hardMultiple Choice
300-410 Practice Question: A router configured as a DHCPv4 server uses a…
A router configured as a DHCPv4 server uses a pool with 'bootfile' and 'next-server' options for PXE boot. Clients receive the DHCP offer with the correct bootfile, but they fail to download it. Which is the most likely explanation?
⚠ Common exam trap
Cisco often tests the distinction between hostname and IP address in DHCP options, where candidates assume DNS is available during PXE boot, but the client's firmware lacks DNS resolution at that stage.
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
✓
The 'next-server' is configured with a hostname, but the client does not have DNS resolution capabilities at boot time.
During PXE boot, the client does not yet have an IP address or DNS resolver configured. When the DHCP server specifies a hostname in the 'next-server' option, the client cannot resolve that hostname to an IP address to initiate the TFTP download. The client requires the TFTP server's IP address directly, not a DNS name, at this stage of the boot process.
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 'next-server' is configured with a hostname, but the client does not have DNS resolution capabilities at boot time.
Why this is correct
PXE clients use the next-server value during early boot, before any DNS resolver is available, so a hostname cannot be resolved. Configuring an IP address instead lets the client reach the TFTP server and download the bootfile.
- ✗
The 'bootfile' name is case-sensitive, and the client is requesting a different case.
Why it's wrong here
TFTP filenames are case-sensitive on most servers, but the stem states clients receive the correct bootfile name, so a case mismatch contradicts the given facts. It is tempting because case errors do cause download failures, yet the offer already contains the right name.
- ✗
The DHCP server is not configured with the 'option 150' for TFTP server.
Why it's wrong here
Option 150 supplies TFTP server addresses for Cisco IP phones, not PXE; PXE uses the 'next-server' field, which the pool already sets. It is tempting because option 150 is commonly paired with bootfile configuration, but its absence would not break a PXE client that reads next-server.
- ✗
The client's subnet does not have a route to the TFTP server, but the DHCP server cannot control that.
Why it's wrong here
Routing to the TFTP server is a client-side reachability matter, and the stem's clients already receive the offer, so a missing route is speculative rather than the likely cause. It is tempting because PXE downloads do fail on unreachable servers, but the stem points to misconfigured server options.
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JA
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.