PCNE Implementing hybrid interconnectivity Practice Question
This PCNE practice question tests your understanding of implementing hybrid interconnectivity. 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 organization has two Cloud VPN tunnels from the same on-premises router to a Cloud Router in Google Cloud. Both tunnels are using BGP, and the on-premises router is sending the same routes over both tunnels. The Cloud Router is configured to use 'route propagation' from a VPC network. Which of the following is true regarding route priority?
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Cloud Router will use both tunnels for load balancing (ECMP) if the routes are identical
When both BGP routes are identical in prefix, AS path, local preference, MED, and other attributes, Cloud Router uses ECMP (Equal-Cost Multi-Path) to load balance traffic across both Cloud VPN tunnels. Route propagation in the VPC network does not alter the BGP best-path selection; it simply injects the learned routes into the VPC routing table. Since the on-premises router advertises the same routes over both tunnels, Cloud Router treats them as equal-cost paths and distributes traffic across both tunnels.
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.
✓
Cloud Router will use both tunnels for load balancing (ECMP) if the routes are identical
Why this is correct
With identical BGP routes (same prefix, next hop different, same MED and local preference), Cloud Router will install multiple paths and use ECMP.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
The tunnel with the lower local preference value will be used
Why it's wrong here
Higher local preference is preferred.
✗
The tunnel with the higher BGP MED value will be preferred
Why it's wrong here
Lower MED is preferred.
✗
Only the tunnel with the lowest IP address will be used
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates often assume BGP always selects a single best path and ignore that ECMP is enabled when routes are identical, leading them to incorrectly choose options that involve attribute-based tiebreakers like local preference or MED.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Under the hood, Cloud Router implements BGP multipath (RFC 7911) to allow multiple paths with the same nexthop or different nexthops to be installed in the routing table. In this scenario, both tunnels have distinct BGP nexthops (the tunnel interfaces), but because all BGP path attributes are identical, Cloud Router installs both paths and enables ECMP. A real-world scenario where this matters is when an organization wants to maximize bandwidth across two redundant VPN connections without relying on active/passive failover.
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 startup's cloud architect reviews their monthly bill and notices costs are higher than expected for a long-running batch job. Switching from on-demand instances to Reserved Instances — or using Spot/Preemptible VMs — can reduce compute costs by up to 72 %. Questions like this test whether you understand the tradeoffs between commitment, flexibility, and cost across cloud pricing models.
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.
Implementing hybrid interconnectivity — This question tests Implementing hybrid interconnectivity — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Cloud Router will use both tunnels for load balancing (ECMP) if the routes are identical — When both BGP routes are identical in prefix, AS path, local preference, MED, and other attributes, Cloud Router uses ECMP (Equal-Cost Multi-Path) to load balance traffic across both Cloud VPN tunnels. Route propagation in the VPC network does not alter the BGP best-path selection; it simply injects the learned routes into the VPC routing table. Since the on-premises router advertises the same routes over both tunnels, Cloud Router treats them as equal-cost paths and distributes traffic across both tunnels.
What should I do if I get this PCNE 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.
About these practice questions
Courseiva creates original exam-style practice questions with explanations and wrong-answer analysis. It does not publish real exam questions, exam dumps, or protected exam content. Learn why practice questions differ from exam dumps →
Share a tip, memory trick, or ask about the reasoning behind this question. Do not post real exam questions, leaked content, braindumps, or copyrighted exam material. Comments are moderated and may be removed without notice.
This PCNE practice question is part of Courseiva's free Google Cloud 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 PCNE exam.
Question Discussion
Share a tip, memory trick, or ask about the reasoning behind this question. Do not post real exam questions, leaked content, braindumps, or copyrighted exam material. Comments are moderated and may be removed without notice.
Sign in to join the discussion.