mediumMultiple ChoiceObjective-mapped
300-410 Practice Question: Which control plane protocol packets are…
Which control plane protocol packets are classified as 'critical' in the default CoPP policy?
⚠ Common exam trap
Cisco often tests the misconception that all management plane protocols (like SSH, Telnet, SNMP) are critical, but the default CoPP policy specifically reserves 'critical' for routing protocol packets that maintain control plane stability, such as OSPF hellos and BGP keepalives.
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 hello packets and BGP keepalives
In the default Control Plane Policing (CoPP) policy on Cisco IOS/IOS-XE devices, control plane protocol packets are classified into three categories: critical, normal, and medium. OSPF hello packets and BGP keepalives are classified as 'critical' because they are essential for maintaining neighbor adjacencies and routing protocol convergence; dropping these packets can cause immediate network instability. The default CoPP policy uses class maps to match these protocols and applies a higher priority (e.g., police rate) to ensure they are processed before less critical 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.
- ✗
ICMP echo requests and SSH
Why it's wrong here
ICMP and SSH are typically classified as 'normal' or 'management' traffic, not critical.
- ✓
OSPF hello packets and BGP keepalives
Why this is correct
Routing protocol hello and keepalive packets are considered critical for network stability and are assigned to the critical class in CoPP.
- ✗
Telnet and HTTP
Why it's wrong here
Telnet and HTTP are management protocols, usually classified as 'normal' or 'management'.
- ✗
NTP and SNMP
Why it's wrong here
NTP and SNMP are important but not as time-sensitive as routing protocol hellos; they are often placed in a lower priority class.
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.