The answer is that the neighbor 10.2.2.2 is not reachable or is not configured to accept BGP connections. This is because the BGP neighbor state of "Active" means the router has sent an initial TCP SYN packet to the neighbor’s port 179 but has not received a SYN-ACK response, so it keeps retrying the three-way handshake. The output confirms this with zero messages sent or received and an uptime of "never," indicating the TCP session has never been established. On the Cisco CCNP ENARSI 300-410 exam, this scenario tests your ability to differentiate between the "Active" and "Idle" states—a common trap is confusing "Active" with a session that is up and exchanging routes, when in fact it signals a connectivity failure. Remember the memory tip: "Active is acting, but no connection is happening"—if you see zero messages and an active state, always check reachability, ACLs, or firewall rules blocking TCP 179.
300-410 Device Access Control Practice Question
This 300-410 practice question tests your understanding of device access control. Examine the command output carefully: the correct answer depends on what the output actually shows, not on general recall alone. 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.
A network engineer runs the following command on Router R1:
R1# show bgp ipv4 unicast summary
BGP router identifier 192.168.1.1, local AS number 65001
BGP table version is 10, main routing table version 10
Neighbor V AS MsgRcvd MsgSent TblVer InQ OutQ Up/Down State/PfxRcd
10.1.1.2 4 65002 1200 1200 10 0 0 01:00:00 5
10.2.2.2 4 65003 0 0 0 0 0 never Active
Based on this output, what is the problem with the neighbor 10.2.2.2?
Clue words in this question
Noticing these words before you look at the options changes how you read each choice.
Clue: "never"
Why it matters: Absolute qualifier. True only if the statement has zero exceptions — be cautious of options that seem obvious but break down in edge cases.
The neighbor is not reachable or is not configured to accept BGP connections.
The Active state indicates that the router is attempting to establish a TCP connection but is not receiving a response, likely due to unreachability or misconfiguration.
B
The neighbor is in Idle state because of a hold timer expiry.
Why wrong: The state is Active, not Idle; Idle would indicate a different issue.
C
The neighbor has received 5 prefixes, indicating a successful session.
Why wrong: The neighbor has 0 prefixes received (PfxRcd is not shown but implied by 0 MsgRcvd).
D
The BGP table version is 10, meaning there is a routing loop.
Why wrong: The table version is a sequence number and does not indicate loops.
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
The neighbor is not reachable or is not configured to accept BGP connections.
The 'Active' state in BGP indicates that the router is actively trying to establish a TCP connection to the neighbor but has not yet succeeded. This typically occurs because the neighbor is unreachable (no route to the destination IP), the neighbor is not configured to accept BGP connections (e.g., no BGP process or incorrect ACL), or a firewall is blocking TCP port 179. The output shows 0 messages sent/received and 'never' uptime, confirming no session has ever been established.
Key principle: Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
✓
The neighbor is not reachable or is not configured to accept BGP connections.
Why this is correct
The Active state indicates that the router is attempting to establish a TCP connection but is not receiving a response, likely due to unreachability or misconfiguration.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "never" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
The neighbor is in Idle state because of a hold timer expiry.
Why it's wrong here
The state is Active, not Idle; Idle would indicate a different issue.
✗
The neighbor has received 5 prefixes, indicating a successful session.
Why it's wrong here
The neighbor has 0 prefixes received (PfxRcd is not shown but implied by 0 MsgRcvd).
✗
The BGP table version is 10, meaning there is a routing loop.
Why it's wrong here
The table version is a sequence number and does not indicate loops.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
Cisco often tests the distinction between 'Idle' and 'Active' states, where candidates mistakenly assume 'Active' means the session is up or that prefixes are being exchanged, when in fact it indicates a failed or pending TCP connection attempt.
Trap categories for this question
Command / output trap
The neighbor has 0 prefixes received (PfxRcd is not shown but implied by 0 MsgRcvd).
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
In BGP, the 'Active' state is part of the Finite State Machine (FSM) defined in RFC 4271, where the router repeatedly attempts to initiate a TCP connection to the peer. If the neighbor is unreachable, the router will cycle between 'Active' and 'Connect' states, logging errors like 'connection refused' or 'timeout'. A common real-world scenario is misconfigured eBGP multihop or missing static routes for the peer's loopback interface, causing persistent 'Active' state.
KKey Concepts to Remember
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Find the constraint that changes the correct option.
Eliminate answers that are true in general but not in this case.
TExam Day Tips
→Watch for words such as best, first, most likely and least administrative effort.
→Review why wrong options are wrong, not only why the correct option is correct.
Key takeaway
Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
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.
Related glossary terms
Concepts from this question explained
These glossary pages explain the core terms tested in this 300-410 question in full detail.
Device Access Control — This question tests Device Access Control — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: The neighbor is not reachable or is not configured to accept BGP connections. — The 'Active' state in BGP indicates that the router is actively trying to establish a TCP connection to the neighbor but has not yet succeeded. This typically occurs because the neighbor is unreachable (no route to the destination IP), the neighbor is not configured to accept BGP connections (e.g., no BGP process or incorrect ACL), or a firewall is blocking TCP port 179. The output shows 0 messages sent/received and 'never' uptime, confirming no session has ever been established.
What should I do if I get this 300-410 question wrong?
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
Are there clue words in this question I should notice?
Yes — watch for: "never". Absolute qualifier. True only if the statement has zero exceptions — be cautious of options that seem obvious but break down in edge cases.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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 →
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.
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.