200-301 Question 53
Single answerA company has multiple branch offices connected to the main headquarters via a WAN. The network administrator notices high latency and packet loss between one branch office and the headquarters. The branch office uses an MPLS connection for WAN connectivity. What could be the most likely cause of the issue?
- A
Congestion on the MPLS provider's network
- B
A misconfigured VLAN on the branch office switch
- C
A failed NAT configuration on the branch office router
- D
The use of a dynamic routing protocol such as OSPF over the WAN link
Show answer and explanation
Correct answer: A
Explanation
The most likely cause of high latency and packet loss over an MPLS WAN connection is congestion in the service provider's network. MPLS networks are shared among multiple customers, and if the provider's infrastructure becomes congested, all customers sharing that infrastructure can experience degraded performance. Misconfigured VLANs, NAT issues, or routing protocols are unlikely to directly cause the described symptoms in this scenario.
- A. Correct.
Congestion on the MPLS provider's network can lead to high latency and packet loss since MPLS networks are shared infrastructure, and heavy traffic from other customers can impact performance.
- B. Incorrect.
A misconfigured VLAN on the branch office switch would typically affect local traffic within the branch office, not the WAN connectivity to the headquarters.
- C. Incorrect.
A failed NAT configuration on the branch office router would prevent traffic from being translated correctly but would not directly cause high latency or packet loss.
- D. Incorrect.
Dynamic routing protocols like OSPF are designed to work efficiently over WAN links. They do not inherently cause high latency or packet loss unless there are underlying issues with the WAN link itself.