This 300-410 practice question tests your understanding of ipsec site-to-site vpn. Read the scenario carefully and evaluate each option against the stated constraints before committing to an answer. After answering, compare your reasoning against the explanation and wrong-answer breakdown below. Once you have made your selection, read the full explanation to reinforce the concept and understand why each distractor is designed to mislead on exam day.
In IPsec site-to-site VPN, what is the purpose of the 'match address' command under a crypto map?
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
It identifies the traffic that will be encrypted and sent through the tunnel.
The 'match address' command under a crypto map references an access list (ACL) that defines which traffic should be protected by IPsec. When a packet matches a permit entry in that ACL, it triggers the IPsec process to encrypt and tunnel the traffic to the remote peer. This is the fundamental mechanism for selecting interesting traffic in a site-to-site VPN.
Key principle: Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
✗
It specifies the peer IP address for the tunnel.
Why it's wrong here
The peer is specified with the 'set peer' command, not 'match address'.
✗
It defines the encryption and authentication algorithms.
Why it's wrong here
Those are defined in the transform set.
✓
It identifies the traffic that will be encrypted and sent through the tunnel.
Why this is correct
The ACL defines interesting traffic; only that traffic is protected.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
It sets the lifetime for the IPsec SA.
Why it's wrong here
Lifetime is set with 'set security-association lifetime' or globally.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
Cisco often tests the distinction between 'match address' (traffic selection) and 'set peer' (tunnel endpoint), leading candidates to confuse the purpose of these two commands under a crypto map.
Trap categories for this question
Command / output trap
The peer is specified with the 'set peer' command, not 'match address'.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Under the hood, the ACL referenced by 'match address' is evaluated for outbound traffic; only packets matching a permit entry are subject to IPsec protection. The ACL can also be used for crypto map redundancy and failover scenarios, where different ACLs are applied to different crypto map entries to control which traffic uses which peer. A common real-world scenario is using a single crypto map with multiple ACL entries to separate voice and data traffic to different remote sites.
KKey Concepts to Remember
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Find the constraint that changes the correct option.
Eliminate answers that are true in general but not in this case.
TExam Day Tips
→Watch for words such as best, first, most likely and least administrative effort.
→Review why wrong options are wrong, not only why the correct option is correct.
Key takeaway
Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Real-world example
How this comes up in practice
A security administrator must allow nursing staff to reach a patient records server while blocking access from the guest Wi-Fi VLAN. After applying an extended ACL, traffic is still blocked from nursing workstations. The ACL was applied outbound instead of inbound on the wrong interface. Questions like this test ACL direction and placement rules.
Related glossary terms
Concepts from this question explained
These glossary pages explain the core terms tested in this 300-410 question in full detail.
IPsec Site-to-Site VPN — This question tests IPsec Site-to-Site VPN — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: It identifies the traffic that will be encrypted and sent through the tunnel. — The 'match address' command under a crypto map references an access list (ACL) that defines which traffic should be protected by IPsec. When a packet matches a permit entry in that ACL, it triggers the IPsec process to encrypt and tunnel the traffic to the remote peer. This is the fundamental mechanism for selecting interesting traffic in a site-to-site VPN.
What should I do if I get this 300-410 question wrong?
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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Question Discussion
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