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Which two statements about NTP are correct? (Choose two.)

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Which two statements about NTP are correct? (Choose two.)

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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

Accurate time helps correlate log messages across multiple devices.

Correct. Synchronized timestamps improve troubleshooting.

B

Distractor review

NTP replaces the need for DNS in enterprise networks.

NTP and DNS solve completely different problems.

C

Best answer

NTP synchronizes clocks between network devices and time sources.

Correct. That is the purpose of NTP.

D

Distractor review

NTP is used to negotiate EtherChannel parameters.

NTP has nothing to do with EtherChannel.

Common exam trap

Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword

A common exam trap is mistaking NTP for a service that replaces DNS or manages link aggregation like EtherChannel. Some candidates incorrectly believe NTP handles domain name resolution or negotiates EtherChannel parameters because these are also fundamental network services. However, NTP’s sole purpose is to synchronize time across devices. Selecting options that confuse NTP with DNS or EtherChannel leads to incorrect answers. Understanding that NTP only manages time synchronization helps avoid this trap and ensures accurate selection of correct options related to time correlation and clock synchronization.

Technical deep dive

How to think about this question

Network Time Protocol (NTP) is a protocol designed to synchronize the clocks of network devices to a precise and consistent time source. Accurate time synchronization is critical in networking environments to ensure that logs, events, and security certificates are timestamped correctly, enabling effective troubleshooting and auditing. NTP operates by exchanging time information between devices and authoritative time servers, adjusting local clocks to match the reference time. In Cisco networks, NTP is configured to synchronize device clocks with reliable time sources, such as stratum 1 or stratum 2 servers. This synchronization helps correlate log messages across multiple devices, which is essential for diagnosing network issues and maintaining security. NTP uses a hierarchical system of time servers and clients, where devices can act as servers or clients depending on the network design. The protocol continuously adjusts the device clock to minimize time drift. A common exam trap is confusing NTP with other network services like DNS or EtherChannel. NTP strictly handles time synchronization and does not replace DNS, which resolves domain names to IP addresses, nor does it negotiate link aggregation parameters like EtherChannel. Understanding the distinct purpose of NTP helps avoid selecting incorrect options that describe unrelated network functions. Practically, ensuring NTP is correctly configured prevents issues with log correlation and certificate validation in Cisco environments.

KKey Concepts to Remember

  • NTP synchronizes the clocks of network devices to a common, accurate time source to ensure consistent timestamps across the network.
  • Accurate time synchronization via NTP helps correlate log messages from multiple devices, improving troubleshooting and event analysis.
  • NTP operates using a hierarchical system of time servers and clients, where devices adjust their clocks based on reference time sources.
  • Cisco devices use NTP to maintain synchronized time, which is critical for security features like certificate validation and event logging.
  • NTP does not replace DNS; it only synchronizes time and does not handle domain name resolution or IP address mapping.
  • NTP is unrelated to EtherChannel and does not participate in link aggregation or negotiation of channel parameters.
  • Devices configured as NTP clients query NTP servers to adjust their local clocks, minimizing time drift and ensuring network-wide consistency.
  • Proper NTP configuration prevents issues caused by unsynchronized clocks, such as inaccurate logs and failed security protocols.

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.

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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?

NTP synchronizes the clocks of network devices to a common, accurate time source to ensure consistent timestamps across the network.

What is the correct answer to this question?

The correct answer is: Accurate time helps correlate log messages across multiple devices. — NTP synchronizes time across devices, which is important for logging, certificates, and event correlation.

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.

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