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350-401 Practice Question: Which two statements about EtherChannel load…
Which two statements about EtherChannel load balancing are true? (Choose two.)
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
✓
The default load-balancing method on Cisco switches is typically based on source MAC address.
EtherChannel load balancing can use source and/or destination MAC or IP addresses to determine which physical link to use for a given frame. The default method varies by platform but often uses source MAC. The hash is computed per frame, not per packet, and the algorithm is deterministic for a given flow to prevent reordering.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✓
The default load-balancing method on Cisco switches is typically based on source MAC address.
Why this is correct
Correct because many Cisco switches default to src-mac for Layer 2 EtherChannels.
- ✗
Load balancing is performed on a per-packet basis to evenly distribute traffic across all links.
Why it's wrong here
Incorrect because load balancing is per-flow (based on a hash of selected fields), not per-packet, to avoid packet reordering.
- ✓
The load-balancing algorithm can be changed to use both source and destination IP addresses.
Why this is correct
Correct because the 'port-channel load-balance src-dst-ip' command configures this method.
- ✗
The load-balancing method applies only to inbound traffic on the EtherChannel.
Why it's wrong here
Incorrect because the load-balancing decision is made for outbound traffic on the EtherChannel interface.
- ✗
Load balancing can be based on Layer 4 port numbers without also using IP addresses.
Why it's wrong here
Incorrect because the switch must use at least Layer 3 information if Layer 4 is selected; pure Layer 4 hashing is not supported.
Quick reference
Access Control Model Comparison
| Model | Acronym | Who Controls Access? | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| Discretionary Access Control | DAC | Resource owner | Small teams, file shares |
| Mandatory Access Control | MAC | System / security labels | Classified govt / military |
| Role-Based Access Control | RBAC | Administrator (via roles) | Enterprise environments |
| Attribute-Based Access Control | ABAC | Policy engine (user + resource attributes) | Fine-grained, dynamic policies |
| Rule-Based Access Control | RuBAC | System rules / ACLs | Firewall rules, network ACLs |
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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.