easyMultiple Choice
300-410 Practice Question: The default CoPP policy on a Cisco IOS-XE router…
What is the default CoPP policy on a Cisco IOS-XE router if no service-policy is applied to the control-plane?
⚠ Common exam trap
Cisco often tests the misconception that CoPP has a built-in default policy or that management traffic is automatically rate-limited, when in fact no CoPP policy is applied unless explicitly configured under the control-plane with a service-policy.
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
✓
No CoPP policy is applied; all control-plane traffic is processed without rate-limiting.
C is correct because Cisco IOS-XE routers do not apply any default CoPP policy to the control-plane. Without an explicit 'service-policy' configuration under the 'control-plane' configuration mode, all control-plane traffic (including routing protocols, management traffic, and keepalives) is processed by the route processor without any rate-limiting or filtering. CoPP is an optional feature that must be manually configured to protect the control plane from excessive traffic.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
All control-plane traffic is rate-limited to 64000 bps.
Why it's wrong here
No service-policy attached to the control-plane means no CoPP policing exists; IOS-XE permits control-plane traffic without a 64000 bps ceiling. The figure tempts because 64000 bps appears in sample CoPP configurations, but those are user-defined policies, not an implicit default.
- ✗
Only management traffic (SSH, Telnet) is rate-limited to 32000 bps.
Why it's wrong here
CoPP rate-limits multiple control-plane traffic classes, not just SSH and Telnet, so singling out management protocols misstates the default. It tempts because management-plane policing does target SSH and Telnet, but that is a separate feature applied under control-plane host, not the default CoPP policy.
- ✓
No CoPP policy is applied; all control-plane traffic is processed without rate-limiting.
Why this is correct
Without a control-plane service-policy, IOS-XE applies no CoPP policing, so all traffic destined to the route processor is forwarded to the CPU unpoliced. This satisfies the stem's "no service-policy applied" constraint: no default class-maps or policers exist, leaving control-plane traffic unrate-limited until you attach a policy manually.
- ✗
A default policy is applied that drops all traffic exceeding 128000 bps.
Why it's wrong here
Without an applied service-policy, IOS-XE installs no default policer, so nothing drops traffic at 128000 bps. The value tempts because CoPP classes commonly use 128000 bps as a configured rate, but that requires an explicit policy-map the administrator creates and attaches.
Visual reference
Quick reference
Routing Protocol Comparison
| Protocol | Metric | Max Hops | Algorithm | Type |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| RIP v2 | Hop count | 15 | Bellman-Ford | Distance vector |
| OSPF | Cost (bandwidth) | Unlimited | Dijkstra (SPF) | Link state |
| EIGRP | Composite metric | Unlimited | DUAL | Hybrid |
| IS-IS | Cost | Unlimited | Dijkstra | Link state |
| BGP | Policy / attributes | Unlimited | Path vector | Path vector |
RIP's 15-hop limit makes it unsuitable for large networks. OSPF and EIGRP dominate modern enterprise deployments.
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Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
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.