The answer is CUSTOMER-A because the ingress interface Gi0/1/0 has the VRF forwarding command applied, which ties that interface to the CUSTOMER-A routing table. When a packet arrives on an interface configured with a VRF, the router performs the destination IP lookup exclusively within that VRF’s routing table, not the global table. This concept is central to VRF routing table selection—the ingress interface determines which VRF table is used for the lookup, regardless of the destination address. On the ENCOR 350-401 exam, this tests your understanding of how VRFs isolate routing tables at Layer 3; a common trap is assuming the global table is checked first or that the destination IP alone dictates the VRF. Remember the key rule: the VRF is selected at ingress, not egress. A helpful memory tip is “VRF at the door”—the interface where the packet enters decides the routing table.
CCNP Virtualization Practice Question
This 350-401 practice question tests your understanding of virtualization. This is a configuration task: choose the command set that satisfies every stated requirement. Small differences — like 'secret' vs 'password' or 'transport input ssh' vs 'all' — change whether the answer is correct. 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.
Exhibit
Refer to the exhibit.
! Output from 'show vrf' on a router
VRF-Name Interfaces
Mgmt-intf Gi0/0/0
CUSTOMER-A Gi0/1/0, Gi0/1/1.10
CUSTOMER-B Gi0/2/0, Gi0/2/1.20
! Output from 'show ip interface brief' for Gi0/1/0
Interface IP-Address OK? Method Status Protocol
Gi0/1/0 10.1.1.1 YES manual up up
! Output from 'show ip interface brief' for Gi0/1/1.10
Interface IP-Address OK? Method Status Protocol
Gi0/1/1.10 10.1.1.2 YES manual up up
Refer to the exhibit. A network engineer has configured VRFs on a router. A packet arrives on Gi0/1/0 with destination IP 10.1.1.2. Which VRF is used for routing this packet?
Refer to the exhibit.
! Output from 'show vrf' on a router
VRF-Name Interfaces
Mgmt-intf Gi0/0/0
CUSTOMER-A Gi0/1/0, Gi0/1/1.10
CUSTOMER-B Gi0/2/0, Gi0/2/1.20
! Output from 'show ip interface brief' for Gi0/1/0
Interface IP-Address OK? Method Status Protocol
Gi0/1/0 10.1.1.1 YES manual up up
! Output from 'show ip interface brief' for Gi0/1/1.10
Interface IP-Address OK? Method Status Protocol
Gi0/1/1.10 10.1.1.2 YES manual up up
A
Global routing table
Why wrong: Incorrect. The interface Gi0/1/0 is in VRF CUSTOMER-A, so the global routing table is not used.
B
Mgmt-intf
Why wrong: Incorrect. Mgmt-intf VRF is only for interface Gi0/0/0.
C
CUSTOMER-B
Why wrong: Incorrect. CUSTOMER-B VRF includes different interfaces.
D
CUSTOMER-A
Correct. The packet arrives on Gi0/1/0 which belongs to VRF CUSTOMER-A, so routing occurs within that VRF.
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
CUSTOMER-A
The packet arrives on interface Gi0/1/0, which is configured under VRF CUSTOMER-A (as shown in the exhibit with 'ip vrf forwarding CUSTOMER-A'). When a VRF is applied to an ingress interface, the router uses that VRF's routing table (not the global table) to perform the destination IP lookup. Therefore, the packet with destination 10.1.1.2 is routed using the CUSTOMER-A VRF.
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.
✗
Global routing table
Why it's wrong here
Incorrect. The interface Gi0/1/0 is in VRF CUSTOMER-A, so the global routing table is not used.
✗
Mgmt-intf
Why it's wrong here
Incorrect. Mgmt-intf VRF is only for interface Gi0/0/0.
✗
CUSTOMER-B
Why it's wrong here
Incorrect. CUSTOMER-B VRF includes different interfaces.
✓
CUSTOMER-A
Why this is correct
Correct. The packet arrives on Gi0/1/0 which belongs to VRF CUSTOMER-A, so routing occurs within that VRF.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
Cisco often tests the concept that the VRF used for routing is determined by the ingress interface's VRF assignment, not by the destination IP address or any other packet attribute, leading candidates to mistakenly assume the global table is used when no VRF is explicitly mentioned in the routing lookup.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Under the hood, each VRF maintains its own separate Routing Information Base (RIB) and Forwarding Information Base (FIB). When a packet ingresses a VRF-enabled interface, the router performs a route lookup in the associated VRF's FIB, which ensures complete isolation between customers. In real-world MPLS L3VPN deployments, this allows overlapping IP addresses (e.g., 10.1.1.0/24) to exist in different VRFs without conflict, and the VRF label (MPLS label) is imposed based on the VRF's route target.
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 small business has 20 workstations on the 192.168.1.0/24 network and one public IP from its ISP. The router uses PAT (NAT overload) so all 20 devices share one public address using different source ports. NAT questions test whether you understand the four address terms and which direction each translation applies.
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.
Virtualization — This question tests Virtualization — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: CUSTOMER-A — The packet arrives on interface Gi0/1/0, which is configured under VRF CUSTOMER-A (as shown in the exhibit with 'ip vrf forwarding CUSTOMER-A'). When a VRF is applied to an ingress interface, the router uses that VRF's routing table (not the global table) to perform the destination IP lookup. Therefore, the packet with destination 10.1.1.2 is routed using the CUSTOMER-A VRF.
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.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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Question Discussion
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