easyMultiple Choice
300-410 Practice Question: Is true regarding the placement of an IPv4 ACL to…
Which of the following is true regarding the placement of an IPv4 ACL to filter traffic between two internal subnets?
⚠ Common exam trap
Cisco often tests the misconception that standard ACLs should be placed closest to the source (like extended ACLs), but the correct practice is to place standard ACLs closest to the destination due to their lack of destination-based filtering.
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
✓
Standard ACLs should be placed closest to the destination.
Standard ACLs filter based solely on the source IP address and lack the granularity to distinguish between different destination subnets. Placing a standard ACL closest to the destination ensures that traffic is filtered only after it has reached the target subnet, preventing the ACL from inadvertently blocking traffic to other destinations that share the same source. This placement aligns with the Cisco best practice of placing standard ACLs near the destination to minimize unintended filtering.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Standard ACLs should be placed closest to the source.
Why it's wrong here
Standard ACLs match only the source address, so placing one near the source blocks that host's traffic to every destination, not just the target subnet. Extended ACLs, placed closest to the source, filter on source, destination, protocol and port. Standard ACLs belong closest to the destination, where the source address alone identifies the intended traffic.
- ✗
Extended ACLs should be placed closest to the destination.
Why it's wrong here
Extended ACLs filter on source and destination, so placing them near the destination wastes bandwidth across the path and complicates troubleshooting. Extended ACLs belong closest to the source, where unwanted traffic is dropped before traversing the network.
- ✓
Standard ACLs should be placed closest to the destination.
Why this is correct
Standard ACLs filter only on source address, so placing them closest to the destination prevents them from blocking traffic to other destinations that share the same source. This satisfies the requirement to filter traffic between two internal subnets without unintended collateral filtering.
- ✗
Placement does not affect ACL functionality.
Why it's wrong here
Placement determines which traffic is filtered and how much bandwidth is consumed; an ACL applied on the wrong interface either blocks legitimate flows or permits unwanted ones. Correct placement is a core design requirement, not an optional detail.
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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.