mediumMultiple Choice
200-901 Practice Question: An engineer needs to transfer a router…
An engineer needs to transfer a router configuration file to a server in the same network using a simple protocol that does not require authentication. Which protocol is best?
⚠ Common exam trap
Cisco often tests the distinction between TFTP and SCP, where candidates mistakenly choose SCP because it is secure, overlooking the explicit requirement for a protocol that does not require authentication.
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
✓
TFTP
TFTP (Trivial File Transfer Protocol) is the best choice because it is a lightweight, connectionless protocol that operates over UDP (port 69) and does not require any authentication or user credentials. It is commonly used for transferring router configuration files and IOS images in local network environments where simplicity and speed are prioritized over security.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
SCP
Why it's wrong here
SCP authenticates over SSH using credentials or keys, directly contradicting the requirement for a protocol that does not require authentication. It is tempting because it is the standard secure file-transfer tool, and would be correct whenever confidentiality and host authentication are required for the copy.
- ✓
TFTP
Why this is correct
TFTP runs over UDP port 69 with no authentication or encryption, making it the simplest option for copying a configuration file across the same network. FTP and SCP require credentials, violating the stem's no-authentication constraint.
- ✗
FTP
Why it's wrong here
FTP is incorrect because it requires authentication, typically a username and password, even for anonymous access where a generic credential (like 'anonymous' as username) is provided. The question explicitly specifies a protocol that does not require authentication. FTP is a robust client-server protocol for transferring files and would be the correct choice if the scenario required authenticated file transfers or did not stipulate the absence of authentication.
- ✗
HTTP
Why it's wrong here
HTTP transfers web content and requires a server process and URL structure; it offers no native file-copy semantics for pushing a router configuration to a host. It is tempting as an unauthenticated protocol, and would be correct for retrieving web resources or calling REST endpoints rather than copying files.
Go deeper
Related to this question
About these practice questions
This 200-901 question is part of Courseiva's 975-question bank — original exam-style content with full explanations and wrong-answer analysis, never real exam questions or exam dumps. Learn why practice questions differ from exam dumps →
JA
Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
This 200-901 practice question is part of Courseiva's free Cisco certification practice question bank. Courseiva provides original exam-style practice questions with explanations, topic-based practice, mock exams, readiness tracking, and study analytics to help learners prepare for the 200-901 exam.