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300-410 Practice Question: The default EIGRP hello interval on a…
What is the default EIGRP hello interval on a point-to-point serial interface?
⚠ Common exam trap
Cisco often tests the distinction between EIGRP's default hello intervals on high-speed vs. low-speed interfaces, and candidates mistakenly apply OSPF's 10-second default or confuse the 60-second NBMA default with point-to-point links.
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
✓
5 seconds
On point-to-point serial interfaces, EIGRP uses a default hello interval of 5 seconds. This is because point-to-point links are considered high-speed, and EIGRP assumes they can handle more frequent hello packets to detect neighbor failures quickly, unlike NBMA or multipoint interfaces where the default is 60 seconds.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✓
5 seconds
Why this is correct
Default hello interval is 5 seconds for point-to-point links.
- ✗
10 seconds
Why it's wrong here
10 seconds is the default for OSPF on NBMA networks, not EIGRP.
- ✗
30 seconds
Why it's wrong here
30 seconds is the default for RIP, not EIGRP.
- ✗
60 seconds
Why it's wrong here
60 seconds is not a standard EIGRP default.
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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Variation 1. What is the default EIGRP hello interval on a point-to-point serial interface with bandwidth 1544 Kbps?
easy- A.5 seconds
- ✓ B.60 seconds
- C.10 seconds
- D.30 seconds
Why B: EIGRP uses a default hello interval of 60 seconds on serial interfaces with bandwidth of 1544 Kbps or less. The threshold for the 5-second hello interval is bandwidth greater than 1544 Kbps, not greater than or equal to.
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.