CCNA Plan

Network Access

20% of the CCNA · blueprint 200-301 v1.1 (effective 2024-08-20)

Short answer

Domain 2.0 is 20% of the CCNA and covers Layer 2 access — VLANs spanning multiple switches, access ports, the default and native VLAN, 802.1Q trunks, Layer 2 discovery (CDP/LLDP), Layer 2/3 EtherChannel with LACP, Rapid PVST+ root bridge election and port roles, PortFast, Cisco wireless architectures and AP modes, WLC management access, and configuring a WLAN with WPA2 PSK from the GUI.

Why it matters on this exam

Access-layer questions are configuration-heavy: expect show output and be asked what is wrong or what command fixes it.

Key concepts (objectives 2.1–2.9)

Common mistakes

Worked example

Three switches, all priority 32768; MACs end in ...0A, ...1B, ...2C. Root = ...0A. On each non-root switch the interface facing ...0A (lowest cost) is the root port; the other link between the two non-root switches has one designated port (on the switch with the lower bridge ID) and one alternate (blocking) port.

Original practice questions

Network AccessDifficulty 2/5

Two switches are connected by an 802.1Q trunk. Switch A has native VLAN 1, switch B has native VLAN 99. What is the result?

  1. AThe trunk fails to form
  2. BCDP reports a native VLAN mismatch and untagged frames leak between VLAN 1 and VLAN 99
  3. CAll VLANs are tagged, so nothing changes
  4. DSTP blocks the trunk permanently
Show answer and rationale

Correct: B. 802.1Q sends native-VLAN frames untagged. With mismatched native VLANs, each switch places the other's untagged frames into a different VLAN, effectively bridging VLAN 1 and 99, and CDP logs a mismatch warning. The trunk still comes up.

  • A — The trunk forms; the mismatch is a configuration error, not a trunk-negotiation failure.
  • C — The native VLAN is exactly the VLAN that is not tagged.
  • D — STP may detect inconsistency on PVST+ but does not permanently block by default in this scenario.
Network AccessDifficulty 3/5

Four switches run Rapid PVST+ with default priority. Which switch becomes the root bridge?

  1. AThe switch with the highest MAC address
  2. BThe switch with the most ports
  3. CThe switch with the lowest MAC address
  4. DThe switch that boots first
Show answer and rationale

Correct: C. With equal priorities (32768 + VLAN ID), the bridge ID tie-breaker is the lowest MAC address. Set a lower priority on your intended root rather than relying on MAC.

  • A — Lowest, not highest, bridge ID wins.
  • B — Port count is irrelevant to the election.
  • D — Boot order does not affect the deterministic election.
Network AccessDifficulty 3/5

An engineer configures channel-group 1 mode active on switch A and channel-group 1 mode auto on switch B. What happens?

  1. AA static EtherChannel forms
  2. BAn LACP EtherChannel forms
  3. CA PAgP EtherChannel forms
  4. DNo EtherChannel forms because active is LACP and auto is PAgP
Show answer and rationale

Correct: D. 'active' and 'passive' are LACP modes; 'desirable' and 'auto' are PAgP modes. Mixing protocols prevents negotiation, so the bundle never forms and the links operate individually (STP may block one).

  • B — LACP needs active/active or active/passive on both sides.
  • C — PAgP needs desirable/desirable or desirable/auto.
  • A — Static requires mode on at both ends.
All 5 Network Access questions →

3 flashcards for Network Access

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Related areas: Network Fundamentals · IP Connectivity · IP Services · Security Fundamentals

Primary references

  1. CCNA Exam v1.1 (200-301) Exam Topics — Cisco Systems · primary · retrieved 2026-09-21, verified 2026-09-21
Last reviewed: 2026-09-21Next review by: 2026-11-20Draft — pending editorial reviewHow we verify facts