- A
OSPF or BGP neighbors are flapping, with log messages indicating adjacency timeouts.
If CoPP drops routing protocol hello packets, neighbors may flap, indicating misclassification or overly restrictive policing.
- B
SSH or Telnet sessions to the device are intermittent or time out.
CoPP that polices management traffic too aggressively can cause session drops or timeouts.
- C
CPU utilization remains high despite CoPP being configured.
If CoPP is misconfigured (e.g., not matching the attacking traffic), unwanted packets still reach the CPU, keeping utilization high.
- D
CPU utilization is consistently low, and all control plane traffic is passing without drops.
Why wrong: Low CPU and no drops suggest CoPP is working correctly, not misconfigured.
- E
Throughput on data interfaces increases significantly.
Why wrong: Data plane throughput is not directly affected by CoPP, which only polices control plane traffic.
Quick Answer
The answer is flapping neighbors, intermittent management access, and high CPU utilization despite CoPP being configured. These three symptoms directly indicate a CoPP misconfiguration because Control Plane Policing is designed to protect the CPU by rate-limiting unwanted traffic, but when misapplied, it can inadvertently drop critical control plane packets like routing protocol hellos or SSH keepalives, causing neighbor adjacencies to flap and remote access to become unreliable. On the Cisco CCNP ENARSI 300-410 exam, this topic tests your ability to distinguish CoPP failure symptoms from unrelated issues—a common trap is confusing high CPU with low CPU, but remember that misconfigured CoPP fails to filter the offending traffic, leaving the CPU overloaded. A useful memory tip is "Flap, Drop, and Spike"—neighbors flap, management drops, and CPU spikes—to recall the three hallmark signs of a CoPP misconfiguration.
300-410 Control Plane Policing (CoPP) Practice Question
This 300-410 practice question tests your understanding of control plane policing (copp). The scenario asks you to isolate a root cause — eliminate options that address a different problem before choosing. 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.
Which THREE symptoms indicate that Control Plane Policing (CoPP) might be misconfigured or causing connectivity issues? (Choose THREE.)
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
OSPF or BGP neighbors are flapping, with log messages indicating adjacency timeouts.
Symptoms of CoPP misconfiguration include: (1) routing protocol neighbors flapping because CoPP drops hello packets, (2) management access (SSH/Telnet) becoming intermittent due to policing, and (3) high CPU utilization because CoPP is not properly filtering unwanted traffic. Option D (low CPU utilization) is the opposite of a typical CoPP issue. Option E (increased throughput on data interfaces) is unrelated to CoPP affecting the control plane.
Key principle: OSPF neighbour adjacency depends on matching area, hello/dead timers, network type, and authentication — IP reachability alone is not enough.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✓
OSPF or BGP neighbors are flapping, with log messages indicating adjacency timeouts.
Why this is correct
If CoPP drops routing protocol hello packets, neighbors may flap, indicating misclassification or overly restrictive policing.
Related concept
OSPF neighbours must agree on key parameters.
- ✓
SSH or Telnet sessions to the device are intermittent or time out.
Why this is correct
CoPP that polices management traffic too aggressively can cause session drops or timeouts.
Related concept
OSPF neighbours must agree on key parameters.
- ✓
CPU utilization remains high despite CoPP being configured.
Why this is correct
If CoPP is misconfigured (e.g., not matching the attacking traffic), unwanted packets still reach the CPU, keeping utilization high.
Related concept
OSPF neighbours must agree on key parameters.
- ✗
CPU utilization is consistently low, and all control plane traffic is passing without drops.
Why it's wrong here
Low CPU and no drops suggest CoPP is working correctly, not misconfigured.
- ✗
Throughput on data interfaces increases significantly.
Why it's wrong here
Data plane throughput is not directly affected by CoPP, which only polices control plane traffic.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: OSPF can fail even when IP connectivity looks correct
OSPF neighbour formation depends on matching areas, timers, network type, authentication and passive-interface behaviour. Do not choose an answer only because the devices can ping.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
OSPF questions usually test the details that control adjacency and route selection. Read the neighbour state, area, router ID and interface configuration before deciding what is wrong.
KKey Concepts to Remember
- OSPF neighbours must agree on key parameters.
- Router ID selection can affect neighbour relationships and LSDB output.
- OSPF cost influences the preferred path.
- A route can appear in OSPF information but not become the installed route.
TExam Day Tips
- Check area mismatch first when OSPF adjacency fails.
- Review passive interfaces when a network is advertised but no neighbour forms.
- Use show ip ospf neighbor and show ip route clues carefully.
Key takeaway
OSPF neighbour adjacency depends on matching area, hello/dead timers, network type, and authentication — IP reachability alone is not enough.
Real-world example
How this comes up in practice
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
Got this wrong? Here's your next step.
Review OSPF neighbour requirements — matching area type, hello and dead timers, network type, stub flags, and authentication. Study show ip ospf neighbor states (INIT, 2-WAY, FULL). Then practise related 300-410 OSPF questions on adjacency and route selection.
- →
Control Plane Policing (CoPP) — study guide chapter
Learn the concepts, then practise the questions
- →
Control Plane Policing (CoPP) practice questions
Targeted practice on this topic area only
- →
All 300-410 questions
2,152 questions across all exam domains
- →
Cisco CCNP ENARSI 300-410 study guide
Full concept coverage aligned to exam objectives
- →
300-410 practice test guide
How to use practice tests most effectively before exam day
Related practice questions
Related 300-410 practice-question pages
Use these pages to review the topic behind this question. This is how one missed question becomes focused revision.
Layer 3 Technologies practice questions
Practise 300-410 questions linked to Layer 3 Technologies.
EIGRP Troubleshooting practice questions
Practise 300-410 questions linked to EIGRP Troubleshooting.
OSPF Troubleshooting (v2/v3) practice questions
Practise 300-410 questions linked to OSPF Troubleshooting (v2/v3).
BGP Troubleshooting practice questions
Practise 300-410 questions linked to BGP Troubleshooting.
Route Redistribution practice questions
Practise 300-410 questions linked to Route Redistribution.
Policy-Based Routing (PBR) practice questions
Practise 300-410 questions linked to Policy-Based Routing (PBR).
VRF-Lite practice questions
Practise 300-410 questions linked to VRF-Lite.
Route Maps and Route Filtering practice questions
Practise 300-410 questions linked to Route Maps and Route Filtering.
Administrative Distance practice questions
Practise 300-410 questions linked to Administrative Distance.
Route Summarization practice questions
Practise 300-410 questions linked to Route Summarization.
Bidirectional Forwarding Detection (BFD) practice questions
Practise 300-410 questions linked to Bidirectional Forwarding Detection (BFD).
VPN Technologies practice questions
Practise 300-410 questions linked to VPN Technologies.
Practice this exam
Start a free 300-410 practice session
Short sessions build daily habit. Longer sessions build exam-day stamina. Try a timed session to simulate real conditions.
FAQ
Questions learners often ask
What does this 300-410 question test?
Control Plane Policing (CoPP) — This question tests Control Plane Policing (CoPP) — OSPF neighbours must agree on key parameters..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: OSPF or BGP neighbors are flapping, with log messages indicating adjacency timeouts. — Symptoms of CoPP misconfiguration include: (1) routing protocol neighbors flapping because CoPP drops hello packets, (2) management access (SSH/Telnet) becoming intermittent due to policing, and (3) high CPU utilization because CoPP is not properly filtering unwanted traffic. Option D (low CPU utilization) is the opposite of a typical CoPP issue. Option E (increased throughput on data interfaces) is unrelated to CoPP affecting the control plane.
What should I do if I get this 300-410 question wrong?
Review OSPF neighbour requirements — matching area type, hello and dead timers, network type, stub flags, and authentication. Study show ip ospf neighbor states (INIT, 2-WAY, FULL). Then practise related 300-410 OSPF questions on adjacency and route selection.
What is the key concept behind this question?
OSPF neighbours must agree on key parameters.
About these practice questions
Courseiva creates original exam-style practice questions with explanations and wrong-answer analysis. It does not publish real exam questions, exam dumps, or protected exam content. Learn why practice questions differ from exam dumps →
Keep practising
More 300-410 practice questions
- Drag and drop the steps to negotiate an IKEv2 IPsec site-to-site tunnel into the correct order, from first to last.
- Drag and drop the steps to troubleshoot an IPsec site-to-site VPN adjacency failure into the correct order, from first t…
- Drag and drop the steps to verify and validate the operational state of an IPsec site-to-site VPN into the correct order…
- Drag and drop the steps to configure a GRE tunnel for IPv6 over IPv4 into the correct order, from first to last.
- Drag and drop the steps to troubleshoot IPv6 over IPv4 tunnel adjacency or connectivity failures into the correct order,…
- Drag and drop the steps to verify and validate the operational state of an IPv6 tunneling technique into the correct ord…
Last reviewed: Jun 18, 2026
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.
Question Discussion
Share a tip, memory trick, or ask about the reasoning behind this question. Do not post real exam questions, leaked content, braindumps, or copyrighted exam material. Comments are moderated and may be removed without notice.
Sign in to join the discussion.