mediumMultiple ChoiceObjective-mapped
300-410 Practice Question: Runs the following command to troubleshoot an…
A network engineer runs the following command to troubleshoot an IPsec Site-to-Site VPN issue:
R1# show crypto isakmp policy
Global IKE policy Protection suite of priority 10 encryption algorithm: AES - Advanced Encryption Standard (256 bit keys). hash algorithm: Secure Hash Standard authentication method: Pre-Shared Key Diffie-Hellman group: #5 (1536 bit) lifetime: 86400 seconds, no volume limit Default protection suite encryption algorithm: DES - Data Encryption Standard (56 bit keys). hash algorithm: Secure Hash Standard authentication method: Pre-Shared Key Diffie-Hellman group: #1 (768 bit) lifetime: 86400 seconds, no volume limit
What does this output indicate?
⚠ Common exam trap
Cisco often tests the distinction between the configured IKE policy and the default protection suite, tricking candidates into thinking the default suite is active or that DES is being used when it is not.
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 IKE policy is correctly configured with strong encryption and DH group.
The output shows a global IKE policy with priority 10 using AES-256 encryption, SHA hash, Pre-Shared Key authentication, and Diffie-Hellman group 5 (1536-bit). These parameters represent a strong and secure IKE policy configuration suitable for a production IPsec VPN. The default protection suite is irrelevant unless the peer does not match the higher-priority policy, so the active policy is the one configured with priority 10.
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 IKE policy is correctly configured with strong encryption and DH group.
Why this is correct
Priority 10 uses AES-256 and DH group 5, which are strong. However, the default policy is weak and should be removed.
- ✗
The IKE policy uses DES, which is insecure and should be changed.
Why it's wrong here
The default policy uses DES, but the active policy (priority 10) uses AES-256.
- ✗
The IKE policy is missing the authentication method.
Why it's wrong here
Both policies show authentication method as Pre-Shared Key.
- ✗
The IKE policy lifetime is set to 86400 seconds, which is too short.
Why it's wrong here
86400 seconds (24 hours) is the default and acceptable.
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.
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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.