This 350-401 practice question tests your understanding of bgp. Examine the command output carefully: the correct answer depends on what the output actually shows, not on general recall alone. 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.
A network engineer runs the following command on Router R1:
R1# show bgp ipv4 unicast neighbors 10.0.1.2
BGP neighbor is 10.0.1.2, remote AS 65050, external link
BGP version 4, remote router ID 10.0.0.2
BGP state = Established, up for 00:23:45
Last read 00:00:15, last write 00:00:10, hold time is 90, keepalive interval is 30 seconds
Neighbor sessions:
1 active, is not multisession capable
Neighbor capabilities:
Route refresh: advertised and received(new)
Four-octets ASN: advertised and received
Address family IPv4 Unicast: advertised and received
Enhanced Refresh: advertised and received
Multisession: advertised
Message statistics:
InQ depth is 0
OutQ depth is 0
Sent Rcvd
Opens: 1 1
Notifications: 0 0
Updates: 5 3
Keepalives: 47 48
Route Refresh: 0 0
Total: 53 52
Default minimum time between advertisement runs is 30 seconds
Based on this output, what can be concluded?
Clue words in this question
Noticing these words before you look at the options changes how you read each choice.
Clue: "minimum / minimize"
Why it matters: Asks for the least resource use — fewest addresses, smallest subnet, lowest overhead. Eliminate over-provisioned options even if they would technically work.
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
The BGP session is up and functioning normally.
Option C is correct because the BGP state is 'Established', the hold time (90 seconds) and keepalive interval (30 seconds) are standard, and the last read (15 seconds ago) and last write (10 seconds ago) are well within the hold time, indicating the session is stable and functioning normally. The InQ and OutQ depths are 0, confirming no queued updates or issues.
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 BGP session is in the 'Idle' state because the last read was 15 seconds ago.
Why it's wrong here
The state is 'Established', not Idle. The last read time is normal for keepalive intervals.
✗
The neighbor is an internal BGP peer because the remote AS is 65050.
Why it's wrong here
The output says 'external link', so it is an eBGP peer. The remote AS being different from the local AS indicates eBGP.
✓
The BGP session is up and functioning normally.
Why this is correct
The state is Established, messages are being exchanged, and timers are within expected ranges.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "minimum / minimize" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
The neighbor has sent 5 updates and received 3 updates.
Why it's wrong here
The output shows Sent Updates: 5, Rcvd Updates: 3. So R1 sent 5 updates and received 3 updates, not the other way around.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
Cisco often tests the misinterpretation of message statistics, where candidates incorrectly assume 'Sent' and 'Rcvd' are from the neighbor's perspective rather than the local router's, leading to option D being chosen.
Trap categories for this question
Command / output trap
The output says 'external link', so it is an eBGP peer. The remote AS being different from the local AS indicates eBGP.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
The 'show bgp ipv4 unicast neighbors' command displays BGP session details from the local router's perspective, including message statistics where 'Sent' refers to messages sent by the local router and 'Rcvd' refers to messages received from the neighbor. The 'Default minimum time between advertisement runs is 30 seconds' is a legacy Cisco default for eBGP peers, which can be adjusted with the 'neighbor advertisement-interval' command to control route advertisement pacing.
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 network engineer at a university connects two campus buildings via a fibre link. Both routers run OSPF, but no adjacency forms — even though both routers can ping each other. The engineer finds one router is in area 0 and the other in area 1. OSPF adjacency requires matching area numbers, hello/dead timers, and network type. IP reachability alone is not enough.
What to study next
Got this wrong? Here's your next step.
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
BGP — This question tests BGP — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: The BGP session is up and functioning normally. — Option C is correct because the BGP state is 'Established', the hold time (90 seconds) and keepalive interval (30 seconds) are standard, and the last read (15 seconds ago) and last write (10 seconds ago) are well within the hold time, indicating the session is stable and functioning normally. The InQ and OutQ depths are 0, confirming no queued updates or issues.
What should I do if I get this 350-401 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: "minimum / minimize". Asks for the least resource use — fewest addresses, smallest subnet, lowest overhead. Eliminate over-provisioned options even if they would technically work.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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