easyMultiple Choice
CCNP Practice Question: The default lease time for a DHCP pool in Cisco…
What is the default lease time for a DHCP pool in Cisco IOS?
⚠ Common exam trap
Cisco often tests the default lease time as a memorization point, and the trap here is that candidates may confuse the Cisco IOS default with the default lease time of other DHCP servers (e.g., Windows Server defaults to 8 days) or assume a shorter time like 12 hours is more common.
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
✓
1 day
The default DHCP lease time in Cisco IOS is 1 day (86400 seconds). This is defined in the DHCP pool configuration and is applied automatically when no lease duration is explicitly specified. The lease time determines how long a client can use an assigned IP address before it must renew the lease.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✓
1 day
Why this is correct
The Cisco IOS DHCP server assigns a default lease duration of 86,400 seconds, which is exactly 24 hours or one day. This lease time is used for any pool where the lease command is not explicitly configured. Because the question asks for the default lease, 1 day is the correct answer.
- ✗
12 hours
Why it's wrong here
A 12-hour lease equals 43,200 seconds and is not the factory default on Cisco IOS; you must configure it with the lease 0 12 0 command in DHCP pool configuration mode. While this shorter lease would cause clients to renew twice as often, it is not what the server uses out of the box. Therefore, 12 hours is incorrect for a default.
- ✗
2 days
Why it's wrong here
Two days corresponds to 172,800 seconds, which would require an explicit lease 2 0 0 statement to take effect. Cisco's default lease is only one day, regardless of the address pool or client request, so 2 days is not a default value. This option is wrong because it assumes a longer lease than the standard 86400-second default.
- ✗
Infinite
Why it's wrong here
An infinite lease means the IP address never expires, but Cisco IOS does not set this by default; you must enter lease infinite in the pool configuration. This is sometimes used for DHCP reservations or static-like assignments, but it is an intentional non-default choice. Thus, infinite is not the default lease time and is incorrect.
Visual reference
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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.