easyMultiple Choice
300-410 Practice Question: Is troubleshooting a router that is not…
A network engineer is troubleshooting a router that is not generating any syslog messages at all, even for critical events like interface flaps. The 'show logging' output shows 'Syslog logging: disabled'. What is the most likely cause?
⚠ Common exam trap
A common mix-up: candidates confuse the global logging state with destination configuration; candidates often assume a missing 'logging host' or full buffer disables all syslog generation, but the 'show logging' output explicitly points to the global 'logging on' command.
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 'logging on' command is not configured.
The 'show logging' output explicitly states 'Syslog logging: disabled', which means the global logging process itself is turned off. In Cisco IOS, syslog logging is enabled by default, but it can be disabled with 'no logging on'. Re-enabling it with 'logging on' restores the generation of syslog messages to all configured destinations (console, buffer, hosts). Without this command, no messages are produced regardless of destination configuration.
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 'logging on' command is not configured.
Why this is correct
'Syslog logging: disabled' means the logging process itself is off, so no messages are generated regardless of severity. The 'logging on' global configuration command enables it; without it, interface flaps and other critical events produce nothing.
- ✗
The logging buffer is full and needs to be cleared.
Why it's wrong here
A full logging buffer affects only buffered logging; it does not set the global 'Syslog logging: disabled' state, and clearing it would not re-enable message generation. It is tempting because buffer exhaustion does stop 'show logging' output, but the disabled status indicates logging was switched off, not that storage filled.
- ✗
The router has run out of memory to generate syslog messages.
Why it's wrong here
Memory exhaustion would degrade or drop messages, not set the explicit 'Syslog logging: disabled' flag, which is a configuration state. It is tempting because resource starvation can silence logging, but the displayed status points to logging being administratively turned off rather than a hardware constraint.
- ✗
The 'logging host' command is missing, so no destination is configured.
Why it's wrong here
A missing 'logging host' removes remote syslog forwarding only; the router would still generate and display messages locally, so 'Syslog logging: disabled' would not appear. It is tempting because absent destinations are a common syslog fault, but the disabled status reflects the global logging state rather than destination configuration.
Go deeper
Related to this question
About these practice questions
This 300-410 question is part of Courseiva's 1,401-question bank — original exam-style content with full explanations and wrong-answer analysis, never real exam questions or exam dumps. Learn why practice questions differ from exam dumps →
JA
Written and reviewed by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
Last reviewed September 2026 · checked against the official Cisco exam blueprint
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.