hardMultiple Choice
300-410 Practice Question: Configures SNMP traps on router R3 to monitor BGP…
A network engineer configures SNMP traps on router R3 to monitor BGP events. R3 is an iBGP route reflector with multiple clients. The configuration includes: snmp-server enable traps bgp, snmp-server host 192.168.1.100 version 2c public. However, the NMS receives no BGP traps. R3's show snmp pending shows no pending traps. show snmp statistics shows TrapsSent: 0. The NMS can poll R3 successfully via SNMP. What is the root cause?
⚠ Common exam trap
Cisco often tests the misconception that `snmp-server enable traps bgp` alone is sufficient, when in fact the BGP process requires the additional `bgp snmp trap` command to generate the trap events.
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 BGP process is not configured to send traps to the SNMP agent; the command 'snmp-server enable traps bgp' is insufficient on some IOS versions without also enabling 'bgp snmp trap' under the BGP router configuration.
On many Cisco IOS versions, the command `snmp-server enable traps bgp` only enables the SNMP agent to send BGP traps, but the BGP process itself must be explicitly configured to generate those traps using the `bgp snmp trap` command under the BGP router configuration. Without this, the BGP process never sends trap notifications to the SNMP agent, resulting in zero traps sent despite the SNMP trap configuration being otherwise correct.
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 BGP process is not configured to send traps to the SNMP agent; the command 'snmp-server enable traps bgp' is insufficient on some IOS versions without also enabling 'bgp snmp trap' under the BGP router configuration.
Why this is correct
The root cause is a known IOS inconsistency: 'snmp-server enable traps bgp' globally permits the SNMP agent to send BGP traps to configured hosts, but on many IOS releases the BGP process itself must also be instructed to notify the agent of state changes. The command 'bgp snmp trap' (under router bgp) enables BGP notification generation for the agent to forward. Without this BGP-level command, the router will not generate BGP trap events, resulting in TrapsSent: 0 despite correct host configuration.
- ✗
The NMS is using SNMPv3 but the router is configured for v2c, causing trap rejection.
Why it's wrong here
Although SNMPv3 and v2c use different security models and an NMS configured for v3 would reject v2c traps, the router's trap host is explicitly configured for v2c and polling succeeds—proving SNMP access works. More importantly, the output shows TrapsSent: 0, meaning no traps have been generated by the router; a version mismatch would not prevent the trap counter from incrementing. Therefore, this option cannot explain the observed absence of outbound traps.
- ✗
An ACL on the NMS is blocking UDP port 162 from the router.
Why it's wrong here
An NMS firewall ACL blocking UDP port 162 would cause traps to be sent by the router but silently discarded before reaching the NMS. The counter 'TrapsSent: 0' directly proves the router is not generating any traps, so the problem is upstream in the trap production path, not delivery. Even if the ACL were blocking the port, the router would still show an increased TrapsSent statistic when a trap was emitted.
- ✗
The router's SNMP trap queue is full, causing traps to be dropped.
Why it's wrong here
A full SNMP trap queue would indicate that many traps have been generated and are awaiting delivery, but 'show snmp pending' reveals no pending traps, so the queue is uninterested. Additionally, 'TrapsSent: 0' shows that not a single trap has been sent, whereas a full queue scenario would normally follow a flapping session that generates hundreds of notifications. This option incorrectly assumes trap creation when the fundamental issue is that BGP traps are never generated.
Go deeper
Related to this question
Learn chapter
OSPF Route Summarization and Filtering
Key term
BGP Route Reflector
A BGP Route Reflector is a networking device that reduces the number of BGP peer connections needed in a large network by allowing routers to share routing information without needing to connect to every other router directly.
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Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
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