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300-410 Practice Question: Which loop prevention mechanism does RIP use to…
Which loop prevention mechanism does RIP use to avoid routing loops?
⚠ Common exam trap
Cisco often tests the distinction between loop prevention mechanisms at different layers (e.g., TTL for packet loops vs. hop count for routing loops), and the trap here is that candidates might confuse TTL expiration in the IP header with RIP's hop count limit, thinking both serve the same purpose.
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
✓
Maximum hop count of 15
RIP uses a maximum hop count of 15 to prevent routing loops by ensuring that a route cannot be advertised beyond 15 hops, effectively limiting the propagation of routing information and breaking loops. When a router receives a route with a hop count of 16, it marks the route as unreachable (poison reverse), which stops the loop from continuing. This is a fundamental loop prevention mechanism specific to distance-vector protocols like RIP.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
TTL expiration in IP header
Why it's wrong here
TTL prevents packets from looping indefinitely, but is not a routing protocol loop prevention mechanism.
- ✓
Maximum hop count of 15
Why this is correct
Correct: RIP limits the hop count to 15; 16 means unreachable, preventing loops by discarding routes beyond the limit.
- ✗
DUAL algorithm
Why it's wrong here
DUAL is used by EIGRP, not RIP.
- ✗
LSA aging
Why it's wrong here
LSA aging is a mechanism in OSPF, not RIP.
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.