mediummultiple choiceObjective-mapped

A network engineer is implementing OSPF on a router. All directly connected neighbors are listed with state FULL, but routes from another area are not appearing in the routing table. Which of the following is the most likely cause?

Question 1mediummultiple choice
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A network engineer is implementing OSPF on a router. All directly connected neighbors are listed with state FULL, but routes from another area are not appearing in the routing table. Which of the following is the most likely cause?

Answer choices

Why each option matters

Good practice is not just finding the correct option. The wrong answers often show the exact trap the exam wants you to fall into.

A

Distractor review

The router is not configured with a router ID

Without a router ID, OSPF would not form neighbors at all, so this cannot be the issue because neighbors are already FULL.

B

Best answer

The router has an ACL blocking inbound OSPF updates

An ACL that blocks OSPF protocol traffic (e.g., IP protocol 89) can prevent Type 3 LSAs from being received, causing inter-area routes to be missing while local adjacencies remain.

C

Distractor review

The router is configured as an ABR but does not have a virtual-link configured

Virtual-links are only required if a non-backbone area is not directly connected to area 0; the scenario does not indicate that situation.

D

Distractor review

The link-state database is corrupted

A corrupted LSDB would likely cause neighbor adjacencies to fail or routes to be inconsistent; given that neighbors are FULL, this is not the most likely cause.

Common exam trap

Common exam trap: OSPF can fail even when IP connectivity looks correct

OSPF neighbour formation depends on matching areas, timers, network type, authentication and passive-interface behaviour. Do not choose an answer only because the devices can ping.

Technical deep dive

How to think about this question

OSPF questions usually test the details that control adjacency and route selection. Read the neighbour state, area, router ID and interface configuration before deciding what is wrong.

KKey Concepts to Remember

  • OSPF neighbours must agree on key parameters.
  • Router ID selection can affect neighbour relationships and LSDB output.
  • OSPF cost influences the preferred path.
  • A route can appear in OSPF information but not become the installed route.

TExam Day Tips

  • Check area mismatch first when OSPF adjacency fails.
  • Review passive interfaces when a network is advertised but no neighbour forms.
  • Use show ip ospf neighbor and show ip route clues carefully.

Related practice questions

Related N10-009 practice-question pages

Use these pages to review the topic behind this question. This is how one missed question becomes focused revision.

More questions from this exam

Keep practising from the same exam bank, or move into a focused topic page if this question exposed a weak area.

Question 1

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Question 2

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Question 3

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Question 4

A network administrator is connecting two switches to increase bandwidth and provide redundancy. Which technology should be used to combine multiple physical links into a single logical link?

Question 5

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Question 6

A network administrator is troubleshooting a connectivity issue and suspects the problem is related to the physical cabling. At which layer of the OSI model should the administrator begin their investigation?

FAQ

Questions learners often ask

What does this N10-009 question test?

OSPF neighbours must agree on key parameters.

What is the correct answer to this question?

The correct answer is: The router has an ACL blocking inbound OSPF updates — When OSPF neighbors reach FULL state, the link-state database is synchronized. However, if routes from another area are missing, the issue is likely with the propagation of inter-area routes (Type 3 LSAs). An ACL configured to filter OSPF updates can block these LSAs. The router ID is required for OSPF operation but would prevent neighbor formation if missing. Virtual-links are only needed if an area is not directly connected to area 0. A corrupted link-state database is less likely than a simple ACL filter.

What should I do if I get this N10-009 question wrong?

Then try more questions from the same exam bank and focus on understanding why the wrong options are tempting.

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