mediumMultiple Choice
350-401 Practice Question: Examine this DHCP configuration: ``` service dhcp…
Examine this DHCP configuration: ```
service dhcp ip dhcp pool POOL2 network 10.20.20.0 255.255.255.0
default-router 10.20.20.1 lease infinite ``` What is the effect of the 'lease infinite' command?
⚠ Common exam trap
Many candidates think 'infinite' is an invalid or unsupported keyword, confusing it with the common misconception that Cisco DHCP only accepts numeric lease values, when in fact 'infinite' is a legitimate Cisco IOS parameter.
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
✓
Clients will receive an infinite lease and never need to renew.
The 'lease infinite' command in a Cisco DHCP pool configuration sets the lease duration to never expire, meaning clients will not need to renew their IP addresses. This is a valid Cisco IOS command that overrides the default lease time of 1 day, and DHCP clients will treat the lease as having an infinite lifetime, so they will not attempt renewal.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✓
Clients will receive an infinite lease and never need to renew.
Why this is correct
The `ip dhcp pool` command `lease infinite` explicitly configures the DHCP server to assign an address with no expiration time. Because the lease never expires, the client never needs to send a DHCPREQUEST to renew it, and the address remains valid indefinitely. This is a valid configuration that forces the client to keep the same IP for as long as the pool exists, though it can exhaust the address pool if clients move or go offline without releasing.
- ✗
The lease time is set to the default value of 1 day.
Why it's wrong here
Cisco's default DHCP lease duration is 1 day (86400 seconds) only when no `lease` command is configured in the DHCP pool. Once you enter `lease infinite`, the pool's lease time is explicitly set to infinite, overriding the default entirely. The statement incorrectly assumes that the default remains active, but the explicit keyword replaces the default rather than being ignored.
- ✗
Clients will be unable to obtain an IP address because infinite is invalid.
Why it's wrong here
The keyword `infinite` is a valid and recognized value in Cisco IOS DHCP pool configuration. The router accepts `lease infinite` without error and assigns leases accordingly, so clients have no trouble obtaining an IP address. The claim that `infinite` is invalid is a misconception; Cisco documentation lists `lease {days [hours] [minutes] | infinite}`, confirming it as a supported option.
- ✗
The router will ignore the lease command and use the default.
Why it's wrong here
When you enter `lease infinite` under the DHCP pool, the router parses, validates, and stores the configuration, and it actively enforces the infinite lease on all affected clients. The router does not silently ignore the command; it applies the lease value exactly as configured, which is why the lease time becomes infinite rather than falling back to the default 1-day setting. Ignoring an accepted command would violate the expected behavior of the IOS command-line interface.
Visual reference
Go deeper
Related to this question
About these practice questions
Courseiva writes every 350-401 question from scratch — 1,923 in total, each with an explanation and a wrong-answer breakdown. None are copied from real exams or dumps. 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.