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300-410 Practice Question: The default IPv6 hop limit for packets sent over…
What is the default IPv6 hop limit for packets sent over a tunnel interface in Cisco IOS-XE?
⚠ Common exam trap
Cisco often tests the distinction between default values for native interfaces (128) versus tunnel interfaces (64), and candidates mistakenly apply the native interface default to tunnels.
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
✓
64
The default IPv6 hop limit for packets sent over a tunnel interface in Cisco IOS-XE is 64. This value is defined in RFC 2473 and is used by Cisco for tunnel interfaces such as GRE, IPv6-in-IPv4, and ISATAP. The hop limit is decremented by one when the packet is encapsulated and again when it is decapsulated, so the effective end-to-end hop count is reduced by two.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✓
64
Why this is correct
The default hop limit for originated IPv6 packets is 64.
- ✗
128
Why it's wrong here
128 is not the default for originated packets.
- ✗
255
Why it's wrong here
255 is the default TTL for the IPv4 encapsulation, not the IPv6 hop limit.
- ✗
32
Why it's wrong here
32 is not the default hop limit.
Visual reference
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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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.