hardMultiple Choice
200-901 Practice Question: Based on the exhibit, what is the most likely…
Exhibit
Refer to the exhibit.
import requests
url = "https://sandboxdnac.cisco.com/dna/system/api/v1/auth/token"
payload = {"username": "devnetuser", "password": "Cisco123!"}
response = requests.post(url, data=payload, verify=False)
print(response.json())
Traceback (most recent call last):
File "script.py", line 4, in <module>
response = requests.post(url, data=payload, verify=False)
...
requests.exceptions.ConnectionError: HTTPSConnectionPool(host='sandboxdnac.cisco.com', port=443): Max retries exceeded with url: /dna/system/api/v1/auth/token (Caused by NewConnectionError('<urllib3.connection.HTTPSConnection object at 0x...>: Failed to establish a new connection: [Errno 110] Connection timed out'))Based on the exhibit, what is the most likely reason for the connection timeout?
⚠ Common exam trap
Cisco often tests the distinction between network-level failures (timeout) and application-level errors (HTTP status codes), trapping candidates who confuse a timeout with authentication or SSL issues.
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
✓
The network is not able to reach the sandbox server due to firewall or DNS issues
The connection timeout indicates that the client cannot establish a TCP connection to the server at all. This is most likely caused by a network-level issue such as a firewall blocking the port or DNS resolution failure, which prevents the HTTP request from reaching the sandbox server. Options A, B, and C would produce different HTTP error responses (e.g., 404, 401, or SSL certificate errors), not a timeout.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
The URL is incorrect; the correct endpoint is /api/system/v1/auth/token
Why it's wrong here
A wrong URL path would typically return HTTP 404 or 401, not a connection timeout, since the host still responds. It is tempting because endpoint errors are common, but a timeout indicates no response at all, so the correct choice must explain the absent reply rather than a rejected request.
- ✗
The username and password are invalid, causing the server to drop the connection
Why it's wrong here
Invalid credentials produce an authentication failure response such as HTTP 401, not a timeout, because the server still answers the request. It is tempting since bad logins are frequent, but the correct choice must account for the total absence of any server response, which credentials alone would not cause.
- ✗
The verify=False parameter causes SSL handshake failure and timeout
Why it's wrong here
Setting verify=False disables certificate validation; it does not cause an SSL handshake failure, since the handshake still completes without checking the chain. It is tempting because disabling verification is used to bypass certificate errors in lab or self-signed environments, but here the timeout stems from the connection itself, not TLS validation.
- ✓
The network is not able to reach the sandbox server due to firewall or DNS issues
Why this is correct
A connection timeout means no response arrived before the client gave up, indicating the sandbox server was unreachable. Firewall rules blocking the port or DNS failing to resolve the hostname both prevent any packet reaching the destination, matching the observed symptom.
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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.