350-601 Automation Practice Question
A NETCONF session to an NX-OS switch fails with 'Connection refused'. What is the most likely cause?
⚠ Common exam trap
Cisco often tests the distinction between 'Connection refused' (service not running) and 'Connection timed out' (host unreachable or firewall blocking), leading candidates to incorrectly select 'wrong port' or 'unreachable' when the real issue is that the NETCONF feature is not enabled.
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
✓
NETCONF is not enabled on the switch
NETCONF uses SSH port 830 by default, but the 'Connection refused' error specifically indicates that the TCP connection was actively rejected by the switch, not that it timed out or was unreachable. This occurs when the NETCONF subsystem is not available because the 'netconf' feature has not been enabled on the NX-OS device, which is required to start the NETCONF server process.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
All of the above
Why it's wrong here
Only A is the direct cause; B and C are less specific.
- ✗
Wrong SSH port (default 830)
Why it's wrong here
This is configurable, but 'Connection refused' means the port is not open.
- ✗
The switch is unreachable
Why it's wrong here
Unreachable would result in 'No route to host' or timeout.
- ✓
NETCONF is not enabled on the switch
Why this is correct
Without 'feature netconf', the NETCONF server does not start.
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JA
Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
This 350-601 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 350-601 exam.