easyMultiple Choice
300-410 Practice Question: In MPLS L3VPN, what is the default behavior when…
In MPLS L3VPN, what is the default behavior when a PE router receives a VPNv4 route with a Route Target that does not match any import RT on any VRF?
⚠ Common exam trap
Candidates often confuse 'not installed in a VRF' with 'discarded'; candidates often assume that an unmatched RT causes the route to be dropped entirely, when in fact it remains in the BGP table.
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 route is stored in the BGP table but not installed in any VRF routing table.
In MPLS L3VPN, a PE router receives VPNv4 routes via MP-BGP and evaluates the Route Target (RT) extended community against the import RTs configured on each VRF. If no VRF has a matching import RT, the route remains in the BGP table (the VPNv4 RIB) but is not imported into any VRF routing table, so it is not used for forwarding. This is the default behavior: the route is not discarded, but it is also not installed anywhere.
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 route is stored in the BGP table but not installed in any VRF routing table.
Why this is correct
Route Target import matching controls VRF installation, not BGP propagation. A VPNv4 route whose RT matches no VRF's import target remains valid in the BGP table but is never imported into any VRF routing table, so it is not used for forwarding.
- ✗
The route is discarded and not stored in the BGP table.
Why it's wrong here
The route remains in the BGP table; it is simply not imported into any VRF because no import RT matches. Discarding it entirely would require a policy such as a route-target filter or inbound route-map denying it, which is not default behaviour.
- ✗
The route is installed in the global routing table.
Why it's wrong here
Unmatched VPNv4 routes are held in the BGP table but never imported into any VRF, so they never reach the global routing table; VPNv4 NLRI is not installed there by default. Global-table installation would occur only with explicit route leaking or an import into the global VRF context.
- ✗
The route is advertised to all other PEs.
Why it's wrong here
A PE advertises VPNv4 routes learned from its attached VRFs, not routes whose Route Target matches no local import RT. Such routes stay in the BGP table unimported and are not propagated onward. Advertising to all PEs would require the route to be imported into a VRF first.
Go deeper
Related to this question
Learn chapter
ACL-Based Traffic Filtering and Policy-Based Routing
Key term
MPLS Layer 3 VPN
A technology that uses Multiprotocol Label Switching to create secure, scalable virtual private networks that connect multiple sites at the network layer, where the service provider manages routing between customer sites.
Key term
MP-BGP for VPN
MP-BGP for VPN is an extension of the Border Gateway Protocol that carries multiple types of network layer information to enable scalable, isolated virtual private networks over a shared provider infrastructure.
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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.