350-401 Infrastructure Practice Question
A network engineer is configuring OSPF on a Cisco router. The router is connected to a broadcast network with multiple OSPF neighbors. The engineer wants to ensure that this router does not become the Designated Router (DR) or Backup Designated Router (BDR) on this network. Which configuration achieves this goal?
⚠ Common exam trap
Test-takers frequently confuse DR election manipulation with other OSPF features like stub routing or passive interfaces, which have different purposes.
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
✓
Set the OSPF priority to 0 on the interface.
The OSPF priority is an 8-bit field in the Hello packet used in DR/BDR election. A router with priority 0 is never elected as DR or BDR. Setting the interface priority to 0 achieves the goal while allowing the router to remain a DROTHER and fully participate in OSPF. Other methods like changing network type or making the interface passive have side effects that are not desired.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✓
Set the OSPF priority to 0 on the interface.
Why this is correct
Setting the OSPF priority to 0 on an interface prevents that router from being elected as DR or BDR. The priority value is used in the DR election process; routers with priority 0 are ineligible. This is the correct method to ensure the router does not become DR or BDR while still participating in OSPF on that network.
- ✗
Set the OSPF network type to point-to-point.
Why it's wrong here
Changing the OSPF network type to point-to-point eliminates the DR/BDR election entirely because point-to-point networks do not have a DR or BDR. However, this changes the network type and may not be appropriate if the network is truly broadcast. The requirement is to prevent this router from becoming DR/BDR while keeping the broadcast network type. This option alters the network type, which is not desired.
- ✗
Configure the interface as passive.
Why it's wrong here
Making the interface passive stops OSPF from sending and receiving Hello packets on that interface, effectively disabling OSPF neighbor formation. This would prevent the router from participating in OSPF on that network at all, which is not the goal. The router should still form adjacencies and exchange routes, just not become DR or BDR.
- ✗
Configure the router as a stub router.
Why it's wrong here
Configuring the router as a stub router (using the max-metric router-lsa command) affects the router's link-state advertisements by advertising a high metric, but it does not prevent the router from becoming DR or BDR. Stub routing is used to avoid transit traffic, not to influence DR election. Therefore, this does not achieve the desired goal.
Visual reference
Quick reference
Routing Protocol Comparison
| Protocol | Metric | Max Hops | Algorithm | Type |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| RIP v2 | Hop count | 15 | Bellman-Ford | Distance vector |
| OSPF | Cost (bandwidth) | Unlimited | Dijkstra (SPF) | Link state |
| EIGRP | Composite metric | Unlimited | DUAL | Hybrid |
| IS-IS | Cost | Unlimited | Dijkstra | Link state |
| BGP | Policy / attributes | Unlimited | Path vector | Path vector |
RIP's 15-hop limit makes it unsuitable for large networks. OSPF and EIGRP dominate modern enterprise deployments.
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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.