350-401 Question #920: Real Exam Question with Answer & Explanation

Question

Refer to the exhibit. Users cannot reach the web server at 192.168.100.1. What is the root cause for the failure?

Options

• AThe server is attempting to load balance between links 10.100.100.1 and 10.100.200.1.
• BThere is a loop in the path to the server.
• CThe gateway cannot translate the server domain name.
• DThe server is out of service.

Explanation

The inability for users to reach a web server at a specific IP address indicates a fundamental network connectivity problem, and a common root cause is a Layer 2 or Layer 3 loop in the path, preventing packets from reaching their destination.

Common mistakes.

• A. While a server might load balance its connections, this is typically a functional behavior and not a direct cause for users being unable to reach the server's IP address, unless the load balancing itself is misconfigured to drop packets.
• C. The problem states users cannot reach the web server at 192.168.100.1, indicating a failure in IP address connectivity. A domain name translation (DNS) issue would prevent access by hostname but not by IP address.
• D. While the server being out of service would prevent access, networking certification questions generally focus on network-layer issues as root causes unless the exhibit clearly indicates a server-side problem; a loop is a direct network infrastructure failure.

Concept tested. Network troubleshooting (routing loops)

Reference. https://www.cisco.com/c/en/us/support/docs/lan-switching/spanning-tree-protocol/10556-16.html

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