350-501 Services Practice Question
A network engineer is troubleshooting an MPLS TE tunnel that is not coming up. The tunnel is configured with a strict explicit path, and the path includes an interface that is currently down. Which action should the engineer take to allow the tunnel to use an alternative path?
⚠ Common exam trap
Cisco often tests the distinction between strict and loose explicit paths, where candidates mistakenly think that adjusting path preference or adding constraints can override a strict hop that is down, rather than recognizing that only changing the hop type to loose allows the router to dynamically route around the failure.
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
✓
Change the explicit path to 'loose' for the down interface.
Changing the explicit path from 'strict' to 'loose' for the down interface allows the MPLS TE tunnel to use an alternative next-hop that is reachable, even if the specified interface is down. A strict explicit path requires every hop to be directly connected, so a down interface prevents the tunnel from coming up. By making the hop loose, the router can route around the failed link using the IGP's best path to the next specified node.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Increase the path-option preference value.
Why it's wrong here
Preference only orders path-options.
- ✗
Disable path protection on the tunnel.
Why it's wrong here
Path protection is separate; disabling it does not fix the explicit path issue.
- ✓
Change the explicit path to 'loose' for the down interface.
Why this is correct
Loose hops allow the tunnel to traverse other interfaces.
- ✗
Configure an affinity constraint to exclude the down interface.
Why it's wrong here
Affinity excludes links but doesn't make the path flexible.
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Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
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