mediumMultiple Choice
300-410 Practice Question: Which statement about PBR and the 'set interface'…
Which statement about PBR and the 'set interface' command is correct?
⚠ Common exam trap
The trap is assuming 'set interface' behaves like 'set ip next-hop' and falls back to the routing table when the interface fails — in reality, it drops the packet, which is a common cause of silent traffic loss in PBR deployments.
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 'set interface' command forces the packet out the specified interface, and if the interface is down, the packet is dropped.
The 'set interface' command in a PBR route-map forces matched packets out a specific egress interface regardless of the routing table. Unlike 'set ip next-hop', which relies on recursive lookup and can fall back to the RIB if the next-hop is unreachable, 'set interface' is a hard directive: if the referenced interface is down or not up/up, the packet is dropped rather than being routed normally. This makes it useful for strict path selection but risky in environments with flapping links.
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 'set interface' command can only be used with point-to-point interfaces.
Why it's wrong here
'set interface' works with any routable interface type, including multi-access and loopback, not only point-to-point links. It is tempting because point-to-point interfaces give an unambiguous next hop, and restricting the command to them would be correct if the syntax required a peer address, but the command takes an interface name.
- ✗
If the specified interface is down, the router uses the routing table.
Why it's wrong here
With 'set interface', if the specified interface is down the route is simply not installed, so the packet is dropped rather than falling back to the routing table. It is tempting because routing-table fallback resembles normal recursive lookup behaviour, and that fallback would apply to 'set ip next-hop' with reachability tracking, not to interface-based PBR.
- ✗
The 'set interface' command requires a next-hop IP address to be specified.
Why it's wrong here
PBR's 'set interface' forwards matching traffic out a named interface without requiring a next-hop address, so this claim misstates the syntax. It is tempting because 'set ip next-hop' does need an address, and that command is the right choice when you must steer traffic to a specific adjacent router rather than merely an egress link.
- ✓
The 'set interface' command forces the packet out the specified interface, and if the interface is down, the packet is dropped.
Why this is correct
Policy-based routing with 'set interface' overrides the routing table, directing matched traffic out the named interface. Because forwarding depends on that interface being operational, a down interface causes the packet to be dropped rather than rerouted.
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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.