Question 663 of 2,152

EIGRP Troubleshooting →easyMultiple ChoiceObjective-mapped

EIGRP Hello Interval on Point-to-Point Serial: Default 5 Seconds

This 300-410 practice question tests your understanding of eigrp troubleshooting. Read the scenario carefully and evaluate each option against the stated constraints before committing to an answer. 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.

What is the default EIGRP hello interval on a point-to-point serial interface?

A
5 seconds
Default hello interval is 5 seconds for point-to-point links.
B
10 seconds
Why wrong: 10 seconds is the default for OSPF on NBMA networks, not EIGRP.
C
30 seconds
Why wrong: 30 seconds is the default for RIP, not EIGRP.
D
60 seconds
Why wrong: 60 seconds is not a standard EIGRP default.

Full breakdown with real-world context →

Quick Answer

The answer is 5 seconds. EIGRP uses a default hello interval of 5 seconds on most high-speed broadcast and point-to-point interfaces, including point-to-point serial links, because these links are assumed to be reliable and low-latency, allowing for rapid neighbor discovery and convergence. On NBMA interfaces such as Frame Relay multipoint or ATM, the default hello interval increases to 60 seconds to account for slower or non-broadcast environments, but for a direct point-to-point serial connection, the 5-second default remains unchanged. For the Cisco CCNP ENARSI 300-410 exam, this distinction is a common trap: questions often try to trick you into thinking all serial links use 60 seconds, but the key is whether the interface is point-to-point or multipoint. Remember that the hello interval is tied to the interface type, not the medium—so a point-to-point serial always uses 5 seconds. A useful memory tip is "P2P = 5, NBMA = 60," or simply recall that faster links send hellos more frequently.

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

✓

5 seconds

On point-to-point serial interfaces, EIGRP uses a default hello interval of 5 seconds. This is because point-to-point links are considered high-speed, and EIGRP assumes they can handle more frequent hello packets to detect neighbor failures quickly, unlike NBMA or multipoint interfaces where the default is 60 seconds.

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.

✓
5 seconds
Why this is correct
Default hello interval is 5 seconds for point-to-point links.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
10 seconds
Why it's wrong here
10 seconds is the default for OSPF on NBMA networks, not EIGRP.
✗
30 seconds
Why it's wrong here
30 seconds is the default for RIP, not EIGRP.
✗
60 seconds
Why it's wrong here
60 seconds is not a standard EIGRP default.

Common exam traps

Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword

Cisco often tests the distinction between EIGRP's default hello intervals on high-speed vs. low-speed interfaces, and candidates mistakenly apply OSPF's 10-second default or confuse the 60-second NBMA default with point-to-point links.

Detailed technical explanation

How to think about this question

EIGRP uses a default hello interval of 5 seconds on all interfaces with bandwidth greater than 1.544 Mbps (T1 speed), including point-to-point serial links. The hold time is typically three times the hello interval (15 seconds by default). On interfaces with bandwidth 1.544 Mbps or less, the hello interval defaults to 60 seconds to reduce control traffic overhead. This behavior can be verified with 'show ip eigrp interfaces detail' and adjusted using the 'ip hello-interval eigrp' command.

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.

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?

EIGRP Troubleshooting — This question tests EIGRP Troubleshooting — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..

What is the correct answer to this question?

The correct answer is: 5 seconds — On point-to-point serial interfaces, EIGRP uses a default hello interval of 5 seconds. This is because point-to-point links are considered high-speed, and EIGRP assumes they can handle more frequent hello packets to detect neighbor failures quickly, unlike NBMA or multipoint interfaces where the default is 60 seconds.

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.

What is the key concept behind this question?

Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.

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Same concept, more angles

1 more ways this is tested on 300-410

These questions test the same concept from different angles. Work through them to make sure you can recognise it however the exam phrases it.

Variation 1. What is the default EIGRP hello interval on a point-to-point serial interface with bandwidth 1544 Kbps?

easy

A.5 seconds
✓ B.60 seconds
C.10 seconds
D.30 seconds

Why B: EIGRP uses a default hello interval of 60 seconds on serial interfaces with bandwidth of 1544 Kbps or less. The threshold for the 5-second hello interval is bandwidth greater than 1544 Kbps, not greater than or equal to.

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