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300-410 Practice Question: The default IKE (ISAKMP) lifetime value in Cisco…
What is the default IKE (ISAKMP) lifetime value in Cisco IOS for IPsec Site-to-Site VPN?
⚠ Common exam trap
Cisco often tests the distinction between IKE Phase 1 and IPsec Phase 2 default lifetimes, and the trap here is that candidates confuse the 3600-second default of IPsec SA (Phase 2) with the 86400-second default of IKE SA (Phase 1).
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
✓
86400 seconds (24 hours)
The default IKE (ISAKMP) lifetime in Cisco IOS for IPsec Site-to-Site VPN is 86400 seconds (24 hours). This value is defined in the ISAKMP policy and controls how long the IKE Phase 1 security association (SA) remains active before requiring re-authentication. A longer lifetime reduces the overhead of re-establishing the Phase 1 tunnel, balancing security with performance.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
3600 seconds (1 hour)
Why it's wrong here
This is the default IPsec security association lifetime, not IKE.
- ✓
86400 seconds (24 hours)
Why this is correct
Cisco IOS defaults IKE lifetime to 86400 seconds.
- ✗
28800 seconds (8 hours)
Why it's wrong here
This value is not a default for IKE; it may appear in some vendor implementations.
- ✗
180 seconds (3 minutes)
Why it's wrong here
This is too short and not a Cisco default for IKE lifetime.
Quick reference
VPN Protocol Comparison
| Protocol | Port | Encryption | Authentication | Use Case |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| IKEv2 / IPsec | UDP 500 / 4500 | AES-256 | Certificates / PSK | Site-to-site & remote access |
| SSL / TLS VPN | TCP 443 | TLS 1.3 | Certificates / MFA | Clientless remote access |
| L2TP / IPsec | UDP 1701 | AES (IPsec) | PSK / Certificates | Legacy remote access |
| WireGuard | UDP 51820 | ChaCha20 | Public keys | Modern high-performance VPN |
| PPTP | TCP 1723 | MPPE (weak) | MS-CHAPv2 | Legacy — avoid in production |
PPTP is considered insecure. IKEv2/IPsec and SSL VPN are the current recommended options.
Go deeper
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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.