This 200-901 practice question tests your understanding of network fundamentals. 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 DevOps team is deploying a containerized application across multiple hosts. They need to ensure that traffic between containers on the same host is isolated from other tenants. Which network implementation best meets this requirement?
Clue words in this question
Noticing these words before you look at the options changes how you read each choice.
Clue: "best"
Why it matters: Signals that multiple options may be partially correct. Choose the option that most directly solves the exact problem described, not the one that sounds most complete.
Linux bridge with ebtables rules
Why wrong: Linux bridge lacks native multi-tenant isolation.
NAT with port forwarding
Why wrong: NAT does not provide layer 2 isolation.
VXLAN overlays with a distributed virtual switch
VXLAN provides scalable network isolation across hosts.
802.1Q VLANs on the host switch
Why wrong: VLANs are limited to single switch and do not scale across hosts.
Answer choices
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
VXLAN overlays with a distributed virtual switch
VXLAN overlays with a distributed virtual switch provide Layer 2 isolation across multiple hosts by encapsulating Ethernet frames in UDP packets (RFC 7348). This creates independent virtual networks (VXLAN segments) that can span hosts, ensuring traffic between containers on the same host is isolated from other tenants without relying on physical network topology.
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.
Linux bridge with ebtables rules
Why it's wrong here
Linux bridge lacks native multi-tenant isolation.
NAT with port forwarding
Why it's wrong here
NAT does not provide layer 2 isolation.
VXLAN overlays with a distributed virtual switch
Why this is correct
VXLAN provides scalable network isolation across hosts.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "best" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
802.1Q VLANs on the host switch
Why it's wrong here
VLANs are limited to single switch and do not scale across hosts.
Common exam traps
Cisco often tests the misconception that VLANs (802.1Q) are sufficient for multi-host container isolation, but the trap is that VLANs are limited to a single broadcast domain and cannot scale across hosts without complex trunking, whereas VXLAN overlays are designed for multi-tenant, multi-host environments.
Detailed technical explanation
VXLAN uses a 24-bit VNI (VXLAN Network Identifier) to support up to 16 million isolated networks, compared to 802.1Q's 4094 VLANs. The distributed virtual switch (e.g., VMware vDS or Open vSwitch) manages VXLAN tunnels across hosts, enabling consistent policy enforcement and mobility of containers without reconfiguring physical switches. In real-world scenarios, this allows multi-tenant Kubernetes clusters to run on shared infrastructure while maintaining strict network isolation.
Key takeaway
Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Real-world example
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
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FAQ
Network Fundamentals — This question tests Network Fundamentals — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
The correct answer is: VXLAN overlays with a distributed virtual switch — VXLAN overlays with a distributed virtual switch provide Layer 2 isolation across multiple hosts by encapsulating Ethernet frames in UDP packets (RFC 7348). This creates independent virtual networks (VXLAN segments) that can span hosts, ensuring traffic between containers on the same host is isolated from other tenants without relying on physical network topology.
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
Yes — watch for: "best". Signals that multiple options may be partially correct. Choose the option that most directly solves the exact problem described, not the one that sounds most complete.
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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Last reviewed: Jun 11, 2026
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