This 350-401 practice question tests your understanding of ospf. 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 issues the following command on Router R8:
R8# show ip ospf neighbor detail
Neighbor 1.1.1.1, interface address 192.168.1.1
In the area 0 via interface GigabitEthernet0/0
Neighbor priority is 1, State is FULL, 6 state changes
DR is 192.168.1.2, BDR is 192.168.1.1
Options is 0x42 (L LSR LSRR L LSR)
Dead timer due in 00:00:34
Neighbor is up for 00:12:45
Index 1/1/1, retransmission queue length 0, number of retransmission 0
First 0x0(0)/0x0(0)/0x0(0) Next 0x0(0)/0x0(0)/0x0(0)
Last retransmission scan length is 0, last retransmission scan time is 0 msec
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: "first"
Why it matters: Order matters here. You are being tested on which action comes before the others — not which action is generally useful.
Router 1.1.1.1 is the Designated Router on this segment.
Why wrong: The DR is 192.168.1.2, not 1.1.1.1.
B
Router 1.1.1.1 is the Backup Designated Router.
The BDR is 192.168.1.1, which is the interface address of neighbor 1.1.1.1.
C
The neighbor state is 2WAY.
Why wrong: The state is FULL.
D
The dead timer is 40 seconds.
Why wrong: The dead timer due is 34 seconds, but the configured dead interval is typically 40 seconds; however, the question asks what can be concluded from the output, and the neighbor is BDR.
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Router 1.1.1.1 is the Backup Designated Router.
The output shows 'BDR is 192.168.1.1', which is the interface address of neighbor 1.1.1.1. This directly indicates that router 1.1.1.1 is the Backup Designated Router on this segment. The neighbor state is FULL, confirming adjacency is fully established.
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.
✗
Router 1.1.1.1 is the Designated Router on this segment.
Why it's wrong here
The DR is 192.168.1.2, not 1.1.1.1.
✓
Router 1.1.1.1 is the Backup Designated Router.
Why this is correct
The BDR is 192.168.1.1, which is the interface address of neighbor 1.1.1.1.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "first" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
The neighbor state is 2WAY.
Why it's wrong here
The state is FULL.
✗
The dead timer is 40 seconds.
Why it's wrong here
The dead timer due is 34 seconds, but the configured dead interval is typically 40 seconds; however, the question asks what can be concluded from the output, and the neighbor is BDR.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
Cisco often tests the distinction between the neighbor's Router ID (1.1.1.1) and its interface address (192.168.1.1), causing candidates to confuse which router is the DR or BDR based on the Router ID rather than the explicit DR/BDR fields.
Trap categories for this question
Command / output trap
The dead timer due is 34 seconds, but the configured dead interval is typically 40 seconds; however, the question asks what can be concluded from the output, and the neighbor is BDR.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
In OSPF, the DR and BDR are elected based on priority and Router ID on broadcast multiaccess networks. The 'show ip ospf neighbor detail' command reveals the DR and BDR IP addresses, which are crucial for understanding the OSPF topology. The dead timer counts down from the configured dead interval (default 40 seconds) and resets upon receiving a Hello packet; here, 34 seconds remain, indicating Hello packets are being received.
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.
OSPF — This question tests OSPF — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Router 1.1.1.1 is the Backup Designated Router. — The output shows 'BDR is 192.168.1.1', which is the interface address of neighbor 1.1.1.1. This directly indicates that router 1.1.1.1 is the Backup Designated Router on this segment. The neighbor state is FULL, confirming adjacency is fully established.
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: "first". Order matters here. You are being tested on which action comes before the others — not which action is generally useful.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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