Question 35 of 2,152

Device Management →hardMultiple ChoiceObjective-mapped

300-410 Device Management Practice Question

This 300-410 practice question tests your understanding of device management. This is a configuration task: choose the command set that satisfies every stated requirement. Small differences — like 'secret' vs 'password' or 'transport input ssh' vs 'all' — change whether the answer is correct. After answering, compare your reasoning against the explanation and wrong-answer breakdown below. Once you have made your selection, read the full explanation to reinforce the concept and understand why each distractor is designed to mislead on exam day.

An engineer configures mutual redistribution between OSPF and EIGRP on a router. After a few minutes, routing loops occur. The engineer did not configure route tagging. Which is the most likely explanation?

Clue words in this question

Noticing these words before you look at the options changes how you read each choice.

Clue: "most likely"
Why it matters: Probability qualifier — the question wants the most probable cause or outcome, not a guaranteed one. Eliminate low-probability options.

A
The router redistributes routes from OSPF into EIGRP, and then those routes are redistributed back into OSPF, creating a loop.
Without tagging, the router cannot prevent re-redistribution of its own routes, leading to a loop.
B
The seed metric is not configured, causing EIGRP to reject the redistributed routes.
Why wrong: Missing seed metric would prevent redistribution, not cause loops.
C
OSPF has a lower administrative distance than EIGRP, causing route preference issues.
Why wrong: AD differences do not cause loops in redistribution; loops are caused by feedback.
D
The router is running both protocols on the same interface, causing a conflict.
Why wrong: Running both protocols on the same interface is possible and does not inherently cause loops.

Full breakdown with real-world context →

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 router redistributes routes from OSPF into EIGRP, and then those routes are redistributed back into OSPF, creating a loop.

Without route tagging, when the router redistributes OSPF routes into EIGRP, those routes are learned by EIGRP neighbors. If the same router (or another router) then redistributes those EIGRP-learned routes back into OSPF, OSPF will accept them because they appear as external routes with a lower administrative distance than the original OSPF intra-area routes. This creates a mutual redistribution loop, causing routing instability and loops.

Key principle: Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.

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 router redistributes routes from OSPF into EIGRP, and then those routes are redistributed back into OSPF, creating a loop.
Why this is correct
Without tagging, the router cannot prevent re-redistribution of its own routes, leading to a loop.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "most likely" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
The seed metric is not configured, causing EIGRP to reject the redistributed routes.
Why it's wrong here
Missing seed metric would prevent redistribution, not cause loops.
✗
OSPF has a lower administrative distance than EIGRP, causing route preference issues.
Why it's wrong here
AD differences do not cause loops in redistribution; loops are caused by feedback.
✗
The router is running both protocols on the same interface, causing a conflict.
Why it's wrong here
Running both protocols on the same interface is possible and does not inherently cause loops.

Common exam traps

Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword

Cisco often tests the misconception that administrative distance differences alone prevent loops, but the real danger is route feedback when redistribution is bidirectional and untagged.

Detailed technical explanation

How to think about this question

Mutual redistribution without route tagging or filtering allows routes to be re-injected into their original protocol, creating a feedback loop. Cisco recommends using route tags (e.g., via the 'route-map' command with 'set tag') to mark redistributed routes and then filter them on redistribution to prevent loops. In real-world scenarios, this is often seen when redistributing between OSPF and EIGRP without implementing distribute-lists or administrative distance adjustments.

KKey Concepts to Remember

Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Find the constraint that changes the correct option.
Eliminate answers that are true in general but not in this case.

TExam Day Tips

Watch for words such as best, first, most likely and least administrative effort.
Review why wrong options are wrong, not only why the correct option is correct.

Key takeaway

Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.

Real-world example

How this comes up in practice

A network engineer at a university connects two campus buildings via a fibre link. Both routers run OSPF, but no adjacency forms — even though both routers can ping each other. The engineer finds one router is in area 0 and the other in area 1. OSPF adjacency requires matching area numbers, hello/dead timers, and network type. IP reachability alone is not enough.

Visual reference

Quick reference

Routing Protocol Comparison

Protocol	Metric	Max Hops	Algorithm	Type
RIP v2	Hop count	15	Bellman-Ford	Distance vector
OSPF	Cost (bandwidth)	Unlimited	Dijkstra (SPF)	Link state
EIGRP	Composite metric	Unlimited	DUAL	Hybrid
IS-IS	Cost	Unlimited	Dijkstra	Link state
BGP	Policy / attributes	Unlimited	Path vector	Path vector

RIP's 15-hop limit makes it unsuitable for large networks. OSPF and EIGRP dominate modern enterprise deployments.

What to study next

Got this wrong? Here's your next step.

Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.

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FAQ

Questions learners often ask

What does this 300-410 question test?

Device Management — This question tests Device Management — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..

What is the correct answer to this question?

The correct answer is: The router redistributes routes from OSPF into EIGRP, and then those routes are redistributed back into OSPF, creating a loop. — Without route tagging, when the router redistributes OSPF routes into EIGRP, those routes are learned by EIGRP neighbors. If the same router (or another router) then redistributes those EIGRP-learned routes back into OSPF, OSPF will accept them because they appear as external routes with a lower administrative distance than the original OSPF intra-area routes. This creates a mutual redistribution loop, causing routing instability and loops.

What should I do if I get this 300-410 question wrong?

Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.

Are there clue words in this question I should notice?

Yes — watch for: "most likely". Probability qualifier — the question wants the most probable cause or outcome, not a guaranteed one. Eliminate low-probability options.

What is the key concept behind this question?

Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.

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