hardMultiple Choice
350-401 Practice Question: Runs the following command on Switch SW8: SW8#…
A network engineer runs the following command on Switch SW8:
SW8# show etherchannel 2 detail | include "Port state|Port: Gi|Partner"
Port: Gi0/0 Port state = Up, In-Bundle Port: Gi0/1 Port state = Up, In-Bundle Port: Gi0/2 Port state = Down, Not-In-Bundle Partner information: Gi0/0: Partner state = bndl Gi0/1: Partner state = bndl Gi0/2: Partner state = down
Based on this output, what can be concluded?
⚠ Common exam trap
A common mix-up: candidates assume 'Down' means the port is in a standby or backup role, but in EtherChannel, 'Down' always indicates a physical or link-level failure, not a standby state.
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
✓
Gi0/2 is not bundled because the partner is in 'down' state, indicating a physical layer issue.
The output shows that Gi0/2 is in 'Down, Not-In-Bundle' state and its partner state is 'down', which indicates a physical layer issue such as a bad cable, disabled port, or misconfiguration on the remote side. Since the port is down, it cannot participate in the EtherChannel bundle, confirming that only Gi0/0 and Gi0/1 are active and forwarding traffic.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
All three ports are bundled and forwarding traffic.
Why it's wrong here
The assumption that all three ports are actively forwarding is incorrect because the output clearly shows Gi0/2 in the 'Down' state while the other two ports are presumably in the 'bndl' state. In EtherChannel, only ports that are up at both the local and remote ends are eligible for bundling; a port with a local/partner state of 'Down' is excluded from the channel and carries no traffic. Therefore, the channel is operating with only two active ports, not three.
- ✓
Gi0/2 is not bundled because the partner is in 'down' state, indicating a physical layer issue.
Why this is correct
EtherChannel formation requires that both the local and partner ports be in an 'up' state; in the output, Gi0/2 shows both local and partner states as 'down', which is the classic symptom of a physical-layer failure—e.g., a bad cable, unplugged fiber, or administratively down interface. Since the partner cannot receive or transmit LACP/PAgP PDUs, the negotiation fails and the port is not added to the bundle. Thus, the root cause is a Layer 1 problem, not a configuration mismatch.
- ✗
The EtherChannel is using PAgP because the partner state shows 'bndl'.
Why it's wrong here
The string 'bndl' simply means the port is bundled into the EtherChannel, and it appears in the membership state for both LACP and PAgP—it does not identify the negotiation protocol. The protocol is defined in the 'show etherchannel summary' output under a header like 'Protocol' (LACP or PAgP), which is not displayed in the given snippet, so inferring PAgP from 'bndl' is unfounded. Without explicit protocol information, the channel could just as easily be using LACP.
- ✗
Gi0/2 is in standby mode waiting to become active.
Why it's wrong here
A standby state in EtherChannel only occurs when the channel is configured with a maximum-bundle limit and there are more eligible ports than the limit, causing excess ports to be placed in 'hot-standby'—these ports are fully operational and simply idle. In contrast, the output for Gi0/2 shows the state as 'Down', implying the interface is not physically up and cannot participate even as a standby. Since the port is down at Layer 1, it is not in standby; it is non-functional.
Quick reference
OSI Model Reference
| Layer | Name | PDU | Key Protocols / Devices |
|---|---|---|---|
| 7 | Application | Data | HTTP, HTTPS, DNS, SMTP, FTP, SSH |
| 6 | Presentation | Data | TLS / SSL, JPEG, ASCII encoding |
| 5 | Session | Data | NetBIOS, RPC, SIP |
| 4 | Transport | Segment / Datagram | TCP, UDP |
| 3 | Network | Packet | IP, ICMP, OSPF — Routers |
| 2 | Data Link | Frame | Ethernet, Wi-Fi, PPP — Switches, Bridges |
| 1 | Physical | Bits | Cables, NICs, Hubs, Repeaters |
Go deeper
Related to this question
About these practice questions
One of 1,923 original 350-401 practice questions on Courseiva, each with a full explanation and wrong-answer analysis — not exam dumps or protected exam content. Learn why practice questions differ from exam dumps →
JA
Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
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.