Question 69 of 2,152
SNMP TroubleshootinghardMultiple ChoiceObjective-mapped

300-410 SNMP Troubleshooting Practice Question

This 300-410 practice question tests your understanding of snmp troubleshooting. Examine the command output carefully: the correct answer depends on what the output actually shows, not on general recall alone. 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.

Router R4 is configured as an SNMP agent for a large network. The NMS is at 10.10.10.10. The configuration includes: snmp-server community mycom RO, snmp-server host 10.10.10.10 version 2c mycom, snmp-server enable traps. However, the NMS receives no traps. R4's show snmp statistics shows TrapsSent: 0, and show snmp pending shows no pending. The NMS can poll R4 using the community string 'mycom'. What is the root cause?

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 community string 'mycom' is configured as read-only (RO), but SNMP trap notifications require a read-write (RW) community string on some IOS versions.

The 'snmp-server enable traps' command without specific trap types does not enable any traps. In Cisco IOS, you must specify which traps you want to enable, such as 'snmp-server enable traps snmp' or 'snmp-server enable traps interface'. Without this, the router will not generate any trap notifications, resulting in zero traps sent. The community string RO is sufficient for sending traps, the NMS reachability is fine as polling works, and the SNMP agent is active.

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 community string 'mycom' is configured as read-only (RO), but SNMP trap notifications require a read-write (RW) community string on some IOS versions.

    Why this is correct

    In certain IOS versions, traps are only sent if the community string has RW privileges. The RO community cannot be used for trap generation.

    Related concept

    Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.

  • The NMS is not listening on UDP port 162.

    Why it's wrong here

    This would cause traps to be sent but not received, but show snmp statistics shows TrapsSent: 0, meaning no traps are generated.

  • The router's SNMP agent is disabled due to low memory.

    Why it's wrong here

    If the agent were disabled, polling would also fail, but the NMS can poll successfully.

  • The 'snmp-server enable traps' command is missing specific trap types.

    Why it's wrong here

    The command enables all traps, so no specific types are needed. The issue is community string privilege.

Common exam traps

Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword

Many assume that 'snmp-server enable traps' alone enables all traps, but it actually requires specific trap types to be listed.

Trap categories for this question

  • Command / output trap

    This would cause traps to be sent but not received, but show snmp statistics shows TrapsSent: 0, meaning no traps are generated.

Detailed technical explanation

How to think about this question

Under the hood, the SNMP agent in Cisco IOS uses the community string's access level (RO or RW) to determine whether to allow trap generation. This is because some traps (like linkUp/linkDown) are considered 'informational' but the IOS code treats them as requiring RW privileges due to internal security checks. In real-world scenarios, if an engineer configures only RO strings for security, they must add a separate RW string (even if unused for writes) to enable trap sending, or use SNMPv3 which decouples access control from notification generation.

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 practitioner preparing for the 300-410 exam encounters this exact type of scenario on the job. The correct answer here is not the most general option — it is the best answer for the specific constraint described. Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option. Real exam questions reward reading the full scenario before eliminating options, because the constraint defines which answer fits.

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?

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

What is the correct answer to this question?

The correct answer is: The community string 'mycom' is configured as read-only (RO), but SNMP trap notifications require a read-write (RW) community string on some IOS versions. — The 'snmp-server enable traps' command without specific trap types does not enable any traps. In Cisco IOS, you must specify which traps you want to enable, such as 'snmp-server enable traps snmp' or 'snmp-server enable traps interface'. Without this, the router will not generate any trap notifications, resulting in zero traps sent. The community string RO is sufficient for sending traps, the NMS reachability is fine as polling works, and the SNMP agent is active.

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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Last reviewed: Jul 4, 2026

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