This 200-901 practice question tests your understanding of infrastructure and automation. This is a configuration task: choose the command set that satisfies every stated requirement. Small differences — like 'secret' vs 'password' or 'transport input ssh' vs 'all' — change whether the answer is correct. 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 company uses Ansible to automate network configuration. They have an Ansible control node that must reach all network devices. Which transport protocol does Ansible use by default to connect to Cisco IOS devices?
HTTP
Why wrong: HTTP is not used for Ansible connections to network devices.
Telnet
Why wrong: Telnet is insecure and not the default.
SSH
Ansible uses SSH by default for network devices.
SNMP
Why wrong: SNMP is for monitoring, not configuration.
Answer choices
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
SSH
Ansible uses SSH as its default transport protocol to connect to Cisco IOS devices because SSH provides encrypted, secure remote access and is the standard for network device management in modern environments. Ansible's native architecture relies on SSH for agentless communication, executing modules and playbooks over this secure channel without requiring additional software on the target devices.
Key principle: Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Answer analysis
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
HTTP
Why it's wrong here
HTTP is not used for Ansible connections to network devices.
Telnet
Why it's wrong here
Telnet is insecure and not the default.
SSH
Why this is correct
Ansible uses SSH by default for network devices.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
SNMP
Why it's wrong here
SNMP is for monitoring, not configuration.
Common exam traps
Cisco often tests the misconception that Ansible uses Telnet or SNMP for legacy device compatibility, but the trap here is that Ansible defaults to SSH for secure, agentless automation, and candidates may confuse Ansible's connection methods with other tools like NETCONF or RESTCONF.
Detailed technical explanation
Ansible uses the paramiko library or OpenSSH under the hood to establish SSH connections, and it relies on the 'ansible_connection' variable set to 'network_cli' for Cisco IOS devices, which uses SSH as the transport. In real-world scenarios, if SSH is not enabled on a device, Ansible will fail to connect, and engineers must pre-configure SSH (e.g., 'ip ssh version 2') and ensure proper authentication via SSH keys or passwords in the inventory. A subtle behavior is that Ansible also supports 'ansible_connection=local' with 'ansible_network_os=ios' for direct CLI execution, but SSH remains the default transport for remote connections.
Key takeaway
Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Real-world example
A small business has 20 workstations on the 192.168.1.0/24 network and one public IP from its ISP. The router uses PAT (NAT overload) so all 20 devices share one public address using different source ports. NAT questions test whether you understand the four address terms and which direction each translation applies.
What to study next
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FAQ
Infrastructure and Automation — This question tests Infrastructure and Automation — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
The correct answer is: SSH — Ansible uses SSH as its default transport protocol to connect to Cisco IOS devices because SSH provides encrypted, secure remote access and is the standard for network device management in modern environments. Ansible's native architecture relies on SSH for agentless communication, executing modules and playbooks over this secure channel without requiring additional software on the target devices.
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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Last reviewed: Jun 24, 2026
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