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CCNP Practice Question: The default OSPF hello interval on an Ethernet…
What is the default OSPF hello interval on an Ethernet link?
⚠ Common exam trap
Cisco often tests the default OSPF hello interval for Ethernet specifically, and the trap here is confusing it with the 30-second default used on NBMA networks or the 5-second default on point-to-point links.
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
✓
10 seconds
The default OSPF hello interval on an Ethernet (broadcast multi-access) link is 10 seconds, as defined in RFC 2328. This interval determines how often a router sends Hello packets to discover and maintain neighbor relationships. On non-broadcast multi-access (NBMA) networks, the default is 30 seconds.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
5 seconds
Why it's wrong here
The default OSPF hello interval on an Ethernet link is 10 seconds, not 5 seconds. The 5-second interval is the default for OSPF on non-broadcast multi-access (NBMA) networks, such as Frame Relay, where faster failure detection is needed due to the lack of native broadcast capability. This option is tempting because 5 seconds is the default hello interval for EIGRP on most media, leading to confusion between OSPF and EIGRP timer defaults.
- ✓
10 seconds
Why this is correct
The default OSPF hello interval on Ethernet (broadcast) links is 10 seconds.
- ✗
30 seconds
Why it's wrong here
30 seconds is the default hello interval for EIGRP, not OSPF.
- ✗
40 seconds
Why it's wrong here
40 seconds is not a standard OSPF hello interval.
Visual reference
Quick reference
Routing Protocol Comparison
| Protocol | Metric | Max Hops | Algorithm | Type |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| RIP v2 | Hop count | 15 | Bellman-Ford | Distance vector |
| OSPF | Cost (bandwidth) | Unlimited | Dijkstra (SPF) | Link state |
| EIGRP | Composite metric | Unlimited | DUAL | Hybrid |
| IS-IS | Cost | Unlimited | Dijkstra | Link state |
| BGP | Policy / attributes | Unlimited | Path vector | Path vector |
RIP's 15-hop limit makes it unsuitable for large networks. OSPF and EIGRP dominate modern enterprise deployments.
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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.