Question 1,178 of 2,152

Policy-Based Routing (PBR) →hardMultiple ChoiceObjective-mapped

Quick Answer

The answer is that the router is generating the traffic locally, and PBR does not apply to locally originated packets without the ip local policy route-map command. Policy-based routing by default only influences transit traffic—packets that enter the router through an interface and are forwarded out another. When a router itself sources a packet, such as from a ping or management application, that packet is considered locally generated and bypasses the interface-level route-map entirely. This is a classic trap on the Cisco CCNP ENARSI 300-410 exam, testing your understanding of the distinction between transit and local traffic in PBR. The exam often presents a scenario where a ping from the router fails to follow the policy, leading candidates to overlook the need for global application. Remember the mnemonic: “Transit gets the map, local needs the lap”—meaning local traffic requires the ip local policy route-map command to be applied globally.

300-410 Policy-Based Routing (PBR) Practice Question

This 300-410 practice question tests your understanding of policy-based routing (pbr). This is a configuration task: choose the command set that satisfies every stated requirement. Small differences — like 'secret' vs 'password' or 'transport input ssh' vs 'all' — change whether the answer is correct. 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.

A network engineer configures PBR on a router to route traffic from subnet 10.1.1.0/24 via next-hop 192.168.1.2. The route-map uses match ip address and set ip next-hop commands. However, traffic sourced from 10.1.1.5 still follows the routing table instead of the PBR policy. 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

Review the full subnetting walkthrough →

A
The route-map is applied to the wrong interface (outbound instead of inbound).
Why wrong: PBR is applied inbound; applying outbound would not affect incoming traffic.
B
The router is generating the traffic locally (e.g., ping from the router), and PBR does not apply to local packets without 'ip local policy route-map'.
Local packets require 'ip local policy route-map' to be influenced by PBR.
C
The ACL in the route-map is missing a permit statement for subnet 10.1.1.0/24.
Why wrong: If the ACL were missing, no traffic would match, but the symptom points to local traffic.
D
The next-hop 192.168.1.2 is not reachable via any directly connected interface.
Why wrong: Unreachable next-hop would cause PBR to fall back to routing table, but the issue is specific to local traffic.

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 router is generating the traffic locally (e.g., ping from the router), and PBR does not apply to local packets without 'ip local policy route-map'.

PBR processes only transit traffic; locally generated packets (e.g., from the router itself) are not affected by PBR unless the 'ip local policy route-map' command is used. The engineer must apply PBR globally for local packets.

Key principle: Count usable hosts — not total addresses — and remember that the network and broadcast addresses are not available to hosts in standard IPv4 subnets.

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-map is applied to the wrong interface (outbound instead of inbound).
Why it's wrong here
PBR is applied inbound; applying outbound would not affect incoming traffic.
✓
The router is generating the traffic locally (e.g., ping from the router), and PBR does not apply to local packets without 'ip local policy route-map'.
Why this is correct
Local packets require 'ip local policy route-map' to be influenced by PBR.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "most likely" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
CIDR notation defines the prefix length.
✗
The ACL in the route-map is missing a permit statement for subnet 10.1.1.0/24.
Why it's wrong here
If the ACL were missing, no traffic would match, but the symptom points to local traffic.
✗
The next-hop 192.168.1.2 is not reachable via any directly connected interface.
Why it's wrong here
Unreachable next-hop would cause PBR to fall back to routing table, but the issue is specific to local traffic.

Common exam traps

Common exam trap: usable hosts are not the same as total addresses

Subnetting questions often tempt you into counting all addresses. In normal IPv4 subnets, the network and broadcast addresses are not usable host addresses.

Detailed technical explanation

How to think about this question

Subnetting questions test whether you can identify the network, broadcast address, usable range, mask and correct subnet. Slow down enough to calculate the block size correctly.

KKey Concepts to Remember

CIDR notation defines the prefix length.
Block size helps identify subnet boundaries.
Network and broadcast addresses are not usable hosts in normal IPv4 subnets.
The required host count determines the smallest suitable subnet.

TExam Day Tips

Write the block size before choosing the subnet.
Check whether the question asks for hosts, subnets or a specific address range.
Do not confuse /24, /25, /26 and /27 host counts.

Key takeaway

Count usable hosts — not total addresses — and remember that the network and broadcast addresses are not available to hosts in standard IPv4 subnets.

Real-world example

How this comes up in practice

A security administrator must allow nursing staff to reach a patient records server while blocking access from the guest Wi-Fi VLAN. After applying an extended ACL, traffic is still blocked from nursing workstations. The ACL was applied outbound instead of inbound on the wrong interface. Questions like this test ACL direction and placement rules.

What to study next

Got this wrong? Here's your next step.

Review block sizes, usable host formulas (2^n − 2), and how to find network and broadcast addresses for /24 through /30. Then practise related 300-410 subnetting questions on CIDR, address ranges, and subnet selection.

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FAQ

Questions learners often ask

What does this 300-410 question test?

Policy-Based Routing (PBR) — This question tests Policy-Based Routing (PBR) — CIDR notation defines the prefix length..

What is the correct answer to this question?

The correct answer is: The router is generating the traffic locally (e.g., ping from the router), and PBR does not apply to local packets without 'ip local policy route-map'. — PBR processes only transit traffic; locally generated packets (e.g., from the router itself) are not affected by PBR unless the 'ip local policy route-map' command is used. The engineer must apply PBR globally for local packets.

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?

CIDR notation defines the prefix length.

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