200-301 Question 351
Single answerA network administrator configures a redundant gateway using HSRP on a corporate network. During a network issue, the primary router becomes unavailable. What is the primary purpose of HSRP in this scenario?
- A
To balance traffic load across multiple gateways simultaneously
- B
To provide automatic failover to a standby router if the primary router fails
- C
To prevent loops in the Layer 2 topology
- D
To dynamically assign IP addresses to devices on the network
Show answer and explanation
Correct answer: B
Explanation
HSRP (Hot Standby Router Protocol) is a First Hop Redundancy Protocol designed to provide network gateway redundancy. It allows a standby router to take over the role of the active router in case of a failure, ensuring uninterrupted network connectivity for end devices. In this scenario, HSRP ensures automatic failover to the standby router when the primary router becomes unavailable.
- A. Incorrect.
This is incorrect because HSRP is not designed to balance traffic load across gateways. Load balancing is typically achieved using other technologies like GLBP.
- B. Correct.
This is correct because the primary purpose of HSRP (Hot Standby Router Protocol) is to provide redundancy and ensure automatic failover to a standby router in case the active router fails.
- C. Incorrect.
This is incorrect because preventing Layer 2 loops is the function of protocols like Spanning Tree Protocol (STP), not HSRP.
- D. Incorrect.
This is incorrect because dynamically assigning IP addresses is the role of DHCP, not HSRP.