VCP-DCV Configure and Manage vSphere Networking Practice Question
A vSphere administrator notices that after adding a new ESXi host to a vSphere Distributed Switch (vDS), some VMs on existing hosts lose network connectivity intermittently. What is the most likely 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 vDS MTU setting does not match the physical network MTU.
When a new ESXi host is added to a vDS with a different MTU setting than the physical network, packets may be silently dropped or fragmented, causing intermittent connectivity loss for VMs on existing hosts. This is because the vDS MTU must match the physical network MTU to avoid issues. Option B is incorrect because a faulty physical uplink would affect only VMs on that specific host, not VMs on other existing hosts. Option C is incorrect because LACP misconfiguration would typically cause issues with the new host's connectivity, not intermittent connectivity for VMs on hosts already in the vDS. Option D is incorrect because Network I/O Control regulates bandwidth allocation and does not cause connectivity loss; such issues would manifest as performance degradation rather than intermittent loss.
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 vDS MTU setting does not match the physical network MTU.
Why this is correct
If the vDS uses jumbo frames (MTU 9000) but the physical switch or new host has MTU 1500, large packets may be fragmented or dropped, causing intermittent connectivity.
- ✗
The new host's physical uplink is faulty, causing broadcast storms.
Why it's wrong here
A faulty uplink would likely cause loss for VMs on that host, not on other hosts.
- ✗
The vDS is configured with LACP, and the new host's links are not properly bundled.
Why it's wrong here
Misconfigured LACP would affect the new host primarily, not intermittent loss on existing hosts.
- ✗
The vDS Network I/O Control settings are not evenly distributed.
Why it's wrong here
NIOC affects performance under contention, not connectivity.
Go deeper
Related to this question
About these practice questions
One of 498 original VCP-DCV practice questions on Courseiva, each with a full explanation and wrong-answer analysis — not exam dumps or protected exam content. Learn why practice questions differ from exam dumps →
JA
Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
This VCP-DCV practice question is part of Courseiva's free VMware 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 VCP-DCV exam.