easyMultiple Choice
300-410 Practice Question: The default transport protocol used by NetFlow…
What is the default transport protocol used by NetFlow exporters on Cisco IOS-XE?
⚠ Common exam trap
300-410 often tests the assumption that reliable transport (TCP) is always preferred, but NetFlow's default UDP reflects its loss-tolerant, high-volume nature — candidates who assume TCP get this wrong.
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
✓
UDP
NetFlow exporters on Cisco IOS-XE use UDP as the default transport protocol, typically sending flow records to a collector on UDP port 2055 (or 9995/9996 depending on configuration). UDP is chosen because flow export is high-volume and loss-tolerant — if a flow record is lost, the next one will arrive shortly, so the overhead of TCP's reliability mechanisms is unnecessary.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
TCP
Why it's wrong here
TCP's connection setup and retransmission overhead are not used by default NetFlow exporters on IOS-XE, which send unacknowledged UDP datagrams. TCP is genuinely used where guaranteed delivery of telemetry matters, such as some streaming telemetry or syslog configurations, rather than default flow export.
- ✓
UDP
Why this is correct
NetFlow version 9 and IPFIX exporters on Cisco IOS-XE send flow records over UDP to the collector, defaulting to destination port 2055. UDP's connectionless, low-overhead delivery suits high-volume unidirectional telemetry, satisfying the stem's default transport requirement without TCP session state or retransmission delays.
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SCTP
Why it's wrong here
SCTP provides multi-homing and message-oriented delivery for telephony signalling, but Cisco IOS-XE NetFlow exporters default to UDP. SCTP is genuinely used for SS7 and Diameter transport, and would be correct where reliable, multi-homed signalling transport is required rather than flow telemetry.
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ICMP
Why it's wrong here
ICMP carries diagnostic messages such as echo requests and unreachable notifications, not flow records; NetFlow exports over UDP by default. ICMP is genuinely used for reachability testing and path MTU discovery, and would be the right protocol when troubleshooting whether an exporter's management address is reachable.
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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.