300-410 VPN Technologies Practice Question
A network administrator is building a FlexVPN hub-and-spoke deployment using IKEv2 on a Cisco IOS router. The hub must accept connections from many spokes that use dynamically assigned public addresses, and the administrator wants the hub to authorize each spoke and assign it an address from a pool after authentication. Which IKEv2 configuration element on the hub provides the address assignment to authenticated spokes?
⚠ Common exam trap
Many candidates confuse DMVPN mechanisms such as NHRP or legacy crypto map options with FlexVPN's IKEv2 authorization policy, which is what actually assigns addresses to authenticated spokes.
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
✓
An IKEv2 authorization policy that references a local or DHCP address pool
FlexVPN uses IKEv2 profiles and authorization policies to control what authenticated peers receive. The authorization policy references an address pool, either local or external via DHCP, and the hub assigns each spoke an address for its virtual access interface after authentication succeeds. This is the mechanism that provides dynamic addressing to spokes in a hub-and-spoke FlexVPN deployment.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✓
An IKEv2 authorization policy that references a local or DHCP address pool
Why this is correct
In FlexVPN, the IKEv2 authorization policy defines what an authenticated peer is allowed to receive, including the address pool used to assign an IP address to the spoke's virtual access interface. The hub references this policy in the IKEv2 profile so that after successful authentication the spoke is authorized and receives an address. This is the correct element for post-authentication address assignment.
- ✗
A transform set with the esp-aes esp-sha256-hmac algorithms applied to the virtual template
Why it's wrong here
Transform sets define the encryption and integrity algorithms for the IPsec SA and are applied through the IPsec profile, not the virtual template directly. They have no role in authorizing peers or assigning addresses. Applying a transform set to a virtual template would not provide address assignment, so this does not satisfy the requirement for post-authentication addressing of spokes.
- ✗
An NHRP map entry for each spoke pointing to the hub's tunnel address
Why it's wrong here
NHRP maps tunnel addresses to NBMA addresses and is used for DMVPN shortcut resolution, not for IKEv2 peer authorization or address assignment. While FlexVPN can use NHRP for routing, address assignment to spokes comes from the authorization policy and pool. Configuring NHRP map entries would not assign addresses to authenticated spokes and does not address the requirement.
- ✗
A crypto map with the set peer dynamic command on the hub
Why it's wrong here
Crypto maps are used with classic IPsec and do not perform IKEv2 authorization or address assignment. The set peer dynamic keyword can allow dynamic peers in some legacy designs, but it does not provide the address pool or authorization policy that FlexVPN uses. FlexVPN relies on IKEv2 profiles and authorization policies, so a crypto map would not deliver the required address assignment.
Visual reference
Quick reference
VPN Protocol Comparison
| Protocol | Port | Encryption | Authentication | Use Case |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| IKEv2 / IPsec | UDP 500 / 4500 | AES-256 | Certificates / PSK | Site-to-site & remote access |
| SSL / TLS VPN | TCP 443 | TLS 1.3 | Certificates / MFA | Clientless remote access |
| L2TP / IPsec | UDP 1701 | AES (IPsec) | PSK / Certificates | Legacy remote access |
| WireGuard | UDP 51820 | ChaCha20 | Public keys | Modern high-performance VPN |
| PPTP | TCP 1723 | MPPE (weak) | MS-CHAPv2 | Legacy — avoid in production |
PPTP is considered insecure. IKEv2/IPsec and SSL VPN are the current recommended options.
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JA
Written and reviewed by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
Last reviewed September 2026 · checked against the official Cisco exam blueprint
This 300-410 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 300-410 exam.