forwarding issues. However, this exhibit’s specific clue is the 'act/lshut' flag, directing attention to the VLAN administrative state.
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
Cisco often tests the distinction between a VLAN being 'shutdown' versus a VLAN being 'active' but with no ports assigned, and candidates mistakenly think that a missing VLAN in 'show vlan brief' means it doesn't exist, rather than recognizing it could be administratively disabled.
Trap categories for this question
Command / output trap
show vlan brief lists the VLAN status, not the interface error state. The exhibit shows the VLAN as administratively shut down (act/lshut), not a port security issue that would cause an err-disable state.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
When a VLAN is administratively shut down using the 'shutdown' command in VLAN configuration mode, the VLAN is removed from the VLAN database and will not appear in the 'show vlan brief' output, even if ports are assigned to it. This is different from a VLAN being 'active' but having no ports assigned; a shutdown VLAN effectively disables all Layer 2 forwarding for that VLAN, causing connected hosts to lose connectivity. In real-world scenarios, this often happens when an administrator mistakenly applies 'shutdown' to a VLAN instead of a port, or when a VLAN is intentionally disabled for maintenance but the ports are left configured.
KKey Concepts to Remember
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Find the constraint that changes the correct option.
Eliminate answers that are true in general but not in this case.
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
Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
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.
Switching and Network Access — This question tests Switching and Network Access — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: VLAN 30 is administratively shut down. — The 'show vlan brief' output shows VLAN 30 as 'active' but the ports assigned to it are not listed, and the VLAN is not present in the output at all. This indicates that VLAN 30 has been administratively shut down (shutdown command applied under the VLAN configuration mode), which prevents any traffic from being forwarded through that VLAN, even if the switch port Gi0/3 is configured as an access port in VLAN 30. The correct answer is C because an administratively shutdown VLAN will not appear in the 'show vlan brief' output, and all ports assigned to it will be unable to communicate within that VLAN.
What should I do if I get this 200-301 question wrong?
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
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?
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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