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300-410 Practice Question: Which TWO statements about RSPAN are true?…
Which TWO statements about RSPAN are true? (Choose TWO.)
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
✓
RSPAN uses a dedicated VLAN to carry monitored traffic between switches.
Option A is correct because RSPAN (Remote Switched Port Analyzer) works by defining a special RSPAN VLAN that carries the mirrored traffic across the network from the source switch to the destination switch, unlike local SPAN which stays within one device. Option B is correct because that RSPAN VLAN must be permitted on every trunk link along the path between the source and destination switches, otherwise the monitored frames cannot traverse the interswitch links and reach the destination port. Option C is incorrect because RSPAN does not use GRE encapsulation; GRE-based mirroring is associated with ERSPAN, which transports mirrored traffic over Layer 3 networks. Option D is incorrect because RSPAN does not require a dedicated monitoring server at the source switch; the source switch simply copies traffic into the RSPAN VLAN, and analysis is typically done at the destination switch. Option E is incorrect because RSPAN is specifically designed to extend SPAN across multiple switches, not to be limited to a single switch.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✓
RSPAN uses a dedicated VLAN to carry monitored traffic between switches.
Why this is correct
RSPAN carries mirrored frames across switches inside a dedicated VLAN, which transports the traffic over trunk links between source and destination switches. This VLAN isolates monitored traffic from normal user data, satisfying the requirement for inter-switch monitoring.
- ✓
The RSPAN VLAN must be allowed on all trunk links between the source and destination switches.
Why this is correct
RSPAN carries mirrored traffic inside a dedicated VLAN, so that VLAN must be permitted across every trunk in the Layer 2 path from source to destination. If any intermediate trunk prunes or blocks it, mirrored frames never reach the destination switch, breaking the session.
- ✗
RSPAN encapsulates traffic in GRE headers for transport across Layer 3 networks.
Why it's wrong here
RSPAN carries mirrored traffic over a dedicated VLAN across Layer 2 switches; it does not encapsulate frames in GRE. It is tempting because ERSPAN, the analogous remote-mirroring feature, does use GRE for Layer 3 transport, which is the scenario where that encapsulation applies.
- ✗
RSPAN requires a dedicated monitoring server at the source switch.
Why it's wrong here
RSPAN carries mirrored traffic over a VLAN across switches; no monitoring server sits at the source, only the destination switch forwards to the analyser. It is tempting because local SPAN does terminate at a directly attached monitoring host, which is the correct design when source and analyser share one switch.
- ✗
RSPAN can only be configured on a single switch.
Why it's wrong here
RSPAN is designed to extend a source session across multiple switches through a dedicated RSPAN VLAN, so single-switch limitation is false. It is tempting because local SPAN is confined to one switch, which is the scenario where that restriction genuinely applies.
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Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
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.