350-501 Networking Practice Question
Which TWO of the following are characteristics of MPLS-TE (Traffic Engineering)?
⚠ Common exam trap
Cisco often tests the distinction between LDP and RSVP-TE, so the trap here is that candidates mistakenly associate MPLS-TE with LDP because both are label distribution protocols, but TE explicitly requires RSVP-TE for constraint-based path setup.
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
✓
Uses explicit paths to route traffic away from shortest-path IGP.
MPLS-TE uses explicit paths (either strict or loose) to direct traffic away from the shortest path determined by the IGP (e.g., OSPF or IS-IS). This allows network operators to engineer traffic flows based on administrative policies, such as load balancing or avoiding congested links, rather than relying solely on the IGP's metric-based shortest path.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✓
Uses explicit paths to route traffic away from shortest-path IGP.
Why this is correct
MPLS-TE can specify explicit paths for traffic engineering.
- ✗
Uses LDP for label distribution along the TE tunnel.
Why it's wrong here
MPLS-TE uses RSVP-TE for label distribution.
- ✓
Allows bandwidth reservation and priority.
Why this is correct
MPLS-TE supports bandwidth reservation and preemption.
- ✗
Requires per-platform label space for TE tunnels.
Why it's wrong here
MPLS-TE uses per-interface label space for tunnels.
- ✗
Requires all routers in the TE tunnel to be in the same OSPF area.
Why it's wrong here
MPLS-TE can operate across OSPF areas.
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Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
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