Refer to the exhibit. Host 3 on Network A is sending data to Host 8 on Network B. Which address is the default gateway of Host 3?

Question

Exhibit

Options

• Athe address of the switch interface that is connected to router interface Fa0/0
• Bthe address of the switch interface that is connected to router interface Fa0/1
• Cthe address of the host that is connected to Network A
• Dthe address of the host that is connected to Network B
• Ethe address of the router interface Fa0/0
• Fthe address of the router interface Fa0/1

• A
  6% (3)
• B
  12% (6)
• C
  2% (1)
• D
  4% (2)
• E
  77% (40)

Explanation

Option E is correct because a host's default gateway is always the IP address of the router interface on its own local network - the entry point out of that network. Since Host 3 lives on Network A, its gateway is the router's Fa0/0 interface, which is the port physically connected to Network A.

Why the distractors fail:

• A & B - Switches are Layer 2 devices; their interfaces don't have routable IP addresses that hosts use as gateways (a management IP is not a gateway).
• C - Other hosts on the same network cannot route traffic to other networks; they lack routing capability.
• D - Host 8 is on a completely different network (Network B), so Host 3 has no direct path to it and cannot use it as a gateway.
• F - Fa0/1 faces Network B, not Network A; a host must point to the router interface on its own subnet.

Memory tip: Think of the default gateway as the "front door" of your network - it must be a door in your house (same subnet), and only routers have doors that lead outside.

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