hardMultiple Choice
350-401 Practice Question: Issues the following command on Router R9: R9#…
A network engineer issues the following command on Router R9:
R9# show ip pim bsr-router
PIMv2 Bootstrap Router (BSR) information This system is the Bootstrap Router (BSR) BSR address: 10.0.0.11 Uptime: 1w2d, BSR priority: 0, Hash mask length: 30 Next bootstrap message in 00:00:45
Based on this output, what can be concluded?
⚠ Common exam trap
Cisco often tests the distinction between a candidate BSR and the elected BSR, where candidates may misinterpret the phrase 'This system is the Bootstrap Router (BSR)' as merely indicating participation in the election process rather than confirming election.
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
✓
This router is the elected BSR.
The output explicitly states 'This system is the Bootstrap Router (BSR)', which means the router on which the command was issued is the elected BSR for the PIM domain. The BSR address of 10.0.0.11 confirms this is the router's own IP address, and the uptime of 1 week 2 days indicates it has been functioning as the BSR for an extended period, further solidifying its elected status.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✓
This router is the elected BSR.
Why this is correct
The command output's explicit statement 'This system is the Bootstrap Router' verifies that this router has won the BSR election and currently serves as the elected BSR for the PIM domain. As the elected BSR, it is responsible for originating Bootstrap messages that advertise the RP set to all other PIM routers. A candidate BSR alone would not generate this output phrase; the router must have the active BSR role.
- ✗
This router is a candidate BSR but not elected.
Why it's wrong here
If this router were merely a candidate BSR, the output would report 'This system is a Candidate BSR' or show no elected BSR. Instead, the output directly states it is the Bootstrap Router, meaning the election has already concluded and this router won. A candidate that lost would still be configured with `ip pim bsr-candidate` but would not be identified as the BSR in the output, and the message would indicate 'Candidate' status.
- ✗
The BSR priority is 192.
Why it's wrong here
The BSR priority in the output is displayed with a value of 0, not 192. In PIM BSR election, priority is advertised in the BSR message; a value of 0 means the default lowest priority, and if all candidates have priority 0, the highest IP address breaks the tie. A priority of 192 would be an explicit configuration via `ip pim bsr-candidate` with `priority 192` and would be reflected in the output, but this output clearly shows zero.
- ✗
The hash mask length is 32.
Why it's wrong here
The output specifies a hash mask length of 30 bits, not 32. This mask length controls how many bits of the multicast group address are used in the RP hash function; a value of 30 gives a smaller hash space than 32, which would use the entire 32-bit group address. If the mask length were 32, the output would read 'Hash mask length: 32', but here it is explicitly 30, so the claim is factually incorrect.
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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.