CCNP Practice Question: The default quiet-period timer value in Cisco IOS…

Answer analysis

Option-by-option breakdown

For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.

• ✗

  30 seconds

  Why it's wrong here

  30 seconds is a commonly configured value for the quiet-period, but it is not the default. Network administrators sometimes lower the timer to 30 seconds to reduce the delay after a failed authentication, allowing clients to retry sooner. However, Cisco's default on IOS/IOS-XE switches is 60 seconds, making this an intentional tuning choice rather than a standard setting.

• ✓

  60 seconds

  Why this is correct

  The default quiet-period in Cisco 802.1X is 60 seconds. This timer is triggered after an authentication failure, placing the switch port in a quiet state during which EAPOL requests from the supplicant are ignored. The 60-second default balances security against usability, preventing rapid brute-force attempts while still giving users a reasonable chance to retry.

• ✗

  120 seconds

  Why it's wrong here

  120 seconds is a more restrictive quiet-period that is sometimes configured in high-security environments to further throttle authentication retries after failures. It is not the default; it is a deliberate override to slow down potential attackers. Choosing this value extends the lockout window, which can frustrate legitimate users but adds an extra layer of brute-force mitigation.

• ✗

  10 seconds

  Why it's wrong here

  10 seconds is the default for the tx-period (or 'timeout tx-period') in Cisco 802.1X, not the quiet-period. The tx-period controls how often the switch retransmits EAP-Request/Identity frames when no response is received, defaulting to 10 seconds. Confusing these two timers is a common mistake because both deal with authentication timing, but they serve fundamentally different purposes.