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Quizzes > Computers & IT

MPLS VPN Quiz: WAN Edge Router Functions (CCNA)

Quick, free edge router functions quiz. Instant results.

Editorial: Review CompletedCreated By: Grady MetoyerUpdated Aug 26, 2025
Difficulty: Moderate
2-5mins
Learning OutcomesCheat Sheet
Paper art illustration for free CCNA 4 practice quiz, selecting three WAN edge router functions on dark blue background

This MPLS VPN quiz helps you identify the three key functions of a WAN edge router, including path selection, secure tunneling, and traffic shaping. For a deeper look at tunnels, check the vpn tunneling quiz, and build exam confidence with the CCNA practice exam; you can also review switching basics with the stp quiz.

What is one primary function of a WAN edge router?
Routing traffic between LAN and WAN
Acting as a DHCP server for clients
Managing wireless clients
Hosting web applications
A key function of a WAN edge router is to forward and route traffic between internal LAN segments and external WAN links, determining optimal paths based on routing tables. It differs from DHCP servers or wireless controllers, which focus on IP address assignment and Wi-Fi management. WAN edge routers focus on network layer packet forwarding and path selection.
Which protocol is commonly used at the WAN edge for point-to-point link establishment?
OSPF
PPP
BGP
STP
PPP (Point-to-Point Protocol) is widely used to establish direct serial connections across WAN links, providing authentication, compression, and error detection. OSPF and BGP are routing protocols, not link-layer protocols. STP prevents loops in Ethernet networks, not in point-to-point WAN links.
Which device is typically deployed at a branch office perimeter to connect to a service provider network?
WAN edge router
Core switch
Load balancer
Wireless controller
A WAN edge router sits at the branch office edge, interfacing between the internal LAN and the service provider's WAN. Core switches reside in the center of enterprise networks, not at the perimeter. Wireless controllers manage Wi-Fi, while load balancers distribute application traffic.
Which feature helps secure traffic at the WAN edge by filtering based on IP and port?
NAT
ARP
ACLs
VLAN trunking
Access Control Lists (ACLs) allow administrators to permit or deny traffic based on source/destination IPs and ports, providing essential security at the WAN edge. NAT translates addresses but does not filter based on access policies. ARP resolves MAC addresses, and VLAN trunking separates LAN traffic, not filter it.
Which service provides secure connectivity over the public Internet for branch offices?
DNS
VPN
SNMP
NTP
A Virtual Private Network (VPN) creates an encrypted tunnel over the public Internet, ensuring confidentiality and integrity between branch offices or remote users. DNS resolves domain names and is not a security service. NTP synchronizes time, and SNMP collects network management data.
What mechanism can a WAN edge router use to prevent congestion by dropping traffic above a certain rate?
DHCP relay
NAT overload
Port mirroring
Traffic policing
Traffic policing enforces bandwidth limits by dropping or remarking packets that exceed predefined thresholds, preventing congestion. NAT overload shares IPs, port mirroring copies traffic for monitoring, and DHCP relay forwards DHCP messages - they do not shape or police traffic.
Which protocol is used for secure remote CLI management of a WAN edge router?
SSH
Telnet
FTP
HTTP
SSH (Secure Shell) encrypts session data to securely manage routers and switches via CLI. Telnet sends data in clear text and is insecure. FTP and HTTP are for file transfers and web access, respectively, not management of router CLI.
Which function allows a WAN edge router to translate private IP addresses to a single public IP?
BGP
EIGRP
OSPF
NAT
Network Address Translation (NAT) maps private IP addresses to public addresses, enabling multiple hosts to access the Internet using a single IP. BGP, OSPF, and EIGRP are routing protocols and do not perform address translation.
At which OSI layer does a WAN edge router primarily operate?
Data Link
Transport
Network
Application
Routers operate at Layer 3 (Network Layer), making forwarding decisions based on IP addresses. Layer 2 is for switching and Ethernet framing, Layer 4 is transport (TCP/UDP), and Layer 7 is application-level protocols.
Which routing protocol uses hop count as its metric?
RIP
OSPF
EIGRP
BGP
RIP (Routing Information Protocol) uses hop count as its sole metric, limiting routes to a maximum of 15 hops. OSPF uses cost based on bandwidth, EIGRP uses composite metrics, and BGP uses path attributes like AS path length.
Which Cisco technology improves packet forwarding performance on routers?
HSRP
NTP
VTP
CEF
Cisco Express Forwarding (CEF) uses optimized hardware and software tables to speed up packet forwarding. VTP manages VLANs, HSRP provides gateway redundancy, and NTP synchronizes clocks - they don't directly speed up routing.
Which header is encapsulated by IPsec ESP for encryption?
ESP
GRE
L2TP
AH
IPsec Encapsulating Security Payload (ESP) provides confidentiality, data origin authentication, and integrity by encrypting the payload. AH provides authentication and integrity without encryption. GRE is a tunneling protocol, and L2TP is a Layer 2 tunneling protocol.
Which QoS model marks packets for priority handling at the WAN edge?
DiffServ
IntServ
CSMA/CD
802.1Q
Differentiated Services (DiffServ) marks packets with DSCP values to prioritize traffic across the network. IntServ reserves resources per flow, 802.1Q tags VLANs, and CSMA/CD handles Ethernet collision avoidance.
Which device optimizes WAN traffic by caching and compression?
WAN optimizer
Switch
Firewall
Access point
WAN optimizers reduce bandwidth consumption using techniques like caching, compression, and protocol optimization. Access points handle wireless connectivity, firewalls enforce security policies, and switches forward traffic within LANs.
Which protocol does a WAN edge router use to dynamically learn routes from an external ISP?
BGP
IS-IS
EIGRP
OSPF
BGP (Border Gateway Protocol) is used between autonomous systems, such as an enterprise and its ISP, to exchange routing information. EIGRP, OSPF, and IS-IS are interior gateway protocols used within an AS.
Which redundancy protocol provides a virtual default gateway at the WAN edge?
STP
VTP
HSRP
VRRP
HSRP (Hot Standby Router Protocol) allows two or more routers to present a single virtual gateway IP to hosts, providing failover. VRRP is similar but not Cisco-proprietary. STP prevents loops in bridges, and VTP manages VLAN info.
Which of these is NOT one of the three key functions of a WAN edge router?
Web content caching
Security enforcement
WAN connectivity
Traffic routing
Web content caching is performed by WAN optimizers or proxy servers, not by core WAN edge routers. The three key functions of a WAN edge router are routing, security enforcement (e.g., ACLs, firewall), and WAN connectivity (e.g., PPP, MPLS). Cisco WAN Edge Functions
Which MPLS VPN type uses VRFs to segregate routes on a WAN edge router?
GRE tunnel
Layer 2 VPN
MP-BGP/MPLS VPN
DMVPN
MP-BGP/MPLS VPNs use VRF (Virtual Routing and Forwarding) instances on the WAN edge router to maintain separate routing tables per customer. Layer 2 VPNs operate at the data link layer, while DMVPN and GRE are IP tunneling technologies.
What is the primary purpose of QoS traffic shaping at the WAN edge?
Encrypt sensitive packets
Provide redundancy
Smooth out traffic bursts to match link capacity
Translate IP addresses
Traffic shaping buffers and schedules bursts to conform to the configured bandwidth profile, ensuring consistent utilization of WAN links. Encryption is handled by VPN/IPsec, NAT by address translation, and redundancy by protocols like HSRP.
Which feature provides application-aware inspection at the WAN edge?
NAT
Next-Gen Firewall
Static routing
HSRP
Next-Generation Firewalls (NGFWs) can inspect traffic at the application layer, allowing granular control over applications traversing the WAN edge. Static routing defines fixed paths. NAT translates addresses, and HSRP offers redundancy.
Which tunneling technology supports dynamic multipoint VPN at the WAN edge?
GRE without IPsec
MPLS L2VPN
IPsec site-to-site VPN
DMVPN
DMVPN builds dynamic IPsec GRE tunnels between spokes using a hub-and-spoke model without manually configuring each tunnel. Site-to-site IPsec requires static tunnels, MPLS L2VPN is service provider provisioned, and GRE alone has no built-in encryption.
In a dual-ISP WAN edge design, which feature ensures automatic failover?
IP SLA with tracking
DiffServ
BGP authentication
HSRP
IP SLA monitors link health and, when integrated with object tracking, can switch traffic to a backup ISP automatically upon failure. HSRP addresses local gateway redundancy. DiffServ handles QoS, and BGP authentication secures peering sessions.
Which routing protocol is recommended between WAN edge and data center for fast convergence?
OSPF
RIP
BGP
Static routing
OSPF converges quickly and supports hierarchical design, making it suitable between edge and data center. BGP is for inter-AS routing with slower convergence. RIP is outdated with slow convergence, and static routes lack scalability.
Which feature on a WAN edge router reduces the size of the routing table by summarizing prefixes?
Route summarization
NTP
Port security
NAT
Route summarization aggregates multiple contiguous networks into a single summary route, reducing routing table entries and improving scalability. NAT translates addresses, port security secures switch ports, and NTP handles time synchronization.
What is the role of a route reflector in a BGP design at the WAN edge?
Provide multicast distribution
Reduce BGP peering by reflecting routes
Perform NAT
Encrypt BGP updates
A BGP route reflector allows iBGP peers to exchange routes without a full mesh by reflecting routes from clients to other clients. It does not encrypt updates, handle multicast, or perform NAT.
Which mechanism provides protection against spoofed packets at the WAN edge?
ACL logging
uRPF
HSRP
NAT
Unicast Reverse Path Forwarding (uRPF) drops packets with source addresses not reachable via the incoming interface, mitigating IP spoofing. NAT translates addresses, HSRP provides redundancy, and ACL logging records matches but does not prevent spoofing.
Which feature accelerates application delivery by offloading TCP operations at the WAN edge?
GRE tunnel
MPLS VPN
TCP proxy
DMVPN
A TCP proxy offloads TCP functions such as handshake and window scaling to improve performance and reduce latency. GRE tunnels encapsulate traffic, DMVPN builds dynamic tunnels, and MPLS VPNs segregate traffic but don't offload TCP.
Which encryption algorithm is considered most secure for site-to-site VPN on a WAN edge router?
RC4
AES-256
MD5
DES
AES-256 provides strong encryption and is widely recommended for IPsec VPNs. DES is outdated with a small key size, MD5 is a hashing algorithm prone to collisions, and RC4 is insecure for new deployments.
Which SIP feature can be deployed on a WAN edge router to prioritize voice traffic?
Nbar voice classification
HSRP preemption
BGP route filtering
Static NAT
Nbar (Network-Based Application Recognition) can identify SIP and RTP traffic, enabling QoS policies that prioritize voice. Static NAT translates addresses, BGP filtering handles routing, and HSRP preemption manages redundancy.
In a dual-homed WAN edge router using BGP, which attribute is typically adjusted to prefer one ISP over another?
MED
AS path
Local preference
Next hop
Local preference is used within an AS to prefer routes from one ISP over another by assigning higher values to preferred routes. MED is for influencing upstream AS, AS path length is automatic based on AS hops, and next hop indicates reachable IP.
Which mechanism allows for seamless VPN tunnel failover without traffic loss on a WAN edge router?
Stateful VPN redundancy
Static route tracking
HSRP
IP SLA
Stateful VPN redundancy synchronizes tunnel states and crypto sessions between primary and backup routers, enabling failover without session drops. IP SLA triggers failover but doesn't preserve state, static routes and HSRP handle path failover only.
When implementing DMVPN on a WAN edge router, which component handles dynamic spoke-to-spoke tunnel creation?
OSPF
NHRP
BGP
HSRP
NHRP (Next Hop Resolution Protocol) maps logical tunnel addresses to physical addresses, enabling spokes to discover and form direct tunnels with each other. BGP and OSPF are routing protocols, and HSRP is a gateway redundancy protocol.
Which advanced QoS feature prevents buffer bloat on high-speed WAN links?
CBWFQ
uRPF
Static NAT
BFD
Class-Based Weighted Fair Queuing (CBWFQ) allocates bandwidth fairly among classes and avoids buffer bloat by controlling queue growth. Static NAT translates addresses, uRPF prevents spoofing, and BFD offers fast failure detection.
In a multi-tenant WAN edge design, which feature isolates routing tables per customer?
VRF-Lite
L2TP
SPAN
Port channel
VRF-Lite creates multiple virtual routing tables on a single router, ensuring tenant traffic remains isolated. Port channels bundle links, SPAN mirrors traffic for monitoring, and L2TP is a tunneling protocol.
Which BGP parameter is commonly used at the WAN edge to control inbound traffic from an ISP?
MED
Weight
Route dampening
Local preference
MED (Multi-Exit Discriminator) hints to an upstream AS which path is preferred into the network, influencing inbound traffic. Local preference and weight apply inside the local AS, and route dampening suppresses flapping routes.
Which technology enables per-application SLA monitoring at the WAN edge?
NAT
HSRP
Cisco WAAS Application Performance Management
EIGRP
Cisco WAAS Application Performance Management (APM) collects metrics like latency and packet loss per application, ensuring SLAs are met. HSRP offers redundancy, NAT address translation, and EIGRP routing - all unrelated to SLA monitoring.
When using MPLS at the WAN edge, which protocol carries customer routes across the provider's network?
LDP
OSPF
IGRP
MP-BGP
MP-BGP distributes customer VPN routes across an MPLS backbone, using labels for forwarding. OSPF and IGRP are IGPs, and LDP distributes labels but not customer route information.
Which encryption mode offers both confidentiality and authentication in IPsec?
GRE
AH transport mode
L2TP
ESP tunnel mode
IPsec ESP tunnel mode provides encryption for confidentiality and integrity checks for authentication of both header and payload. AH transport mode only provides authentication. GRE and L2TP are tunneling protocols without built-in IPsec security.
For a high-availability WAN edge, which feature synchronizes NAT and session state between peers?
Route reload
Stateful switchover
NAT overload
Hot standby routing protocol
Stateful Switchover (SSO) replicates configuration and session states, including NAT, between active and standby routers for seamless failover. HSRP is HSRP, route reload restarts processes, and NAT overload is PAT.
Which tool can simulate WAN conditions like latency and packet loss for testing at the WAN edge?
DNS sinkhole
Port scanner
NTP server
WAN emulator
WAN emulators generate configurable impairments such as latency, jitter, and packet loss to test application performance under realistic WAN conditions. NTP servers sync time, DNS sinkholes redirect DNS, and port scanners probe open ports.
Which Cisco feature at the WAN edge can detect and block malicious traffic patterns?
OSPF
Firepower Threat Defense
HSRP
GRE tunneling
Cisco Firepower Threat Defense integrates intrusion prevention and advanced threat protection to inspect and block malicious traffic at the WAN edge. GRE tunnels encapsulate traffic, HSRP handles redundancy, and OSPF is a routing protocol.
Which extension to BGP allows for intelligent path selection based on application performance metrics at the WAN edge?
BGP Graceful Restart
BGP Route Reflector
BGP Confederation
Performance-Based Routing (PfR)
Performance-Based Routing (PfR) by Cisco collects SLA metrics like loss and latency, dynamically steering traffic over optimal WAN paths. BGP Graceful Restart manages session restarts, route reflectors reduce iBGP peering, and confederations partition ASes.
In a hub-and-spoke DMVPN design, how can spoke routers maintain dynamic spoke-to-spoke tunnels when the hub fails?
IPsec transport mode
HSRP
Static GRE
NHRP redirect and shortcut
NHRP redirect and shortcut enable spokes to exchange mappings directly and form tunnels without hub mediation, preserving DMVPN mesh connectivity even if the hub is unreachable. HSRP is gateway redundancy, static GRE lacks dynamic discovery, and IPsec transport mode is encryption only.
Which advanced SD-WAN feature uses real-time telemetry and analytics to adjust WAN edge routing policies dynamically?
NTP monitoring
Application-aware path conditioning
Static route tagging
HSRP
Application-aware path conditioning in modern SD-WAN solutions uses telemetry on latency, jitter, and loss to dynamically select optimal paths per application. HSRP handles redundancy, NTP monitors time, and static route tagging is manual.
Which hardware acceleration feature on Cisco IOS XE routers offloads IPsec encryption to improve WAN edge throughput?
CEF
NetFlow
Crypto Flow Offload
NAT express
Crypto Flow Offload moves IPsec encryption/decryption from software to hardware ASICs, substantially increasing throughput on IOS XE platforms. CEF accelerates routing, NAT express speeds NAT, and NetFlow provides traffic analytics.
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Study Outcomes

  1. Identify Key Functions of a WAN Edge Router -

    Pinpoint the three critical operations performed by a WAN edge router, reinforcing your ability to choose the three functions of a WAN edge router in exam-style questions.

  2. Differentiate Edge Router Features -

    Distinguish WAN edge router features from other router types to clarify their unique roles in network design and ccna exam prep.

  3. Analyze Traffic Management Roles -

    Examine how WAN edge routers handle packet forwarding, traffic shaping, and redundancy, helping you master wan edge router features in real-world scenarios.

  4. Apply Concepts to CCNA 4 Practice Quiz -

    Use your understanding of WAN edge functions to accurately answer ccna 4 practice quiz questions and simulate the pressure of the ccna final exam questions.

  5. Evaluate Scenario-Based Configurations -

    Assess network scenarios to determine the appropriate WAN edge router functions, boosting your confidence for CCNA exam prep and real deployments.

Cheat Sheet

  1. Routing & Path Selection -

    WAN edge routers use dynamic routing protocols like OSPF and BGP to build and maintain the best paths across multiple service provider links. Understanding OSPF cost calculations (Cost = Reference Bandwidth / Interface Bandwidth) helps you predict failover behavior. Mnemonic: "Big Only Sees Perfect Routes" for BGP, OSPF, Static, Policy-based routing.

  2. Traffic Prioritization with QoS -

    Quality of Service on a WAN edge router classifies, marks, and shapes traffic to guarantee performance for critical applications. For example, you can map voice RTP to DSCP EF (Expedited Forwarding) to ensure low jitter. Remember "PMP" for QoS tasks: Polynomial shaping, Marking, Policing.

  3. WAN Encapsulation & Link Technologies -

    Edge routers support encapsulation methods such as PPP, HDLC, and Frame Relay to interoperate with diverse service provider networks. Review PPP authentication options (PAP vs. CHAP) to secure link establishment. A handy phrase: "FH²P" (Frame, HDLC, PPP) for common WAN edge router features.

  4. Security Services & VPN Integration -

    Implementing site-to-site IPsec VPN and ACL filtering on a WAN edge router protects data traversing public infrastructure. Practice configuring transform sets, crypto maps, and verify with show crypto ipsec sa for your CCNA 4 practice quiz. Tip: "A”VIP" for ACLs, VPN, Inspection, and Policy-based routing as key security functions.

  5. High Availability & Redundancy -

    Edge routers often run HSRP or VRRP to provide seamless failover between redundant devices, keeping voice and data sessions live. Validate your setup with show standby and track interface commands. Think "FAR" (Failover, Availability, Redundancy) to nail ccna final exam questions on WAN edge resiliency.

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