350-401 Network Assurance Practice Question
A network engineer is troubleshooting a Connectivity issue between two data center switches. The engineer suspects a physical layer problem and wants to verify the cable and interface status. Which command should be used to check the status of all interfaces, including the link state and speed?
⚠ Common exam trap
The trap here is assuming that 'show ip interface brief' provides the same information as 'show interfaces status', but the former is limited to Layer 3 and lacks speed/duplex details.
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
✓
show interfaces status
The 'show interfaces status' command is the correct choice because it provides a concise summary of all switch ports, including operational status, speed, duplex, and VLAN assignment. This allows the engineer to quickly identify any ports that are down or operating at incorrect speeds, which are common symptoms of physical layer problems.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
show running-config interface
Why it's wrong here
The 'show running-config interface' command displays the configuration of interfaces but does not show operational status, speed, or duplex. It is useful for verifying configured parameters but not for real-time physical layer troubleshooting, as it does not indicate whether the link is up or the actual negotiated speed.
- ✗
show ip interface brief
Why it's wrong here
While 'show ip interface brief' displays IP addresses and interface status (up/down), it is primarily used for Layer 3 interfaces and does not show speed, duplex, or VLAN information. It is less useful for verifying physical layer details on switch ports, especially when troubleshooting cable or speed issues.
- ✗
show mac address-table
Why it's wrong here
The 'show mac address-table' command displays MAC address to port mappings, which can help identify which devices are connected to which ports, but it does not provide interface status, speed, or duplex information. It is not suitable for diagnosing physical layer issues like cable faults or speed mismatches.
- ✓
show interfaces status
Why this is correct
The 'show interfaces status' command provides a summary of all interfaces, including their status (connected/notconnect), VLAN, duplex, speed, and type. This is ideal for quickly verifying physical layer connectivity and interface configuration on Cisco switches, as it displays the operational state and speed of each port.
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.