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Difficulty: MediumFirst Hop Redundancy Protocols (HSRP and VRRP)

A network administrator enables HSRP version 2 on a Cisco IOS router interface configured with the highest priority in the group. In what order does the router progress through the standard HSRP operational states from initial interface bring-up to becoming the primary gateway?

  1. 1Initial State: HSRP is not running, but the interface becomes operational and HSRP configuration is applied.
  2. 2Listen State: The router listens for Hello messages from other routers to determine the virtual IP and current group state without transmitting Hello messages.
  3. 3Speak State: The router begins periodically sending Hello messages and actively participates in the election for Active and Standby roles.
  4. 4Standby State: The router is selected as the primary candidate to take over if the Active router fails and continues sending periodic Hello messages.
  5. 5Active State: The router assumes responsibility for forwarding packets sent to the group virtual IP address and virtual MAC address.

Answer

The correct chronological sequence of HSRP states during router initialization is Initial State, Listen State, Speak State, Standby State, and Active State.
HSRP routers follow a strict finite state machine sequence during initialization: Initial (interface up/config ready) -> Listen (receiving Hello messages passively) -> Speak (sending Hello messages to participate in election) -> Standby (acting as immediate backup) -> Active (handling virtual MAC/IP traffic).

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify the initial state upon interface bring-up
The router starts in the Initial state where protocol operations have not yet actively begun.
HSRP configuration is loaded but no network messages have been processed or sent.
2
Determine passive monitoring phase
The router transitions to the Listen state.
In Listen state, the router receives Hello packets to discover active group routers without sending any.
3
Identify active election participation
The router transitions to the Speak state.
In Speak state, the router starts transmitting Hello packets to announce its presence and priority.
4
Determine intermediate role election
The router moves into the Standby state.
Before becoming Active, the router becomes the Standby router monitoring the virtual IP group.
5
Identify final forwarding state
The router enters the Active state.
Because it possesses the highest priority, it claims the Active role and begins processing virtual MAC frames.

Key Concept

HSRP Finite State Machine (Initial -> Listen -> Speak -> Standby -> Active)
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Topics

First Hop Redundancy Protocols (HSRP and VRRP)

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