HPE6-A86 HPE Network Switching Associate Exam Questions and Answers

The correct answers are C and D. TCP uses sequence numbers and requires an established connection. HPE Aruba Networking documentation references TCP sequence-number enforcement as a firewall/security function, which confirms that TCP traffic uses sequence numbers that can be tracked and validated. HPE Aruba documentation also describes TCP traffic with an “established” option for controlling TCP connection traffic in access control entries, which indicates that TCP is connection-oriented and maintains connection state. Option A is incorrect because TCP does support retransmission; HPE Aruba EdgeConnect documentation discusses features that avoid the need for TCP retransmission, which only makes sense because retransmission is a normal TCP behavior. Option B is incorrect because connectionless behavior describes UDP, not TCP. Option E is also incorrect because latency-sensitive traffic, such as real-time voice or video, commonly favors UDP because retransmission and connection-state handling can add delay. TCP is better suited for applications that need reliable, ordered delivery, such as web, file-transfer, or management traffic, rather than real-time latency-sensitive flows.

The correct answer is B. CX 8100 Series switches do not support VSF. The error appears because the vsf command is not valid on a platform that does not support Virtual Switching Framework. HPE Aruba Networking documentation identifies VSF as supported on specific access-switch platforms such as the CX 6200 and CX 6300 families. For higher-end aggregation and core platforms, including the CX 8100, HPE Aruba Networking uses Virtual Switching Extension, or VSX, rather than VSF. Official HPE Aruba Networking Central documentation states that VSX is supported on AOS-CX 6400, 8100, 8320, 8325, 8360, 8400, 9300, and 10000 switch series. Other AOS-CX documentation for 8xxx switch families also notes that VSF is not supported on those switches. Option A is incorrect because physical VSF links are not the reason the command is rejected. Option C is incorrect because VSF cannot be globally enabled on CX 8100. Option D is incorrect because this is a platform-support limitation, not a firmware issue.

The correct answer is A. Disable SSH and HTTPS in the data plane. After connecting the out-of-band management, or OOBM, interface, management access should be restricted to the management plane rather than left available through user/data-plane interfaces. HPE Aruba Networking AOS-CX hardening guidance explains that the default VRF is associated with non-management interfaces, while the management VRF is associated with the dedicated management interface. It also lists SSH on TCP 22 and HTTPS/Web UI on TCP 443 as management services enabled by default. For hardening, if OOBM is being used, management services such as SSH and HTTPS should be disabled or restricted from the default/data VRF so users cannot manage the switch through production-facing ports. Option B is incorrect because disabling SSH and HTTPS in the management plane would remove the secure OOBM management path. Option C is incorrect because Telnet and HTTP are insecure protocols. Option D is incorrect because enabling SSH and HTTPS in the data plane increases the exposed management surface.

The correct answer is B. PoE is disabled on the interface. If there are no lights on the access point, the first issue to investigate is whether the AP is receiving power. HPE Aruba Networking 550 Series installation documentation identifies Power over Ethernet as a supported power source for the AP, including IEEE 802.3bt or 802.3at PoE. HPE Aruba Networking AOS-CX documentation for the CX 6000/6100 PoE command shows that per-interface power distribution can be enabled with power-over-ethernet and disabled with no power-over-ethernet. If PoE is disabled on the switch interface, the AP will not receive power from the Ethernet cable and therefore may show no LEDs. Option A is incorrect because a missing STP configuration would not prevent the AP from powering on. Option C is incorrect because failure to reach HPE Aruba Networking Central would occur after the AP is powered and network-connected. Option D is also incorrect because a wrong VLAN can prevent management or provisioning, but it would not normally stop the AP LEDs from turning on.

The correct answer is B. Light. Multi-mode cable refers to multi-mode fiber-optic cabling. In fiber-optic transmission, data is carried using light through the fiber core. HPE Aruba Networking’s transceiver documentation explains that multimode fibers have thicker fiber cores and can transport light in multiple modes. The same HPE Aruba Networking transceiver guidance discusses optical transceivers transmitting light pulses and managing light loss across fiber-optic cabling. Therefore, in the context of multi-mode fiber, the signal being modulated to represent data is light. Option A is incorrect because radio is used in wireless transmission, not fiber-optic cabling. Option C is incorrect because voltage is associated with electrical copper cabling, such as twisted-pair Ethernet, rather than optical fiber. Option D is incorrect because pressure is not used as the signaling method for standard Ethernet fiber links. This question is focused on Layer 1 media behavior, and multi-mode fiber is a Physical Layer medium that transports optical signals between network transceivers.

The correct answer is D. 6. In a switched Ethernet network, each individual switch link or switch port represents a separate collision domain. The diagram shows four end-user device links: PC-A to the VLAN 10 access switch, PC-B to the VLAN 10 access switch, PC-C to the VLAN 20 access switch, and PC-D to the VLAN 20 access switch. It also shows two uplinks from the access switches to the Layer 3 switch or routing switch that contains the SVIs for VLAN 10 and VLAN 20. That gives a total of six physical Ethernet links, and therefore six collision domains. The VLANs do not reduce this count to two; VLANs define Layer 2 broadcast domains, not collision domains. The SVIs also do not create one collision domain; they are Layer 3 gateway interfaces used for routing between VLANs. HPE Aruba Networking campus design documentation describes Layer 2 and Layer 3 switching technologies used in campus topologies, while HPE Aruba switch documentation treats physical switch ports as individual Ethernet interfaces. For this diagram, the collision-domain count is based on the physical switched links, so the answer is 6.

The correct answer is D. Allowed VLANs between access switches. The diagram shows Server-1 connected to Access-2 in VLAN 20 and PC-1 connected to Access-1. The inter-switch link between Access-1 and Access-2 is shown as a trunk carrying VLANs 1, 10, and 20. If users on Access-1 cannot reach Server-1 in VLAN 20 after a recent change, while devices directly connected to Access-2 are not affected, the most likely issue is that VLAN 20 is not being correctly carried across the trunk between the access switches. HPE Aruba Networking AOS-CX documentation states that vlan trunk allowed defines which VLAN traffic is allowed across a trunk interface. It also explains that allowed VLANs are the VLANs that can be transported by the trunk; if a required VLAN is missing from the allowed list, that VLAN’s traffic will not traverse the trunk. Option A is less likely because devices directly connected to Access-2 can access Server-1, indicating Server-1’s local VLAN placement is probably correct. Option B is unlikely because a down trunk would affect more VLANs than just access to VLAN 20. Option C is not supported by the symptom pattern.

The correct answer is B. The switch control plane is shared. HPE Aruba Networking documentation explains that Virtual Switching Framework, or VSF, stacks multiple individual switches into a single logical device using standard Ethernet links. Once the VSF stack is formed, the interconnected switches operate as one virtual switch with a single control plane. HPE Aruba documentation also describes VSF as providing a single point of management access with a shared control plane across all stack members. Option A is incorrect because member IDs are part of the VSF configuration and may be assigned or changed during stack setup. Option C is incorrect because VSF is not universally limited to two members; supported stack size depends on the switch family and software support. Option D is incorrect because an independent management plane describes VSX more than VSF. HPE’s VSF-versus-VSX comparison identifies VSF as having a single management plane, while VSX has dual management planes.

The correct answer is C. Customers that do not allow cloud connectivity. HPE Aruba Networking Central On-Premises is intended for organizations that need Aruba Central-style management capabilities but cannot or do not want to place management data in the public cloud. Official HPE Aruba Networking Central On-Premises documentation describes it as a variant of HPE Aruba Networking Central that is deployed in the customer’s own environment, while the Validated Solution Guide states that Central On-Premises is appropriate when security requirements disallow Internet connectivity. This makes it suitable for organizations with strict regulatory, security, data sovereignty, or internal policy requirements that prevent cloud-managed network infrastructure. Option A is incorrect because using hyperscaler-hosted server resources does not, by itself, require Central On-Premises. Option B is incorrect because a SaaS-maintained management platform describes the cloud version of HPE Aruba Networking Central, not the on-premises deployment. Option D is not the best answer because geographical redundancy is not the primary use case described for choosing Central On-Premises.

The correct answer is D. A DHCP server must be configured with the required options. HPE Aruba Networking AOS-CX documentation explains that ZTP is used to automatically load a switch configuration from a server when the switch boots from a factory-default configuration. The AOS-CX Fundamentals Guide for the 4100i, 6000, and 6100 switch series states that ZTP supports DHCP standards and DHCP options, and that support is limited to the listed DHCP options for ZTP on AOS-CX. The same guide describes setting up ZTP on a trusted network by preparing the configuration, setting up a TFTP server, and configuring DHCP-related information. Option B is incorrect because the guide references TFTP, not SFTP, for the ZTP server workflow. Option C is incorrect because the listed process does not use SCP for the initial template download. Option A is misleading because ZTP is enabled only when the switch is in factory-default configuration; the key requirement is the DHCP-based provisioning environment with the proper options.

The correct answer is C. It shares the same network path as user data. HPE Aruba Networking AOS-CX documentation explains that in-band management traffic uses the same network infrastructure as user data. In-band management typically occurs through normal switch data ports using protocols such as SSH or SNMP. Because it uses the data plane and the production network, in-band management can be affected by congestion, outages, misconfiguration, or other issues impacting the user network. Option A is not the best answer because implementation complexity depends on the design, and HPE’s key distinction is not that in-band is more complex. Option B is incorrect because out-of-band management is usually preferred for better management isolation and resiliency. Option D is incorrect because if the main production network path is unavailable, in-band management can also fail. Out-of-band management uses a dedicated console, USB console, or management port path separate from the production data network.

The correct answer is D. It is available as a cloud solution. HPE Aruba Networking Central is described in official Aruba documentation as a cloud-based management platform for managing AOS-CX infrastructure. It provides centralized functions for provisioning, configuring, monitoring, and troubleshooting AOS-CX switches. This means it is not limited to on-premises deployment. Option A is incorrect because AOS-CX support in Aruba Central is not limited only to templates; Central also supports monitoring, troubleshooting, and UI-based workflows depending on the software version, group type, and deployment model. Option B is also incorrect because monitoring-only mode is one supported option, but it is not the only supported mode. HPE Aruba documentation specifically notes that AOS-CX switches can be added in monitoring-only mode, but also separately documents configuration using templates and UI groups. Therefore, the broad and correct description for a customer conversation is that HPE Aruba Networking Central is available as a cloud management solution for AOS-CX switches.

The correct answer is C. In-band management uses the production switching network rather than the dedicated out-of-band management port. For an HPE Aruba Networking CX 4100i switch, HPE Aruba Networking AOS-CX documentation states that configuring the in-band management interface begins by entering interface vlan 1. The guide then shows that the in-band management interface can be configured with DHCP or with a static IP address. Therefore, assigning ip address 10.10.10.10/24 under interface vlan 1 is the correct in-band management configuration from the choices. Option A is incorrect because interface mgmt is the out-of-band management interface, not in-band management. Option D is also out-of-band for the same reason. Option B is not the best answer because routing is not required under the VLAN interface for this in-band management IP configuration. The essential configuration is the VLAN interface with the static IP address

The correct answers are A and F. Valid RADIUS authentication responses include Access-Accept and Access-Reject. HPE Aruba Networking documentation explains that a RADIUS server responds to an authentication request with an Access-Accept response when authentication succeeds, or an Access-Reject response when the user is not authorized. In the answer choices, these are represented as ACCEPT and REJECT. The other options are not valid RADIUS response names in this context. “ALLOW” and “PERMIT” may describe an access-control result in plain language, but they are not the RADIUS authentication response messages used by the protocol. “DENY” and “BLOCK” are also not the listed RADIUS response types in HPE Aruba Networking documentation. In an HPE Aruba Networking environment, RADIUS is commonly used for authentication, authorization, and accounting workflows, including administrative login and network access authentication. The important exam distinction is that the RADIUS server returns Access-Accept for successful authentication and Access-Reject for failed or unauthorized authentication.

The correct answer is A. A link between members 1 and 3 needs to be disconnected. The output shows that the current three-member VSF stack is built as a ring: member 1 connects to member 2, member 2 connects to member 3, and member 3 connects back to member 1. To insert an additional member into an existing physical ring, one of the ring links must be opened so the new switch can be cabled between the two existing members. In this case, disconnecting the link between members 1 and 3 allows the new member to be added between those members, preserving the ring topology after the new connections are made. HPE Aruba Networking VSF documentation states that VSF supports 6200F stacks in chain and ring topologies, with ring topology recommended for resiliency because each member has VSF link connectivity to two other members. Option B is incorrect because changing to chain topology is not required or preferred. Option C is incorrect because the existing VSF links are already being used for the ring. Option D is incorrect because the standby role is determined within the stack; the new member is not pre-provisioned as standby.

The correct answer is D. administrators. HPE Aruba Networking AOS-CX documentation for the 4100i, 6000, and 6100 switch series states that, in addition to user-defined local groups, there are three built-in user groups: administrators, operators, and auditors. The documentation also states that the default admin account belongs to the administrators group. This makes administrators the only valid default group among the answer choices. Option A, root, is not listed as a built-in AOS-CX user group. Option B, managers, is not one of the default AOS-CX groups. Option C, super-users, is also not listed as a built-in group. These names may appear in other systems or older platforms, but on HPE Aruba Networking CX 6100 switches, the built-in local user groups are administrators, operators, and auditors. Therefore, the correct default user group from the listed options is administrators.

The correct answer is C. The port is removed from the switch’s data plane. On HPE Aruba Networking CX switches that support VSF, including the CX 6200 family, VSF ports are dedicated to the VSF stack fabric. HPE Aruba Networking’s AOS-CX VSF documentation explains that when an interface becomes part of a VSF link, no standard network-layer protocol or standard feature can run on that interface because it becomes part of the VSF stack fabric. This means the interface is no longer used like a normal front-panel data port for regular switching or routing traffic. Option A is incorrect because a VSF port does not become a routed port. Option B is incorrect because the statement is not the general rule for CX 6200 VSF ports. Option D is incorrect because ISL LAG terminology is associated with VSX designs, not VSF stacking. VSF uses VSF links to combine supported switches into a single logical switch with one control and management plane.

The correct answer is A. Change the hash algorithm. In a LAG, traffic is not normally split packet-by-packet across every member link. Instead, the switch uses a hashing method to choose which physical interface in the aggregate should transmit each flow. The output shows that the current hash is l3-src-dst, which means the load-balancing calculation uses Layer 3 source and destination IP information. If many flows share the same source and destination IP pair, traffic can be unevenly distributed, causing one link to become congested while another link is lightly used. HPE Aruba Networking AOS-CX documentation states that the lacp hash command controls the selection of an interface in an aggregate group and supports Layer 2, Layer 3, and Layer 4 source/destination hash options. Changing the hash algorithm, for example to include Layer 4 source and destination TCP/UDP ports, can improve distribution when Layer 3 values alone are not diverse enough. Changing LACP mode, configuring static LAG, or changing LACP heartbeat rate would not directly fix uneven traffic distribution.

The correct answer is C. Commands - show interface error-statistics. Because the users and the document management server are in the same subnet, traffic is switched locally rather than routed across multiple Layer 3 hops. If packet loss is suspected during file uploads, the most useful verification is to inspect interface error counters on the switch ports involved. HPE Aruba Networking AOS-CX documentation includes the show interface < IFNAME > error-statistics command, which displays interface error statistics such as receive and transmit errors, CRC/FCS errors, drops, runts, giants, and related counters. HPE Aruba Networking Central documentation states that the Commands tab can run troubleshooting commands on managed devices and show the output in the Device Output section. A cable test may help detect physical cabling faults, but it does not directly confirm packet loss counters. Traceroute is less useful within the same subnet. Ping can show reachability loss, but interface error statistics provide better evidence of switch-port packet errors causing performance problems.

The correct answer is B. To find the destination MAC address for a specific IP address. ARP, or Address Resolution Protocol, is used on IPv4 Ethernet networks to map a Layer 3 IPv4 address to a Layer 2 MAC address. HPE Aruba Networking AOS-CX documentation states that ARP maps network addresses assigned to devices to physical addresses, and specifically maps IPv4 network addresses to Layer 2 MAC addresses on Ethernet networks. When a host wants to send traffic to another IPv4 device on the same local network, or to its default gateway, it must know the destination MAC address to build the Ethernet frame. If the MAC address is not already in its ARP table, it sends an ARP request asking which device owns the target IP address. Option A is incorrect because ARP is not used to find a source IP address. Option C is incorrect because the device already knows its own source MAC address. Option D describes reverse mapping, which is not the purpose of a normal ARP request.

The correct answer is A. SNMP v3. HPE Aruba Networking AOS-CX hardening documentation recommends using SNMPv3 instead of older SNMP versions. Older SNMP versions are unauthenticated and unencrypted, and the community string is transmitted in plaintext. SNMPv3 supports users, authentication, and strong encryption, including stronger authentication and privacy protocols. This makes SNMPv3 the correct version when the requirement is to monitor switches with encrypted SNMP data. Option B and option C are incorrect because SNMPv2 and SNMPv2c do not provide the same authentication and encryption protections required by the question. Option D is incorrect because SNMPv4 is not a valid SNMP version used for this purpose on HPE Aruba Networking CX switches. Therefore, the secure SNMP monitoring choice is SNMPv3.

The correct answer is C. The DHCP server has run out of leases. The key clue is the LLDP neighbor management address of 169.254.2.58. A 169.254.x.x address is a link-local address, which indicates the AP did not successfully receive a usable DHCP address from the intended management VLAN. The switch configuration shows VLAN 10 has an SVI address of 10.80.10.1/24 and an ip helper-address 10.200.10.51, so the DHCP server does not need to be in the same subnet as the AP. HPE Aruba Networking AOS-CX documentation explains that DHCP relay forwards DHCP messages from clients on a subnet without a local DHCP server to DHCP servers on other subnets and relays answers back to clients. Therefore, option B is incorrect. Option A is incorrect because Aruba APs support DHCP for address assignment. Option D is not the best answer because the AP is on the native VLAN of a trunk, which can carry untagged management traffic while also allowing additional VLANs. The likely issue is DHCP service failure, such as no available leases.

The correct answer is D. As a response to the broadcast DHCP query. DHCP clients initially do not have an IP address, so they commonly use broadcast DHCP discovery/request traffic to locate a DHCP server on the local network. HPE Aruba Networking documentation for DHCP relay explains that when a DHCP client broadcasts a request, the DHCP relay agent on the switch receives the packets and forwards them to the DHCP server as unicast requests. In this scenario, the access points are in VLAN 50, and VLAN 50 also contains DHCP servers. Because the DHCP server is on the same local management VLAN as the APs, the APs can obtain addresses through the normal DHCP broadcast process within that VLAN. Anycast and multicast are not used for the basic DHCP address request in this scenario. A unicast DHCP relay message can occur between a relay agent and a DHCP server when the server is on another subnet, but the client-side DHCP discovery begins as broadcast traffic.

The correct answer is B. Configure an IP helper for the DHCP server. The IoT device is connected to VLAN 100, whose Layer 3 SVI is 10.100.1.1/24. The DHCP server is 10.200.1.51, which is in a different subnet. DHCP clients initially use broadcast messages to discover a DHCP server, and those broadcasts do not cross Layer 3 boundaries by default. HPE Aruba Networking AOS-CX documentation explains that DHCP relay forwards DHCP client requests to configured DHCP servers, and that the ip helper-address command defines the address of a remote DHCP server or relay agent. The documentation also states that IP helper addresses can be configured on Layer 3 interfaces, Layer 3 VLAN interfaces, and LAG interfaces. Therefore, the correct fix is to configure ip helper-address 10.200.1.51 under interface vlan100. Disabling STP is not appropriate and could create Layer 2 loop risk. A static route may be needed for reachability in some designs, but it does not relay DHCP broadcasts. Broadcast-to-unicast conversion is not the required AOS-CX DHCP relay configuration.

The correct answer is B. HPE Aruba Networking Central has been manually disabled on the switch. The key line in the output is Central admin state : disabled. HPE Aruba Networking AOS-CX documentation for the show aruba-central command provides an example of a switch when Aruba Central is disabled, showing Central admin state : disabled, Central connection values as N/A, and Central support mode as disabled. This indicates that the switch’s Central administrative state is disabled, so it is not attempting to connect to HPE Aruba Networking Central. Option A is incorrect because the VRF for connection : N/A value is a result of Central being disabled, not proof that the management VRF does not exist. Option C is incorrect because this command output does not report support-contract validity. Option D is incorrect because the factory-default Central behavior is not what is being shown; the output specifically reflects Central being disabled. Therefore, the correct interpretation is that Central has been manually disabled on the switch. ( arubanetworking.hpe.com )

The correct answer is B. Suitable for basic Layer 3 networks. HPE Aruba Networking AOS-CX IP Routing documentation describes static routing as a method that can be used when the network topology is simple enough. Static routes are manually configured routes that tell the switch how to reach specific destination networks or where to send default traffic. This makes static routing useful for smaller, stable, or basic Layer 3 environments where the number of routes is limited and the topology does not change frequently. Option A is incorrect because static routing is normally predictable; the administrator explicitly defines the path. Option C is incorrect because static routing does not scale well to large or complex networks, since every required route must be manually maintained. Option D is incorrect because static routing does not automatically adapt to network failures across the whole network like a dynamic routing protocol can. Therefore, static routing is best described as suitable for basic Layer 3 networks.