This 350-701 practice question tests your understanding of network security. 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.
A company has a Cisco ASA firewall configured with multiple access-lists applied to the outside interface. The security team is investigating reports that legitimate HTTPS traffic to a public web server located on a DMZ is intermittently being blocked. The firewall configuration includes an ACL that permits traffic to the web server's IP address on TCP 443, but also includes a general deny rule for all other traffic. The engineer notices that the permit rule is placed after a deny rule that blocks traffic from a specific source subnet that is used by internal users for testing. The internal users report that they can access the web server, but external users sometimes experience timeouts. What is the most likely cause of the intermittent blocking?
Clue words in this question
Noticing these words before you look at the options changes how you read each choice.
Clue: "most likely"
Why it matters: Probability qualifier — the question wants the most probable cause or outcome, not a guaranteed one. Eliminate low-probability options.
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
The permit rule for HTTPS is not hitting because traffic is being matched by a preceding deny rule.
The most likely cause is that the permit rule for HTTPS (TCP 443) is placed after a deny rule that blocks traffic from a specific source subnet. Since ACLs on a Cisco ASA are processed sequentially from top to bottom, if a packet matches the earlier deny rule, it will be dropped before reaching the permit rule. This explains why external users (who may be sourced from the blocked subnet or whose traffic is inadvertently matched by the deny rule due to overlapping or misconfigured source conditions) experience intermittent timeouts, while internal users from a different subnet are not affected.
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.
✓
The permit rule for HTTPS is not hitting because traffic is being matched by a preceding deny rule.
Why this is correct
If a deny rule earlier in the ACL matches the traffic, the permit rule is never evaluated, causing blocking.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "most likely" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
The external users are hitting the firewall's connection limit.
Why it's wrong here
Connection limits would affect both internal and external users equally, not just external.
✗
The ASA is performing NAT incorrectly for the web server traffic.
Why it's wrong here
NAT issues would affect all users consistently, not cause intermittent blocking for external only.
✗
The ASA is experiencing high CPU utilization causing packet drops.
Why it's wrong here
High CPU could cause drops, but intermittent block for only external users and not internal suggests an ACL ordering issue.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
Cisco often tests the concept of ACL sequential processing and the importance of rule order, where candidates mistakenly assume that a permit rule later in the list will override an earlier deny rule, or that the ASA uses a 'best-match' approach like a routing table.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Cisco ASA ACLs are evaluated in sequential order, and the first matching rule (permit or deny) is applied; if a deny rule appears before a permit rule for the same traffic, the deny takes precedence. This is a common misconfiguration where administrators place broad deny rules (e.g., blocking a test subnet) before more specific permit rules, inadvertently dropping traffic that should be allowed. In real-world scenarios, this can be diagnosed using the 'show access-list' command to view hit counts and confirm whether the permit rule is being matched.
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.
Network Security — This question tests Network Security — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: The permit rule for HTTPS is not hitting because traffic is being matched by a preceding deny rule. — The most likely cause is that the permit rule for HTTPS (TCP 443) is placed after a deny rule that blocks traffic from a specific source subnet. Since ACLs on a Cisco ASA are processed sequentially from top to bottom, if a packet matches the earlier deny rule, it will be dropped before reaching the permit rule. This explains why external users (who may be sourced from the blocked subnet or whose traffic is inadvertently matched by the deny rule due to overlapping or misconfigured source conditions) experience intermittent timeouts, while internal users from a different subnet are not affected.
What should I do if I get this 350-701 question wrong?
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
Are there clue words in this question I should notice?
Yes — watch for: "most likely". Probability qualifier — the question wants the most probable cause or outcome, not a guaranteed one. Eliminate low-probability options.
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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