350-401 Architecture Practice Question
A network architect is deploying a Cisco SD-WAN fabric with a single data center and 40 branch sites. The design requires that all branch sites use a single IPsec tunnel to reach the data center VPN concentrator, and that traffic between branches must transit the data center rather than form direct site-to-site tunnels. Which Cisco SD-WAN topology should the architect select?
⚠ Common exam trap
The trap here is assuming that more direct tunnels always improve performance, when the design explicitly requires all inter-branch traffic to transit the data center.
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
✓
Hub-and-spoke
The requirement that every branch hold one tunnel to the data center and that branch-to-branch traffic be hairpinned through the hub is the defining characteristic of a hub-and-spoke SD-WAN topology. Full and partial mesh topologies deliberately create direct spoke-to-spoke tunnels, which would bypass the VPN concentrator and contradict the stated design.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✓
Hub-and-spoke
Why this is correct
With a hub-and-spoke topology, each branch (spoke) establishes tunnels only to the data center (hub), and inter-branch traffic is hairpinned through the hub. This matches the requirement that all branches use a single IPsec tunnel to the VPN concentrator and that branch-to-branch traffic transits the data center.
- ✗
Point-to-point
Why it's wrong here
Point-to-point describes a single tunnel between exactly two endpoints and is not a scalable SD-WAN fabric topology for 40 branches plus a data center. It cannot express the hub-based forwarding behavior the architect needs, so it fails the requirement for spoke-to-hub tunneling.
- ✗
Full mesh
Why it's wrong here
A full-mesh topology would build direct tunnels between every branch and every other branch, which contradicts the requirement that branches reach one another only through the data center. It also scales poorly here, since 40 spokes would need many tunnels each, increasing control-plane and IPsec overhead.
- ✗
Partial mesh
Why it's wrong here
Partial mesh creates direct tunnels between selected sites based on policy, so some branch-to-branch traffic would bypass the data center. That violates the stated design goal that inter-branch traffic must transit the hub, and it adds complexity without satisfying the single-tunnel-per-branch requirement.
Quick reference
VPN Protocol Comparison
| Protocol | Port | Encryption | Authentication | Use Case |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| IKEv2 / IPsec | UDP 500 / 4500 | AES-256 | Certificates / PSK | Site-to-site & remote access |
| SSL / TLS VPN | TCP 443 | TLS 1.3 | Certificates / MFA | Clientless remote access |
| L2TP / IPsec | UDP 1701 | AES (IPsec) | PSK / Certificates | Legacy remote access |
| WireGuard | UDP 51820 | ChaCha20 | Public keys | Modern high-performance VPN |
| PPTP | TCP 1723 | MPPE (weak) | MS-CHAPv2 | Legacy — avoid in production |
PPTP is considered insecure. IKEv2/IPsec and SSL VPN are the current recommended options.
Go deeper
Related to this question
Learn chapter
SDN Controllers and Cisco ACI
Key term
IPsec Tunnel
An IPsec tunnel is a secure, encrypted connection between two network devices that protects data as it travels across the internet or another untrusted network.
Key term
Cisco SD-WAN
Cisco SD-WAN is a software-defined wide area network architecture that separates the control and data planes to centrally manage and optimize traffic across multiple WAN connections.
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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 350-401 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 350-401 exam.