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 network administrator is configuring OSPF on a router and wants to ensure that routes from area 0 are propagated to area 1, but area 1 should not see specific inter-area routes. Which OSPF feature should be used?
NSSA
Why wrong: Allows external routes, not suitable for hiding inter-area routes.
Totally stubby area
Why wrong: Blocks all type 3 LSAs, not just specific inter-area routes.
Virtual-link
Why wrong: Used to connect to backbone, not for filtering.
Stub area
Blocks type 5 LSAs, provides a default route.
Answer choices
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
Stub area
Option D is correct because a stub area blocks Type 5 LSAs (external routes) from entering the area, while still allowing inter-area routes (Type 3 LSAs) to be propagated. This meets the requirement of propagating routes from area 0 to area 1 but preventing specific inter-area routes from being seen, as stub areas do not filter Type 3 LSAs entirely—they only block external routes. The question's phrasing 'should not see specific inter-area routes' is ambiguous, but in standard OSPF terminology, a stub area is the correct feature to limit route visibility while maintaining connectivity to the backbone.
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.
NSSA
Why it's wrong here
Allows external routes, not suitable for hiding inter-area routes.
Totally stubby area
Why it's wrong here
Blocks all type 3 LSAs, not just specific inter-area routes.
Virtual-link
Why it's wrong here
Used to connect to backbone, not for filtering.
Stub area
Why this is correct
Blocks type 5 LSAs, provides a default route.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Common exam traps
The trap here is that candidates confuse 'stub area' with 'totally stubby area'—the question says 'should not see specific inter-area routes,' which might imply blocking all inter-area routes, but a stub area only blocks external routes, not inter-area routes, and the correct answer is the one that matches the standard OSPF behavior for limiting route visibility without completely isolating the area.
Detailed technical explanation
OSPF stub areas are configured with the 'area X stub' command, which prevents Type 5 LSAs from entering the area, but Type 3 LSAs (summary LSAs) are still injected by the ABR to advertise inter-area routes. In contrast, a totally stubby area (Cisco proprietary) uses 'area X stub no-summary' to block both Type 3 and Type 5 LSAs, injecting only a default route. A real-world scenario is a remote branch office where you want to reduce the routing table size by blocking external routes but still need to know about subnets in other areas of the same OSPF domain.
Key takeaway
Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Real-world example
A network engineer at a university connects two campus buildings via a fibre link. Both routers run OSPF, but no adjacency forms — even though both routers can ping each other. The engineer finds one router is in area 0 and the other in area 1. OSPF adjacency requires matching area numbers, hello/dead timers, and network type. IP reachability alone is not enough.
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: Stub area — Option D is correct because a stub area blocks Type 5 LSAs (external routes) from entering the area, while still allowing inter-area routes (Type 3 LSAs) to be propagated. This meets the requirement of propagating routes from area 0 to area 1 but preventing specific inter-area routes from being seen, as stub areas do not filter Type 3 LSAs entirely—they only block external routes. The question's phrasing 'should not see specific inter-area routes' is ambiguous, but in standard OSPF terminology, a stub area is the correct feature to limit route visibility while maintaining connectivity to the backbone.
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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