350-401 Question #500: Real Exam Question with Answer & Explanation

Question

Refer to the exhibit. The EtherChannel between SW2 and SW3 is not operational which action resolves this issue?

Options

• AConfigure the channel-group mode on SW2 Gi0/1 and Gi0/1 to on.
• BConfigure the channel-group mode on SW3 Gi0/1 to active
• CConfigure the mode on SW2 Gi0/0 to trunk
• DConfigure the mode on SW2 Gi0/1 to access.

Explanation

EtherChannel Troubleshooting Explanation

Configuring SW2 Gi0/0 to trunk mode resolves the issue because EtherChannel bundles require all member ports to share the same configuration, including switchport mode. If Gi0/0 is set to access while the other ports in the bundle are trunks (or vice versa), the EtherChannel will fail to form - consistent trunk configuration across all bundled ports is mandatory.

Why the distractors are wrong:

• Option A is incorrect because setting both ends to "on" (static/forced) mode can work, but the root cause shown in the exhibit is a mode mismatch, not a negotiation protocol issue
• Option B is incorrect because changing SW3 Gi0/1 to "active" (LACP) doesn't address the underlying port configuration mismatch on SW2
• Option D is incorrect because setting a port to access mode would worsen the problem, creating further inconsistency within the EtherChannel bundle

💡 Memory Tip

Think of EtherChannel as a chain - every link must be identical in mode (trunk/access), VLAN, speed, and duplex. A single mismatched port breaks the entire bundle. When troubleshooting, always check port uniformity first.

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