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300-410 Practice Question: When using 'set ip next-hop verify-availability',…
When using 'set ip next-hop verify-availability', what mechanism does the router use to determine if the next-hop is reachable?
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
✓
It uses a tracked object that can be based on IP SLA, interface state, or other criteria.
The 'verify-availability' option uses a tracked object (configured with the 'track' command) which can be based on IP SLA, interface line-protocol, or other criteria. It does not use ARP or ICMP by default.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
It sends an ICMP echo request to the next-hop every 10 seconds.
Why it's wrong here
The verify-availability keyword relies on a tracked object, typically an IP SLA probe, to signal next-hop reachability; the router does not generate its own ICMP echo requests on a fixed ten-second timer. ICMP tracking is tempting because ping does test reachability, but it must be configured explicitly as the tracked operation.
- ✗
It checks the ARP table for the next-hop MAC address.
Why it's wrong here
The ARP table only confirms Layer 2 resolution, not whether the next-hop address is reachable through the routing table. The feature uses ICMP or object tracking instead; ARP checking is what 'set ip next-hop verify-availability' does not perform.
- ✓
It uses a tracked object that can be based on IP SLA, interface state, or other criteria.
Why this is correct
Verify-availability does not rely on ARP or routing-table presence alone; it binds the next hop to a tracked object. That object's state derives from IP SLA probes, interface line protocol, or other track criteria, so the route is withdrawn when the tracked condition fails.
- ✗
It performs a recursive routing table lookup to see if the next-hop is reachable.
Why it's wrong here
A recursive routing table lookup only confirms a route exists, not that the next-hop device is actually alive. The feature instead uses ICMP ping or object tracking to test reachability, so a recursive lookup would be the choice for resolving a next-hop address.
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Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
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