The correct answer is that the command creates a summary route 10.0.0.0/8 with an administrative distance of 5, advertised out GigabitEthernet0/0. The key technical concept here is that the final number in the `ip summary-address eigrp` command is not a metric but the administrative distance for the resulting summary route, overriding the default EIGRP administrative distance of 90 for internal routes. On the ENCOR 350-401 exam, this tests your ability to distinguish between metric and administrative distance parameters in EIGRP summarization, a common trap where candidates mistakenly interpret the trailing value as a metric or hop count. The summary is generated automatically as long as the router has at least one more specific route within the 10.0.0.0/8 range, regardless of the network statements configured. A helpful memory tip: think of the number after the mask as the "distance" you set for the summary to be preferred—lower is better, just like any administrative distance.
350-401 Enterprise Network Design Practice Question
This 350-401 practice question tests your understanding of enterprise network design. This is a configuration task: choose the command set that satisfies every stated requirement. Small differences — like 'secret' vs 'password' or 'transport input ssh' vs 'all' — change whether the answer is correct. After answering, compare your reasoning against the explanation and wrong-answer breakdown below. Once you have made your selection, read the full explanation to reinforce the concept and understand why each distractor is designed to mislead on exam day.
Given the following configuration:
router eigrp TEST
network 10.0.0.0 0.255.255.255
network 192.168.1.0
!
interface GigabitEthernet0/0
ip address 10.1.1.1 255.255.255.0
ip summary-address eigrp TEST 10.0.0.0 255.0.0.0 5
What is the effect of the ip summary-address command?
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
It creates a summary route 10.0.0.0/8 with a metric of 5, advertised out GigabitEthernet0/0.
The `ip summary-address eigrp TEST 10.0.0.0 255.0.0.0 5` command creates a summary route of 10.0.0.0/8 with an administrative distance of 5, which is advertised out of GigabitEthernet0/0. The EIGRP process name TEST matches the router eigrp configuration, and the summary is generated regardless of the network statements, as long as the router has a more specific route within the summarized range.
Key principle: Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
✓
It creates a summary route 10.0.0.0/8 with a metric of 5, advertised out GigabitEthernet0/0.
Why this is correct
The summary address is 10.0.0.0/8, and the value 5 is the administrative distance for the summary route.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
It creates a summary route 10.0.0.0/8 with a metric of 5, but only for the EIGRP process named TEST.
The command is invalid because the summary address must match the network statement exactly.
Why it's wrong here
The summary address can be a supernet of the network statement; this is valid.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
Cisco often tests the misconception that the number after the summary address is a metric or hop count, when in fact it is the administrative distance for the summary route.
Trap categories for this question
Command / output trap
The command is correct, but the metric value is actually the administrative distance, not the metric.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
The `ip summary-address` command in EIGRP creates a local summary route that is advertised as a single route instead of multiple more-specific routes, reducing routing table size and improving convergence. The administrative distance value (5 in this case) is used to prefer this summary over other routes to the same destination, and it is applied only to the summary route, not to the component routes. In real-world scenarios, this is often used to create a null0 summary to prevent routing loops in discontiguous networks.
KKey Concepts to Remember
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Find the constraint that changes the correct option.
Eliminate answers that are true in general but not in this case.
TExam Day Tips
→Watch for words such as best, first, most likely and least administrative effort.
→Review why wrong options are wrong, not only why the correct option is correct.
Key takeaway
Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Real-world example
How this comes up in practice
A practitioner preparing for the 350-401 exam encounters this exact type of scenario on the job. The correct answer here is not the most general option — it is the best answer for the specific constraint described. Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option. Real exam questions reward reading the full scenario before eliminating options, because the constraint defines which answer fits.
Related glossary terms
Concepts from this question explained
These glossary pages explain the core terms tested in this 350-401 question in full detail.
Enterprise Network Design — This question tests Enterprise Network Design — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: It creates a summary route 10.0.0.0/8 with a metric of 5, advertised out GigabitEthernet0/0. — The `ip summary-address eigrp TEST 10.0.0.0 255.0.0.0 5` command creates a summary route of 10.0.0.0/8 with an administrative distance of 5, which is advertised out of GigabitEthernet0/0. The EIGRP process name TEST matches the router eigrp configuration, and the summary is generated regardless of the network statements, as long as the router has a more specific route within the summarized range.
What should I do if I get this 350-401 question wrong?
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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Question Discussion
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