350-601 Network Practice Question
Exhibit
switch# show interface nve 1 Interface: nve1, state: Down Description: VXLAN Overlay Encapsulation: VXLAN Source Interface: not configured VRF: default
Refer to the exhibit. What is the most likely cause of the NVE interface being down?
⚠ Common exam trap
Cisco often tests the specific requirement that the NVE interface must have a source interface configured to come up, and candidates mistakenly think an empty VNI list or incorrect UDP port would cause the interface to be down, but those affect traffic forwarding, not the interface state.
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
✓
The source interface is not configured.
The NVE (Network Virtualization Edge) interface requires a valid source interface (typically a loopback) to establish VXLAN tunnels. If the source interface is not configured under the NVE interface, the interface remains in a down state because it cannot form VXLAN overlay adjacencies. This is the most common cause of an NVE interface being down in Cisco NX-OS.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
The VXLAN destination UDP port is incorrect.
Why it's wrong here
UDP port configuration is not shown and does not cause NVE to be down.
- ✗
The overlay VLAN is not configured.
Why it's wrong here
Overlay VLANs are separate from NVE interface state.
- ✓
The source interface is not configured.
Why this is correct
The output shows 'Source Interface: not configured', which prevents NVE from coming up.
- ✗
The VNI list is empty.
Why it's wrong here
VNI list configuration does not affect NVE state; it determines the VXLAN segments.
Go deeper
Related to this question
About these practice questions
Courseiva writes every 350-601 question from scratch — 984 in total, each with an explanation and a wrong-answer breakdown. None are copied from real exams or dumps. Learn why practice questions differ from exam dumps →
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.