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

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

This 300-410 practice question tests your understanding of policy-based routing (pbr). 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.

A network engineer is troubleshooting PBR on a Cisco router where traffic from subnet 10.10.10.0/24 should be forwarded to next-hop 192.168.100.2. The route map 'PBR-10' is configured with 'match ip address 130' and 'set ip next-hop 192.168.100.2'. The engineer applies the route map to interface GigabitEthernet0/0. The engineer notices that PBR is not working, and the router is dropping packets instead of forwarding them. The engineer checks the ACL 130 and confirms it matches 10.10.10.0/24. 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

Study the full ACL explanation →

A
The route map has a deny statement that matches the traffic, causing packets to be dropped.
Correct because a deny statement in the route map will cause the router to drop the packet if no other permit statement matches.
B
The next-hop 192.168.100.2 is unreachable, and PBR drops packets when the next-hop is down.
Why wrong: Incorrect because by default, if the next-hop is unreachable, PBR falls back to the routing table; it does not drop packets.
C
The 'ip policy route-map' command is applied to the wrong interface, and the router is dropping packets due to ACL filtering.
Why wrong: Incorrect because if applied to the wrong interface, PBR would not be evaluated; dropping would be due to other ACLs, not PBR.
D
The ACL 130 is missing the 'permit' keyword, causing all traffic to be denied.
Why wrong: Incorrect because if the ACL denies traffic, the route map would not match, and PBR would not apply; the router would use the routing table, not drop packets.

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 route map has a deny statement that matches the traffic, causing packets to be dropped.

If PBR is dropping packets, it could be because the next-hop is unreachable and the route map has a 'set ip next-hop' command that fails, causing the router to drop the packet if no fallback is configured. However, by default, if the next-hop is unreachable, the router should use the routing table. But if the route map has a 'set ip next-hop' with 'verify-availability' and the next-hop is down, the router may drop the packet. Another possibility is that the route map has a 'deny' statement that drops traffic. The most likely cause is that the route map has a 'deny' statement that matches the traffic, causing it to be dropped.

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 has a deny statement that matches the traffic, causing packets to be dropped.
Why this is correct
Correct because a deny statement in the route map will cause the router to drop the packet if no other permit statement matches.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "most likely" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
CIDR notation defines the prefix length.
✗
The next-hop 192.168.100.2 is unreachable, and PBR drops packets when the next-hop is down.
Why it's wrong here
Incorrect because by default, if the next-hop is unreachable, PBR falls back to the routing table; it does not drop packets.
✗
The 'ip policy route-map' command is applied to the wrong interface, and the router is dropping packets due to ACL filtering.
Why it's wrong here
Incorrect because if applied to the wrong interface, PBR would not be evaluated; dropping would be due to other ACLs, not PBR.
✗
The ACL 130 is missing the 'permit' keyword, causing all traffic to be denied.
Why it's wrong here
Incorrect because if the ACL denies traffic, the route map would not match, and PBR would not apply; the router would use the routing table, not drop packets.

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 route map has a deny statement that matches the traffic, causing packets to be dropped. — If PBR is dropping packets, it could be because the next-hop is unreachable and the route map has a 'set ip next-hop' command that fails, causing the router to drop the packet if no fallback is configured. However, by default, if the next-hop is unreachable, the router should use the routing table. But if the route map has a 'set ip next-hop' with 'verify-availability' and the next-hop is down, the router may drop the packet. Another possibility is that the route map has a 'deny' statement that drops traffic. The most likely cause is that the route map has a 'deny' statement that matches the traffic, causing it to be dropped.

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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