easyMultiple ChoiceObjective-mapped
350-701 Practice Question: Is troubleshooting an IPsec VPN tunnel that fails…
A network engineer is troubleshooting an IPsec VPN tunnel that fails to establish. The configuration includes a crypto map with a matching access list. Which command should be used to verify the security associations and error counters for the IPsec phase?
⚠ Common exam trap
Cisco often tests the distinction between IKE Phase 1 (ISAKMP) and IPsec Phase 2 (IPsec SA) commands, so the trap here is that candidates confuse 'show crypto isakmp sa' (Phase 1) with 'show crypto ipsec sa' (Phase 2) when the question specifically asks about IPsec phase verification.
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
✓
show crypto ipsec sa
The 'show crypto ipsec sa' command displays the IPsec security associations (SAs) and their associated packet/byte counters, including error counters such as 'pkts encaps failed' and 'pkts decap failed'. This directly verifies the IPsec Phase 2 SAs and identifies failures in encryption/decryption or integrity checks, which is essential for troubleshooting a tunnel that fails to establish.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✓
show crypto ipsec sa
Why this is correct
Displays IPsec security associations and packet/error counters.
- ✗
show crypto engine statistics
Why it's wrong here
Shows crypto engine utilization, not SA details.
- ✗
debug crypto isakmp
Why it's wrong here
Debug command that can impact performance; not a verification show command.
- ✗
show crypto isakmp sa
Why it's wrong here
Shows IKE phase 1 SAs, not IPsec phase 2 SAs.
Visual reference
Quick reference
VPN Protocol Comparison
| Protocol | Port | Encryption | Authentication | Use Case |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| IKEv2 / IPsec | UDP 500 / 4500 | AES-256 | Certificates / PSK | Site-to-site & remote access |
| SSL / TLS VPN | TCP 443 | TLS 1.3 | Certificates / MFA | Clientless remote access |
| L2TP / IPsec | UDP 1701 | AES (IPsec) | PSK / Certificates | Legacy remote access |
| WireGuard | UDP 51820 | ChaCha20 | Public keys | Modern high-performance VPN |
| PPTP | TCP 1723 | MPPE (weak) | MS-CHAPv2 | Legacy — avoid in production |
PPTP is considered insecure. IKEv2/IPsec and SSL VPN are the current recommended options.
Go deeper
Related to this question
About these practice questions
This 350-701 question is part of Courseiva's 978-question bank — original exam-style content with full explanations and wrong-answer analysis, never real exam questions or exam 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 350-701 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 350-701 exam.