Cisco Certified Network Associate (CCNA) Practice Exam

How does VRRP determine which router becomes the master?

1. By the lowest IP address

2. By the highest configured priority

3. Random selection

4. By the order of configuration

The correct answer is: By the highest configured priority

The correct answer is based on the way the Virtual Router Redundancy Protocol (VRRP) establishes which router will act as the master. In VRRP, routers are assigned a priority value, and the router with the highest configured priority becomes the master. If multiple routers have the same priority, the router with the highest IP address among those with the same priority will then assume the master role. This mechanism ensures that VRRP can effectively provide redundancy and failover functionality by designating one router as the primary point of contact for the virtual router. The other options do not align with how VRRP functions. For example, determining the master by the lowest IP address does not provide a reliable method for establishing a primary device, as it might not reflect the router’s capabilities or reliability. Random selection would introduce unpredictability, making it difficult to maintain a consistent active router in a redundant setup. Ordering by configuration does not apply since the protocol explicitly prioritizes based on the configured priority values rather than the sequence in which routers were set up.