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300-410 Practice Question: Which TWO commands would a network engineer use…
Which TWO commands would a network engineer use to verify the BGP next-hop reachability issue when a route is not being installed in the routing table? (Choose TWO.)
⚠ Common exam trap
300-410 often tests the distinction between commands that show BGP neighbor status versus those that reveal next-hop reachability, causing candidates to mistakenly select 'show ip bgp neighbors' or 'show ip bgp summary' instead of the correct 'show ip bgp' and 'show ip route'.
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
✓
show ip bgp
Option A, `show ip bgp`, is correct because it displays the BGP table including each prefix's next-hop address and the route's status codes, so the engineer can see whether the next hop is marked inaccessible (e.g., a leading `r` or missing `*>`), which directly reveals the next-hop reachability problem preventing installation. Option B, `show ip route`, is correct because it verifies whether the BGP next-hop address is actually present in the IP routing table (via a connected, static, or IGP route); if the next hop is not resolvable in the RIB, BGP will not install the route, so this command confirms the reachability failure. Option C, `show ip bgp neighbors`, is not the best choice because it shows neighbor session details and capabilities rather than the per-prefix next-hop reachability status. Option D, `show ip bgp summary`, only gives neighbor state and prefix counts, not next-hop resolution. Option E, `debug ip bgp updates`, would show update messages but is intrusive and does not directly verify next-hop reachability in the routing table.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✓
show ip bgp
Why this is correct
Displays the BGP table; routes with unreachable next hops may show as 'r' or not be installed.
- ✓
show ip route
Why this is correct
Checks if the next-hop IP address is reachable via the routing table.
- ✗
show ip bgp neighbors
Why it's wrong here
Shows BGP neighbor status and parameters, not next-hop reachability.
- ✗
show ip bgp summary
Why it's wrong here
Provides a summary of BGP neighbors and their states, not route details.
- ✗
debug ip bgp updates
Why it's wrong here
A debugging tool that logs BGP updates; not a verification command.
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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
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