This 350-601 practice question tests your understanding of 350-601 exam topics. The scenario asks you to isolate a root cause — eliminate options that address a different problem before choosing. 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.
In a vPC setup, what is the purpose of the vPC peer-keepalive link?
To detect the failure of a vPC peer
Keepalive is a heartbeat mechanism.
To exchange routing protocol updates
Why wrong: Routing updates can use peer-link or other links.
To synchronize MAC address tables
Why wrong: MAC synchronization occurs over peer-link.
To forward data traffic between vPC peers
Why wrong: Data traffic uses the peer-link; keepalive is control traffic.
Answer choices
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
To detect the failure of a vPC peer
The peer-keepalive link is a separate Layer 3 path (usually out-of-band) that allows vPC peers to monitor each other's health. If the peer-link fails but keepalive is up, each peer can take appropriate actions (e.g., disabling vPC member ports on one side). It does not carry data traffic or exchange routing updates.
Key principle: NAT direction and interface roles matter as much as the IP address mapping. Inside/outside designation controls which traffic is translated.
Answer analysis
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
To detect the failure of a vPC peer
Why this is correct
Keepalive is a heartbeat mechanism.
Related concept
Static NAT maps one inside address to one outside address.
To exchange routing protocol updates
Why it's wrong here
Routing updates can use peer-link or other links.
To synchronize MAC address tables
Why it's wrong here
MAC synchronization occurs over peer-link.
To forward data traffic between vPC peers
Why it's wrong here
Data traffic uses the peer-link; keepalive is control traffic.
Common exam traps
NAT is not only about the public address. The inside/outside interface roles and the ACL or rule that matches traffic are just as important.
Detailed technical explanation
NAT questions usually test address translation, overload/PAT behaviour, static mappings and whether the right traffic is being translated. Read the interface direction and address terms carefully.
Key takeaway
NAT direction and interface roles matter as much as the IP address mapping. Inside/outside designation controls which traffic is translated.
Real-world example
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
Review the four NAT address types (inside local, inside global, outside local, outside global), PAT port overload, and static vs dynamic NAT use cases. Then practise related 350-601 NAT questions on configuration and troubleshooting.
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FAQ
Static NAT maps one inside address to one outside address.
The correct answer is: To detect the failure of a vPC peer — The peer-keepalive link is a separate Layer 3 path (usually out-of-band) that allows vPC peers to monitor each other's health. If the peer-link fails but keepalive is up, each peer can take appropriate actions (e.g., disabling vPC member ports on one side). It does not carry data traffic or exchange routing updates.
Review the four NAT address types (inside local, inside global, outside local, outside global), PAT port overload, and static vs dynamic NAT use cases. Then practise related 350-601 NAT questions on configuration and troubleshooting.
Static NAT maps one inside address to one outside address.
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Last reviewed: Jul 4, 2026
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