300-420 Questions Bank

A /22 subnet is the smallest IPv4 block in the answer set that closely fits a branch expected not to exceed roughly one thousand users while avoiding unnecessary address waste. A /22 contains 1024 total addresses and 1022 usable host addresses after the network and broadcast addresses are reserved. That aligns with the requirement to provide the maximum number of host addresses without selecting a larger block than necessary. A /21 provides 2048 total addresses and 2046 usable hosts, which is materially larger than the stated requirement and wastes address space. The specific 192.168.8.0/22 block also aligns on a valid /22 boundary because /22 networks increment by four in the third octet. A 192.168.16.0/22 is also mathematically valid, but the exhibit determines the available address range; the selected option uses the appropriate block from the displayed plan. Reference topics: IPv4 subnet sizing, CIDR, usable host calculation, branch address planning, VLSM.

Bandwidth percentage with policing is the correct QoS approach. The requirement has two separate parts: each subnet must receive a minimum share during congestion, and no subnet should introduce delay into download traffic. Bandwidth percentage is used to allocate a minimum bandwidth guarantee among classes during congestion while still allowing a class to use unused bandwidth when other classes are idle. Policing enforces a rate by dropping or remarking excess traffic rather than buffering it. That behavior is important because the question explicitly says download traffic must never experience delay. Shaping would be wrong because shaping buffers excess packets and transmits them later, which intentionally adds delay. Rate- limiting is a broad term, but when the design choice offers policing explicitly, policing is the precise mechanism that matches the no-delay requirement. A parent or class policy can reserve 25 percent per subnet on a 40 Mbps service, giving each subnet 10 Mbps during congestion while unused bandwidth remains available. Reference topics: CBWFQ bandwidth percent, traffic policing, shaping versus policing, Internet edge QoS, congestion management.

MSTP is the correct spanning-tree choice for a Layer 2 design with many logical ports, multiple trunked VLANs, and a subsecond convergence requirement. Rapid PVST+ provides rapid convergence, but it creates a separate spanning-tree instance for every VLAN. With 30 VLANs on trunks and hundreds of active ports, the number of logical STP ports can grow quickly and increase CPU and memory load. MSTP maps many VLANs into a smaller number of spanning-tree instances while still using rapid convergence behavior based on IEEE 802.1w principles. This makes it more scalable for large Layer 2 domains than PVST+ or Rapid PVST+ when many VLANs are present. CST provides a single instance but lacks the flexibility and convergence characteristics expected in modern enterprise designs. The design needs both scalability and fast convergence, and MSTP is the standards-based protocol that best satisfies both requirements. Reference topics: MSTP, Rapid STP, logical STP ports, VLAN-to-instance mapping, Layer 2 scalability, convergence.

Dual-stack is the correct IPv6 migration technique because the DWDM devices provide Layer 2 transport between routers that already support both IPv4 and IPv6. Layer 2 transport is generally transparent to IPv6 because it forwards Ethernet frames rather than participating in Layer 3 routing. The routers at the ends of the DWDM circuit can peer directly over the Layer 2 service and run IPv6 in parallel with IPv4, while mail servers can also retain IPv4 reachability during the migration. Cisco dual-stack migration guidance uses simultaneous IPv4 and IPv6 operation to support phased application and host transition with minimal tunneling overhead. 6to4, ISATAP, and 6rd are tunneling or transition mechanisms used when IPv6 islands must cross IPv4-only routed infrastructure. In this case, the limiting devices are in the transport layer and do not need to route IPv6. Deploying dual-stack on the capable routers and servers is simpler, more transparent, and avoids unnecessary encapsulation. Reference topics: IPv6 dual-stack migration, Layer 2 transparency, IPv6 over Ethernet, tunneling avoidance, phased migration.