1

What is a basic function of the Cisco Borderless Architecture access layer?

aggregates Layer 2 broadcast domains
aggregates Layer 3 routing boundaries
provides access to the user
provides high availability
A function of the Cisco Borderless Architecture access layer is providing network access to the users.
Layer 2 broadcast domain aggregation, Layer 3 routing boundaries aggregation, and high availability are
distribution layer functions.
Observable

Description

Max Value
correctness of response

2 points for Option 3

0 points for any other option

2
What is a basic function of the Cisco Borderless Architecture distribution layer?
acting as a backbone
aggregating all the campus blocks
aggregating Layer 3 routing boundaries
providing access to the user
One of the basic functions of the distribution layer of the Cisco Borderless Architecture is to perform
routing between different VLANs. Acting as a backbone and aggregating campus blocks are functions of
the core layer. Providing access to users is a function of the access layer.
Observable

Description

Max Value
correctness of response

2 points for Option 3

0 points for any other option

3
A network designer must provide a rationale to a customer for a design which will move an enterprise
from a flat network topology to a hierarchical network topology. Which two features of the hierarchical
design make it the better choice? (Choose two.)
lower bandwidth requirements
reduced cost for equipment and user training
easier to provide redundant links to ensure higher availability
less required equipment to provide the same performance levels
simpler deployment for additional switch equipment
A hierarchical design for switches helps network administrators when planning and deploying a network
expansion, performing fault isolation when a problem occurs, and providing resiliency when traffic levels
are high. A good hierarchical design has redundancy when it can be afforded so that one switch does not
cause all networks to be down.
Observable

Description

Max Value
correctness of response

Option 3 and Option 5 are correct.

1 point for each correct option.

0 points if more options are selected than required.

4
What is a collapsed core in a network design?
a combination of the functionality of the access and distribution layers
a combination of the functionality of the distribution and core layers
a combination of the functionality of the access and core layers
a combination of the functionality of the access, distribution, and core layers

A collapsed core design is appropriate for a small, single building business. Larger businesses use a
three-tier design.
Observable

Description

Max Value
correctness of response

2 points for Option 2

0 points for any other option

5
What are two advantages of modular switches over fixed-configuration switches? (Choose two.)
lower cost per switch
increased scalability
lower forwarding rates
need for fewer power outlets
availability of multiple ports for bandwidth aggregation
Fixed-configuration switches, although lower in price, have a designated number of ports and no ability
to add ports. They also typically provide fewer high-speed ports. In order to scale switching on a
network that consists of fixed-configuration switches, more switches need to be purchased. This
increases the number of power outlets that need to be used. Modular switches can be scaled simply by
purchasing additional line cards. Bandwidth aggregation is also easier, because the backplane of the
chassis can provide the bandwidth that is needed for the switch port line cards.
Observable

Description

Max Value
correctness of response

Option 2 and Option 4 are correct.

1 point for each correct option.

0 points if more options are selected than required.
6

Which switch form factor should be used when large port density, fault tolerance, and low price are
important factors?
fixed-configuration switch
modular switch
rackable 1U switch
stackable switch
Stackable switches can be interconnected by the use of a special cable that provides high-bandwidth
throughput between the switches and that makes them operate as a single larger switch. Stackable
switches are desirable where fault tolerance and bandwidth availability are critical and a modular switch
is too costly to implement. Using cross-connected connections, the network can recover quickly if a
single switch fails.
Observable

Description

Max Value
correctness of response

2 points for Option 4

0 points for any other option

7
An administrator purchases new Cisco switches that have a feature called StackPower. What is the
purpose of this feature?
It enables many switches to be physically stacked in an equipment rack.
It enables many switches to be connected with a special fiber-optic power cable to provide
higher bandwidth.
It enables many switches to be connected to increase port density.
It enables the sharing of power among multiple stackable switches.
It enables AC power for a switch to be provided from a powered patch panel.
Observable

Description

Max Value
correctness of response

2 points for Option 4

0 points for any other option

8
What is one advantage of using the cut-through switching method instead of the store-and-forward
switching method?
has a positive impact on bandwidth by dropping most of the invalid frames
makes a fast forwarding decision based on the source MAC address of the frame
has a lower latency appropriate for high-performance computing applications
provides the flexibility to support any mix of Ethernet speeds
Cut-through switching provides lower latency switching for high-performance computing (HPC)
applications. Cut-through switching allows more invalid frames to cross the network than store-andforward switching. The cut-through switching method can make a forwarding decision as soon as it looks
up the destination MAC address of the frame.
Observable

Description

Max Value
correctness of response

2 points for Option 3

0 points for any other option

9
Which type of transmission does a switch use when the destination MAC address is not contained in the
MAC address table?
anycast
broadcast
multicast
unicast
When the destination MAC address is not contained in the MAC address table, the switch has to
discover to which port the device with that MAC address is attached. The switch then forwards that
frame out all ports (broadcast) except for the ingress port of the frame. An anycast is a type of IPv6
transmission. A switch uses a unicast when the destination MAC address is in the switch MAC address
table. A multicast is used when the destination is a group of destination hosts.

Observable

Description

Max Value
correctness of response

2 points for Option 2

0 points for any other option

10

Refer to the exhibit. Consider that the main power has just been restored. PC1 asks the DHCP server for
IPv4 addressing. The DHCP server sends it an IPv4 address. While PC2 is still booting up, PC3 issues a
broadcast IPv4 DHCP request. To which port will SW1 forward this request?
to Fa0/1 only
to Fa0/1 and Fa0/2 only
to Fa0/1, Fa0/2, and Fa0/3 only
to Fa0/1, Fa0/2, Fa0/3, and Fa0/4
to Fa0/1, Fa0/2, and Fa0/4 only
Because this is a broadcast frame, SW1 will send it to all ports except to the ingress one.

Observable

Description

Max Value
correctness of response

2 points for Option 3

0 points for any other option

11
What information is added to the switch table from incoming frames?
source MAC address and incoming port number
destination MAC address and incoming port number
source IP address and incoming port number
destination IP address and incoming port number
A switch "learns" or builds the MAC address table based on the source MAC address as a frame comes
into the switch. A switch forwards the frame onward based on the destination MAC address.
Observable

Description

Max Value
correctness of response

2 points for Option 1

0 points for any other option

12
What is one function of a Layer 2 switch?
forwards data based on logical addressing
duplicates the electrical signal of each frame to every port
learns the port assigned to a host by examining the destination MAC address
determines which interface is used to forward a frame based on the destination MAC address

A switch builds a MAC address table of MAC addresses and associated port numbers by examining the
source MAC address found in inbound frames. To forward a frame onward, the switch examines the
destination MAC address, looks in the MAC address for a port number associated with that destination
MAC address, and sends it to the specific port. If the destination MAC address is not in the table, the
switch forwards the frame out all ports except the inbound port that originated the frame.
Observable

Description

Max Value
correctness of response

2 points for Option 4

0 points for any other option

13

Refer to the exhibit. How is a frame sent from PCA forwarded to PCC if the MAC address table on switch
SW1 is empty?
SW1 floods the frame on all ports on the switch, excluding the interconnected port to switch
SW2 and the port through which the frame entered the switch.
SW1 floods the frame on all ports on SW1, excluding the port through which the frame entered
the switch.
SW1 forwards the frame directly to SW2. SW2 floods the frame to all ports connected to SW2,
excluding the port through which the frame entered the switch.
SW1 drops the frame because it does not know the destination MAC address.
When a switch powers on, the MAC address table is empty. The switch builds the MAC address table by
examining the source MAC address of incoming frames. The switch forwards based on the destination
MAC address found in the frame header. If a switch has no entries in the MAC address table or if the

destination MAC address is not in the switch table, the switch will forward the frame out all ports except
the port that brought the frame into the switch.
Observable

Description

Max Value
correctness of response

2 points for Option 2

0 points for any other option

14
What does the term "port density" represent for an Ethernet switch?
the memory space that is allocated to each switch port
the number of available ports
the numbers of hosts that are connected to each switch port
the speed of each port
The term port density represents the number of ports available in a switch. A one rack unit access
switch can have up to 48 ports. Larger switches may support hundreds of ports.
Observable

Description

Max Value
correctness of response

2 points for Option 2

0 points for any other option

15
ABC, Inc. has about fifty hosts in one LAN. The administrator would like to increase the throughput of
that LAN. Which device will increase the number of collision domains and thereby increase the
throughput of the LAN?
host
hub

switch
NIC
Every Ethernet connection on a switch is its own collision domain. By dividing the network into
segments, directly-connected devices do not have to compete for bandwidth.
Observable

Description

Max Value
correctness of response

2 points for Option 3

0 points for any other option

16
What are two reasons a network administrator would segment a network with a Layer 2 switch?
(Choose two.)
to create fewer collision domains
to enhance user bandwidth
to create more broadcast domains
to eliminate virtual circuits
to isolate traffic between segments
to isolate ARP request messages from the rest of the network
A switch has the ability of creating temporary point-to-point connections between the directly-attached
transmitting and receiving network devices. The two devices have full-bandwidth full-duplex
connectivity during the transmission.
Observable

Description

Max Value
correctness of response
1 point for each correct option.

Option 2 and Option 5 are correct.

0 points if more options are selected than required.

17
Fill in the blank.
A___________________ network is one that uses the same infrastructure to carry voice, data, and
video signals.
Observable

Description

Max Value
correctness of response

Observable 1 receives +1 point if it was answered correctly.

Observable 1 receives +0 points if it was answered incorrectly. 1

18

Refer to the exhibit. Fill in the blank.

There are collision domains in the topology.
Each link connected to a switch is a collision domain. A FastEthernet link between routers is also a
collision domain.
Observable

Description

Max Value
correctness of response

Observable 1 receives +1 point if it was answered correctly.

Observable 1 receives +0 points if it was answered incorrectly. 1

19

Refer to the exhibit. Fill in the blank.

There are broadcast domains in the topology.
Each router interface is a broadcast domain.
Observable

Description

Max Value
correctness of response

Observable 1 receives +1 point if it was answered correctly.

Observable 1 receives +0 points if it was answered incorrectly. 1