mediumMultiple Choice
300-410 Practice Question: Which statement about the SPAN destination port…
Which statement about the SPAN destination port behavior is correct?
⚠ Common exam trap
The trap here is assuming that SPAN destination ports behave like normal switch ports, leading candidates to think they participate in STP or can be easily repurposed. The exam tests the specific behavior that SPAN destination ports are excluded from STP and operate in a forwarding state by default.
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 SPAN destination port is automatically placed in a forwarding state and does not run STP.
The SPAN destination port is designed to receive a copy of traffic from source ports or VLANs. By default, it does not participate in normal switching, including Spanning Tree Protocol (STP). It is placed in a forwarding state and does not run STP to avoid interfering with the mirrored traffic. This behavior ensures that the destination port can receive mirrored packets without being blocked by STP or causing loops.
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 SPAN destination port operates in full-duplex mode by default.
Why it's wrong here
A SPAN destination port transmits copied traffic only and is administratively forced to one direction, so full duplex cannot apply. It is tempting because ordinary access ports auto-negotiate duplex with their link partner. Full duplex would be correct for a standard host-facing access port carrying bidirectional user traffic.
- ✗
The SPAN destination port can participate in Spanning Tree Protocol (STP) if configured.
Why it's wrong here
SPAN destination ports are excluded from STP; they do not send or process BPDUs, so they cannot participate. The temptation arises because ordinary switch ports run STP by default. STP participation would be the correct answer for a normal access or trunk port forwarding production traffic.
- ✓
The SPAN destination port is automatically placed in a forwarding state and does not run STP.
Why this is correct
A SPAN destination port is excluded from the normal switching and Spanning Tree topology: it is placed in a forwarding state immediately and does not participate in STP, so mirrored traffic is not disrupted by topology convergence or blocked by STP states.
- ✗
The SPAN destination port can be used as a normal switch port after removing the SPAN configuration.
Why it's wrong here
Removing the monitor session does not restore a destination port to normal switching; it stays shut down until you manually re-enable it with no shutdown and reconfigure it. The temptation is assuming configuration removal reverts behaviour. Reuse as a normal port is correct only after that explicit re-enabling.
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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
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