VCP-DCV Configure and Manage vSphere Networking Practice Question
Exhibit
ethtool -S vmnic0 | grep -E "(rx_errors|tx_errors|rx_dropped|tx_dropped)"
rx_errors: 0
tx_errors: 0
rx_dropped: 120
tx_dropped: 0
netstat -i | grep vmnic0
Name Mtu Network Address Ipkts Ierrs Opkts Oerrs Coll
vmnic0 1500 192.168.1.0 192.168.1.10 5000 0 6000 0 0
vsish -e get /net/portsets/vSwitch0/ports/1/status
Link up: yes
Packets received: 5000
Packets transmitted: 6000
Receive errors: 0
Transmit errors: 0
Receive drops: 0
Transmit drops: 0
vmkping -I vmk0 192.168.1.1
PING 192.168.1.1 (192.168.1.1): 56 data bytes
64 bytes from 192.168.1.1: icmp_seq=0 ttl=64 time=0.234 ms
--- 192.168.1.1 ping statistics ---
1 packets transmitted, 1 packets received, 0% packet lossRefer to the exhibit. The administrator notices rx_dropped packets on vmnic0 but no errors. What is the most likely cause of the dropped packets?
⚠ Common exam trap
VCP-DCV often tests the confusion between physical NIC drops and virtual switch drops, leading candidates to incorrectly blame VLAN mismatches or virtual switch buffer issues instead of the physical NIC's ring buffer.
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 physical NIC's receive ring buffer is overflowing due to high traffic.
rx_dropped packets on a vmnic indicate that the physical NIC's receive ring buffer is overflowing, typically due to a burst of traffic that exceeds the buffer's capacity. This causes packets to be dropped before they can be processed by the network stack. The absence of errors suggests the drops are due to buffer exhaustion, not corruption or misconfiguration.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
There is a VLAN mismatch causing packets to be dropped.
Why it's wrong here
A VLAN mismatch prevents traffic reaching the uplink entirely, producing no received frames rather than rx_dropped counters on vmnic0. It is tempting because VLAN errors are a common cause of silent packet loss, and it would be correct if the exhibit showed zero receive traffic alongside the drops.
- ✗
The virtual switch port has insufficient buffer space.
Why it's wrong here
A vSwitch port buffer shortage would normally surface as transmit drops or errors on the portgroup, not rx_dropped on the physical uplink with a clean error count. It is tempting because buffer exhaustion genuinely causes drops, and it would be the answer if the exhibit showed tx_dropped on a portgroup.
- ✓
The physical NIC's receive ring buffer is overflowing due to high traffic.
Why this is correct
rx_dropped increments when the physical NIC's receive ring buffer has no free descriptors to accept incoming frames, so packets are discarded before reaching the vSwitch. The absence of errors confirms the drops stem from buffer exhaustion under high traffic, not link faults.
- ✗
The physical switch is dropping packets due to congestion.
Why it's wrong here
Upstream switch congestion drops frames before they arrive, so the ESXi host's rx_dropped counter would not increment; that counter reflects frames the host itself discarded. It is tempting because congestion is a frequent cause of loss, and it would be correct if the physical switch's interface counters showed discards.
About these practice questions
One of 281 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 and reviewed by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
Last reviewed September 2026 · checked against the official VMware exam blueprint
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.