Question 2,149 of 2,152

Network Logging and Syslog →hardMultiple ChoiceObjective-mapped

Quick Answer

The answer is a misconfigured logging source-interface set to an interface that is administratively down. When the logging source-interface command specifies a disabled interface, the router cannot bind syslog packets to that source IP, causing the remote server to either drop the messages due to source-address filtering or the packets to be unroutable. This explains why the router can ping the server (using a different, reachable interface) yet no syslog messages are sent, even though logging is enabled and no messages are dropped locally. On the Cisco CCNP ENARSI 300-410 exam, this scenario tests your understanding of syslog operation and the critical role of source-interface selection—a common trap is assuming a successful ping guarantees syslog delivery. Remember the memory tip: “If syslog is silent but pings are loud, check the source-interface shroud.”

300-410 Network Logging and Syslog Practice Question

This 300-410 practice question tests your understanding of network logging and syslog. The scenario asks you to isolate a root cause — eliminate options that address a different problem before choosing. 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.

An engineer is troubleshooting a router that is not sending syslog messages to the remote server at 192.168.1.10. The configuration includes 'logging host 192.168.1.10' and 'logging trap 7'. The router can ping 192.168.1.10. The engineer runs 'show logging' and sees 'Syslog logging: enabled (0 messages dropped, 0 messages rate-limited, 0 flushes, 0 overruns)'. What is the most likely cause?

Clue words in this question

Noticing these words before you look at the options changes how you read each choice.

Clue: "most likely"
Why it matters: Probability qualifier — the question wants the most probable cause or outcome, not a guaranteed one. Eliminate low-probability options.

Question 1hardmultiple choice

Read the full network assurance explanation →

A
The 'logging source-interface' is configured to an interface that is administratively down.
Correct because if the source interface is down, the router cannot use its IP address, and the syslog server may drop messages from an unexpected source IP or the packets may be routed incorrectly.
B
The 'logging on' command is missing from the configuration.
Why wrong: Incorrect because 'show logging' indicates syslog is enabled; if 'logging on' were missing, it would show 'logging disabled'.
C
The syslog server is using TCP, but the router is configured for UDP.
Why wrong: Incorrect because by default, the router uses UDP; if the server expects TCP, the router would still send UDP packets, but the server would not receive them. However, the 'show logging' output would still show messages as sent (no drops), so this is less likely than a source-interface issue.
D
The logging buffer is full, preventing new messages from being generated.
Why wrong: Incorrect because the buffer being full does not stop the router from sending messages; it only affects local storage.

Full breakdown with real-world context →

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 source-interface' is configured to an interface that is administratively down.

The 'show logging' output shows that syslog is enabled but no messages are being sent. A common reason is that the 'logging source-interface' is set to an interface that is down or not reachable, causing the router to use an incorrect source IP that the server may filter or that routing may not support. Alternatively, the server may be configured to accept messages only from specific source IPs.

Key principle: NAT direction and interface roles matter as much as the IP address mapping. Inside/outside designation controls which traffic is translated.

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 source-interface' is configured to an interface that is administratively down.
Why this is correct
Correct because if the source interface is down, the router cannot use its IP address, and the syslog server may drop messages from an unexpected source IP or the packets may be routed incorrectly.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "most likely" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Static NAT maps one inside address to one outside address.
✗
The 'logging on' command is missing from the configuration.
Why it's wrong here
Incorrect because 'show logging' indicates syslog is enabled; if 'logging on' were missing, it would show 'logging disabled'.
✗
The syslog server is using TCP, but the router is configured for UDP.
Why it's wrong here
Incorrect because by default, the router uses UDP; if the server expects TCP, the router would still send UDP packets, but the server would not receive them. However, the 'show logging' output would still show messages as sent (no drops), so this is less likely than a source-interface issue.
✗
The logging buffer is full, preventing new messages from being generated.
Why it's wrong here
Incorrect because the buffer being full does not stop the router from sending messages; it only affects local storage.

Common exam traps

Common exam trap: NAT rules depend on direction and matching traffic

NAT is not only about the public address. The inside/outside interface roles and the ACL or rule that matches traffic are just as important.

Trap categories for this question

Command / output trap
Incorrect because 'show logging' indicates syslog is enabled; if 'logging on' were missing, it would show 'logging disabled'.

Detailed technical explanation

How to think about this question

NAT questions usually test address translation, overload/PAT behaviour, static mappings and whether the right traffic is being translated. Read the interface direction and address terms carefully.

KKey Concepts to Remember

Static NAT maps one inside address to one outside address.
PAT allows many inside hosts to share one public address using ports.
Inside local and inside global describe the private and translated addresses.
NAT ACLs identify traffic for translation, not always security filtering.

TExam Day Tips

Identify inside and outside interfaces first.
Check whether the scenario needs static NAT, dynamic NAT or PAT.
Do not confuse NAT matching ACLs with normal packet-filtering intent.

Key takeaway

NAT direction and interface roles matter as much as the IP address mapping. Inside/outside designation controls which traffic is translated.

Real-world example

How this comes up in practice

A small business has 20 workstations on the 192.168.1.0/24 network and one public IP from its ISP. The router uses PAT (NAT overload) so all 20 devices share one public address using different source ports. NAT questions test whether you understand the four address terms and which direction each translation applies.

What to study next

Got this wrong? Here's your next step.

Review the four NAT address types (inside local, inside global, outside local, outside global), PAT port overload, and static vs dynamic NAT use cases. Then practise related 300-410 NAT questions on configuration and troubleshooting.

Related 300-410 practice-question pages

Use these pages to review the topic behind this question. This is how one missed question becomes focused revision.

Layer 3 Technologies practice questions

Practise 300-410 questions linked to Layer 3 Technologies.

EIGRP Troubleshooting practice questions

Practise 300-410 questions linked to EIGRP Troubleshooting.

OSPF Troubleshooting (v2/v3) practice questions

Practise 300-410 questions linked to OSPF Troubleshooting (v2/v3).

BGP Troubleshooting practice questions

Practise 300-410 questions linked to BGP Troubleshooting.

Route Redistribution practice questions

Practise 300-410 questions linked to Route Redistribution.

Policy-Based Routing (PBR) practice questions

Practise 300-410 questions linked to Policy-Based Routing (PBR).

VRF-Lite practice questions

Practise 300-410 questions linked to VRF-Lite.

Route Maps and Route Filtering practice questions

Practise 300-410 questions linked to Route Maps and Route Filtering.

Administrative Distance practice questions

Practise 300-410 questions linked to Administrative Distance.

Route Summarization practice questions

Practise 300-410 questions linked to Route Summarization.

Bidirectional Forwarding Detection (BFD) practice questions

Practise 300-410 questions linked to Bidirectional Forwarding Detection (BFD).

VPN Technologies practice questions

Practise 300-410 questions linked to VPN Technologies.

Practice this exam

Start a free 300-410 practice session

Short sessions build daily habit. Longer sessions build exam-day stamina. Try a timed session to simulate real conditions.

10 questions 20 questions 30 questions 50 questions Timed 30

300-410 practice-test guide →Study guide →Browse all practice tests

FAQ

Questions learners often ask

What does this 300-410 question test?

Network Logging and Syslog — This question tests Network Logging and Syslog — Static NAT maps one inside address to one outside address..

What is the correct answer to this question?

The correct answer is: The 'logging source-interface' is configured to an interface that is administratively down. — The 'show logging' output shows that syslog is enabled but no messages are being sent. A common reason is that the 'logging source-interface' is set to an interface that is down or not reachable, causing the router to use an incorrect source IP that the server may filter or that routing may not support. Alternatively, the server may be configured to accept messages only from specific source IPs.

What should I do if I get this 300-410 question wrong?

Are there clue words in this question I should notice?

Yes — watch for: "most likely". Probability qualifier — the question wants the most probable cause or outcome, not a guaranteed one. Eliminate low-probability options.

What is the key concept behind this question?

Static NAT maps one inside address to one outside address.

About these practice questions

Courseiva creates original exam-style practice questions with explanations and wrong-answer analysis. It does not publish real exam questions, exam dumps, or protected exam content. Learn why practice questions differ from exam dumps →

How Courseiva writes practice questions · Editorial policy

Keep practising

Question Discussion

Share a tip, memory trick, or ask about the reasoning behind this question. Do not post real exam questions, leaked content, braindumps, or copyrighted exam material. Comments are moderated and may be removed without notice.

Loading comments…

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.