This 350-701 practice question tests your understanding of security concepts. Read the scenario carefully and evaluate each option against the stated constraints before committing to an answer. 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 network security engineer is deploying Cisco Firepower Threat Defense (FTD) in a data center. The requirement is to inspect traffic between two internal VLANs while allowing the firewall to enforce access control policies based on source and destination zones. Which deployment mode should the engineer use?
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Transparent mode
Transparent mode (Layer 2 mode) is correct because the requirement specifies inspecting traffic between two internal VLANs without routing. In transparent mode, the FTD acts as a bridge, forwarding frames based on MAC addresses while enforcing access control policies based on source and destination zones. This allows the firewall to inspect inter-VLAN traffic without requiring IP address changes or acting as a default gateway.
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.
✗
Routed mode
Why it's wrong here
Routed mode requires IP changes and is not optimal for same-subnet traffic inspection between VLANs.
✗
Inline mode
Why it's wrong here
Inline mode is not a standard FTD deployment mode; it refers to inline tap/set on Firepower sensors.
✓
Transparent mode
Why this is correct
Transparent mode operates at layer 2, allowing inspection between VLANs without IP renumbering.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
Hybrid mode
Why it's wrong here
Hybrid mode is not a valid deployment mode for FTD.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
Cisco often tests the distinction between 'transparent mode' and 'inline mode'—the trap here is that candidates confuse 'inline' (a deployment topology for IPS sensors) with 'transparent' (a Layer 2 firewall mode), leading them to incorrectly select inline mode when the question asks about firewall deployment modes for FTD.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
In transparent mode, the FTD uses a bridge group (BVI) to associate multiple interfaces, and traffic is inspected at Layer 2 without modifying the IP header. The firewall enforces zone-based policies by assigning interfaces to security zones, and it can still perform application inspection, URL filtering, and intrusion prevention. A real-world scenario is deploying FTD between a web server VLAN and a database VLAN, where the firewall must enforce strict access without re-IPing the servers or changing the default gateway.
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 help-desk technician troubleshoots why a newly connected PC cannot reach shared printers on the same floor. The cable is good, the switch port is active, but the PC is in VLAN 20 and the printers are in VLAN 10. The uplink trunk only allows VLAN 10. A trunk being up does not mean every VLAN crosses it.
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.
Security Concepts — This question tests Security Concepts — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Transparent mode — Transparent mode (Layer 2 mode) is correct because the requirement specifies inspecting traffic between two internal VLANs without routing. In transparent mode, the FTD acts as a bridge, forwarding frames based on MAC addresses while enforcing access control policies based on source and destination zones. This allows the firewall to inspect inter-VLAN traffic without requiring IP address changes or acting as a default gateway.
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.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
About these practice questions
Courseiva creates original exam-style practice questions with explanations and wrong-answer analysis. It does not publish real exam questions, exam dumps, or protected exam content. Learn why practice questions differ from exam dumps →
Share a tip, memory trick, or ask about the reasoning behind this question. Do not post real exam questions, leaked content, braindumps, or copyrighted exam material. Comments are moderated and may be removed without notice.
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.
Question Discussion
Share a tip, memory trick, or ask about the reasoning behind this question. Do not post real exam questions, leaked content, braindumps, or copyrighted exam material. Comments are moderated and may be removed without notice.
Sign in to join the discussion.