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350-701 Practice Question: Which THREE symptoms indicate that a Cisco ESA is…

Which THREE symptoms indicate that a Cisco ESA is experiencing a mail loop?

⚠ Common exam trap

Cisco often tests the distinction between symptoms of a mail loop (bounced queue, duplicate Received headers, repeated Message-IDs) and symptoms of other issues like spam or authentication failures, so candidates mistakenly associate DKIM failures or quarantine increases with loops.

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

A high number of messages in the 'Bounced' queue.

A high number of messages in the 'Bounced' queue is a classic symptom of a mail loop on a Cisco ESA. When a loop occurs, messages are repeatedly sent back and forth between mail servers, eventually exceeding the maximum hop count or delivery attempts, causing them to be moved to the Bounced queue. This queue specifically holds messages that could not be delivered due to permanent failures, and loops generate many such failures.

Answer analysis

Option-by-option breakdown

For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.

  • A high number of messages in the 'Bounced' queue.

    Why this is correct

    Loops often cause bounce messages to accumulate.

  • Messages fail DKIM signature verification.

    Why it's wrong here

    DKIM failure may indicate modification, but not necessarily a loop.

  • Multiple 'Received:' headers from the same ESA in the same message.

    Why this is correct

    Indicates the message passed through the same server multiple times.

  • A rapid increase in the 'Spam Quarantine' count.

    Why it's wrong here

    Spam quarantine is for detected spam, not loops.

  • The same Message-ID appears multiple times in the mail logs with different mid values.

    Why this is correct

    Each pass through the ESA generates a new message ID (mid).

Visual reference

PC R1 R2 R3 Server hop 1 hop 2 hop 3 RIP metric = 3 hops — lowest hop count wins

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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.