hardMultiple Choice
CCNP Practice Question: Runs the following command on Router R5: R5# show…
A network engineer runs the following command on Router R5:
R5# show mpls ldp discovery
Local LDP Identifier: 10.5.5.5:0 Discovery Sources:
Interfaces:
GigabitEthernet0/0: xmit/recv LDP Id: 10.5.5.4:0, no hello (expired) GigabitEthernet0/1: xmit/recv LDP Id: 10.5.5.6:0
Based on this output, what is the state of the LDP session with neighbor 10.5.5.4?
⚠ Common exam trap
Cisco often tests the distinction between LDP discovery (hello exchange) and LDP session establishment (TCP connection), so candidates mistakenly assume 'xmit/recv' means the session is up, when it only indicates the interface is participating in hello discovery.
Answer choices
Why each option matters
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
The LDP session with 10.5.5.4 is not established because no hello messages have been received from that neighbor.
The output shows 'no hello (expired)' for the LDP neighbor 10.5.5.4, indicating that hello messages from that neighbor have not been received within the hello hold time. LDP sessions are established only after both routers exchange hello messages; without receiving hellos, the session cannot be formed. The 'xmit/recv' state on the interface means the router is transmitting and capable of receiving hellos, but the expired hello from the neighbor confirms the session is down.
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 LDP session with 10.5.5.4 is operational because the interface is in xmit/recv mode.
Why it's wrong here
The xmit/recv state simply indicates that the interface is actively transmitting and capable of receiving LDP hello messages on the link. This is a local interface property, not proof of a working neighbor relationship. Because the neighbor state reads 'no hello (expired)', the LDP session has never formed, so the session cannot be operational despite the interface being active.
- ✓
The LDP session with 10.5.5.4 is not established because no hello messages have been received from that neighbor.
Why this is correct
A basic LDP session requires a hello adjacency, which is built only after receiving a valid hello from the peer. The output shows 'no hello (expired)', meaning the LDP hello holdtimer elapsed without any hello from 10.5.5.4. Therefore, the TCP connection and LDP session with that neighbor are not established, even though the local interface is in xmit/recv mode.
- ✗
The LDP session with 10.5.5.4 is down because the interface is not operational.
Why it's wrong here
The interface is not down at all; the 'xmit/recv' label explicitly indicates that it is in LDP discovery mode, transmitting and receiving LDP hellos. If the interface were administratively down or not protocol up, the LDP discovery state would not show xmit/recv. The reason the session is down is that the neighbor's hellos are missing — the interface being operational is unrelated to the peer's failure to respond.
- ✗
The LDP session with 10.5.5.4 is using targeted discovery.
Why it's wrong here
Targeted LDP discovery uses unicast hellos to a specific IP address, typically shown as 'Targeted Hello' or with a 'targeted' adjacency in the LDP output. In this scenario, the discovery is interface-based because the neighbor was discovered on GigabitEthernet0/0 using multicast LDP hellos, as evidenced by the interface-specific state. The presence of 'no hello (expired)' is about the hello timer expiring, not about how the discovery was initiated.
About these practice questions
One of 1,923 original 350-401 practice questions on Courseiva, each with a full explanation and wrong-answer analysis — not exam dumps or protected exam content. Learn why practice questions differ from exam dumps →
JA
Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
This 350-401 practice question is part of Courseiva's free Cisco certification practice question bank. Courseiva provides original exam-style practice questions with explanations, topic-based practice, mock exams, readiness tracking, and study analytics to help learners prepare for the 350-401 exam.