HPE6-A86 HPE Network Switching Associate Exam Questions and Answers

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. Connect using the RJ-45 console port. To perform initial configuration on an HPE Aruba Networking CX 6200M switch, especially when configuring an SVI static IP address for in-band management, you need direct CLI access before the switch has reachable IP connectivity. The HPE Aruba Networking CX 6200 installation documentation identifies the RJ-45 console port as the local serial console connection used for direct management. HPE Aruba Networking fundamentals documentation also explains that initial configuration can be performed through the console port or management port, while VLAN 1 static IP configuration can be used for in-band management. The RJ-45 management port is for out-of-band management, but it requires management interface IP settings to be usable remotely. The Aruba mobile app and Bluetooth adapter can help with some initial setup workflows, but the question asks how to connect to configure an SVI static IP address. The most direct and expected method is to use the console connection and configure the SVI through the CLI. ( hpe.com , arubanetworking.hpe.com )

The correct answer is D. CX 8400. The requirement asks for a chassis solution, 100G speeds to the aggregation layer, and a maximum size of 10U. HPE Aruba Networking describes the CX 8400 as a core and aggregation switch with line-rate 10GbE, 25GbE, 40GbE, and 100GbE connectivity in a compact 8-slot chassis. The installation guide also identifies the CX 8400 as an eight-slot chassis platform for core and aggregation switching. This satisfies both the 100G requirement and the physical-size requirement because 8U is below the 10U maximum. The CX 10000, CX 9300, and CX 8360 are fixed-form-factor platforms rather than chassis solutions, so they do not match the customer’s chassis requirement. Therefore, the best initial proposal from the listed options is the HPE Aruba Networking CX 8400.

The correct answer is A. API. HPE Aruba Networking Fabric Composer is an orchestration and management platform for supported AOS-CX switches. HPE Aruba Networking Fabric Composer documentation describes Fabric Composer as managing and orchestrating HPE Aruba Networking AOS-CX switch fabrics and includes an API Explorer containing Fabric Composer API documentation. The Fabric Composer guide also describes system settings for switch polling, switch events through a web socket connection, and enhanced logging of API calls. This aligns with Fabric Composer using API-based communication and orchestration rather than traditional CLI-only management. SSH can be used for direct administrator access to a switch, but it is not the best answer for Fabric Composer’s switch-management communication method. Telnet is insecure and not appropriate. SNMPv3 is useful for secure monitoring, but it is not the protocol used by Fabric Composer for configuration orchestration of CX switches. Therefore, the correct option is API.

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 D. CX 6300M in VSF. The requirement includes stacked switches, PoE+ ports, near-zero downtime, continuous packet forwarding, and highly available hardware. HPE Aruba Networking CX 6300M switches support PoE models and are part of the CX 6300 stackable switch family. HPE’s CX 6300 QuickSpecs describe high availability by design using VSF in-service software upgrades, with no downtime or restart when upgrading within the same major release, provided there is at least a two-member VSF stack. The CX 6300 family also supports modular and fixed models in a single stack and includes PoE-capable models. Option A is incorrect because the CX 8100 uses VSX rather than VSF stacking and is not the appropriate PoE+ access stack answer. Option B is less correct because the CX 6200F is stackable with VSF but does not provide the same high-availability feature set as CX 6300M. Option C is incorrect because the CX 8320 is a VSX-capable data center/core platform, not the best PoE+ stacked access solution.

The correct answer is A. The VSF ports automatically forward the traffic for configured VLANs. In HPE Aruba Networking CX VSF, the VSF link ports are dedicated stack-fabric interfaces between VSF members. They are not configured like normal access or trunk ports for user VLAN forwarding. HPE Aruba Networking Central documentation for AOS-CX ports and LAGs notes that VLAN mode options such as access or trunk are not visible for VSF ports, which confirms that VSF ports are not manually configured as normal VLAN trunks. Once the VSF stack is formed, the stack operates as one logical switch, and the VSF links carry the necessary internal stack traffic automatically, including traffic associated with configured VLANs. Option B is incorrect because you do not configure VSF ports as trunk ports with vlan trunk allowed all. Option C is incorrect because vsf-sync is not required for VLAN forwarding across VSF links. Option D is incorrect because VLAN 4095 is not manually configured on VSF links for this purpose.

The correct answer is D. When 10.1.251.2 is no longer in the routing table. The configuration shows two static default routes to the same destination, 0.0.0.0/0. The first route uses the default administrative distance, while the second route has a higher administrative distance of 10, making it a floating static route. HPE Aruba Networking AOS-CX documentation for static routing states that the distance option sets the administrative distance associated with a static route, with a default of 1 and a range of 1–255. Because lower administrative distance is preferred, the route through 10.1.251.2 remains active as long as it is valid in the routing table. The backup route through 10.1.252.2 becomes active only when the preferred route is removed or no longer installed. A remote upstream fiber break might not remove the directly reachable next hop from the routing table, which explains why failover did not occur. BFD tracking could improve failure detection, but the condition for this configured floating static route to take over is loss of the primary route from the routing table.

The correct answer is A. CX 6400. The requirement calls for a chassis-based core switch that can scale to a 12U chassis and support 100G speeds toward the aggregation layer. HPE Aruba Networking CX 6400 QuickSpecs identify the CX 6400 as a modular switch family and include the larger CX 6410 chassis option, which is a 10-slot chassis platform. HPE also lists CX 6400 40/100GbE QSFP28 line modules, which provide the required 100G connectivity. This makes CX 6400 the correct fit for a chassis solution that can scale to the requested physical size and provide 100G uplinks. The CX 10000, CX 9300, and CX 8325 are fixed-form-factor platforms, not modular chassis solutions, so they do not match the stated chassis requirement. Therefore, the best initial proposal is the HPE Aruba Networking CX 6400.

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 E. HPE Aruba Networking AOS-CX switches support RADIUS and TACACS+ for controlling administrative access. HPE Aruba Networking security documentation describes remote AAA authentication and authorization using RADIUS or TACACS+ servers. These protocols allow administrative logins and command authorization to be managed centrally instead of relying only on local switch users. RADIUS is commonly used for authentication, authorization, and accounting services, while TACACS+ is especially useful for administrative access control because it can provide command authorization and accounting. LDAP, Diameter, and SAML are not the correct answers for the AOS-CX administrative access control protocols listed in this question. LDAP is a directory protocol, Diameter is an AAA protocol used in other service-provider contexts, and SAML is commonly used for web-based single sign-on, but they are not the two AOS-CX switch administrative access protocols being tested here. ( arubanetworking.hpe.com )

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 A. The VSF feature is enabled by default. The key difference is between the older AOS-Switch VSF behavior used by the 2930F and the AOS-CX VSF behavior used by the CX 6200. In AOS-Switch 2930F manual VSF configuration, each switch must be configured individually for VSF before joining the stack. In contrast, HPE Aruba Networking AOS-CX VSF documentation for CX switches states that users cannot disable VSF and that a factory-default switch boots as a VSF-enabled device with member ID 1. Therefore, when replacing 2930F switches with CX 6200 switches, the important stacking difference is that VSF is inherently enabled on the CX 6200 platform. Option B is incorrect because VSF MAD is not automatically enabled on each LAG simply because LACP active mode is configured. Option C is incorrect because it states the opposite of the CX 6200 behavior. Option D is not the key difference for CX 6200; it more closely resembles manual AOS-Switch VSF setup behavior where switches are individually prepared for VSF participation.

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. The link on interface 1/1/16 is not established. The output clearly states Interface 1/1/16 is down, Admin state is up, and State information: Waiting for link. This means the port is enabled administratively, but the physical link is not up. HPE Aruba Networking AOS-CX show interface documentation displays these fields to show operational and administrative interface status, including examples where the interface is down while the admin state remains up. Option A is incorrect because the output says qos trust dscp, which trusts Layer 3 DSCP markings, not Layer 2 CoS markings. Option B is incorrect because Admin state is up; an administratively disabled interface would be shut down. Option C is incorrect because the output shows VLAN Mode: native-untagged and Native VLAN: 10; native VLAN 10 is untagged, while the allowed VLAN list shows VLANs permitted on the trunk. Since the port is waiting for link, the immediate verified issue is that the physical link is not established

The correct matches are 802.3af for 15.4W, 802.3at for 30W, 802.3bt Type 3 for 60W, and 802.3bt Type 4 for 90W. HPE Aruba Networking AOS-CX PoE documentation explains that PoE powered devices are divided into different types and classes according to their power requirements. It identifies Type 1 as supplying a maximum of 15.4W from the power sourcing equipment, which corresponds to IEEE 802.3af. Type 2 supplies a maximum of 30W, which corresponds to IEEE 802.3at. Type 3 supplies a maximum of 60W and Type 4 supplies a maximum of 90W, both under IEEE 802.3bt. These values are important when selecting switch PoE capability for devices such as access points, cameras, sensors, phones, and other powered devices. The switch must have both the per-port PoE capability and enough total PoE power budget to support the connected devices.

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 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 A. The CX 6300M VSF stack is the Layer 3 gateway for VLAN 200 clients, so the DHCP relay configuration must be applied to interface vlan 200, the SVI for the client VLAN. The SVI should use an address in the client subnet, such as 192.168.200.1/24, and the remote DHCP server should be defined with the AOS-CX ip helper-address command. HPE Aruba Networking AOS-CX documentation states that ip helper-address < IPV4-ADDR > defines the address of a remote DHCP server or DHCP relay agent and that the DHCP relay agent forwards DHCP client requests to the defined servers. Option B is incorrect because VLAN 1 is not the VLAN 200 client gateway. Options C and D are incorrect because dhcp-relay server is not the correct AOS-CX command shown for configuring IPv4 DHCP relay on the SVI. The correct configuration is ip helper-address 192.168.1.100 under interface vlan 200.

The correct answer is D. Peer device native VLAN ID is 1. The LLDP output shows Neighbor Port VLANID : 1, which identifies the VLAN ID advertised by the neighboring device for that port. HPE Aruba Networking AOS-CX documentation for show lldp neighbor-info explains that LLDP neighbor output displays information about neighboring devices and that the details vary based on the TLVs sent by the neighbor. In the Aruba examples, Neighbor Port VLAN ID and Neighbor Port VLAN Name are shown as LLDP fields, so the VLAN ID value in the output can be validated directly. Option A is not the best answer because although the VLAN name field is blank, the stronger validated configuration item is the VLAN ID value. Option B is incorrect because Neighbor MAU type : 10GIGBASER indicates a 10 Gigabit Ethernet BASE-R PHY type, not a 1 Gigabit transceiver. Option C is incorrect because Port: 1/1/25 is the local switch interface where the neighbor was discovered; the peer device’s port is shown separately as Neighbor Port-ID : 1/1/51. Therefore, the validated statement is that the peer device native VLAN ID is 1.

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. Must be manually configured. HPE Aruba Networking AOS-CX documentation states that static routes are manually configured in the routing table. A static route defines a destination network and the next-hop address or exit interface that the switch should use to forward traffic. Static routes are useful in small, simple, or predictable networks because they are straightforward and do not require a dynamic routing protocol to exchange route information. Option B is incorrect because automatically learned routes are associated with dynamic routing protocols, such as OSPF or BGP, not static routing. Option C is incorrect because static routes usually have low processing overhead compared to dynamic routing protocols, since the switch does not need to run neighbor discovery, exchange routing updates, or calculate topology changes. Option D is incorrect because static routes do not automatically respond to network topology changes unless supported by an additional tracking mechanism or manually changed by an administrator. Therefore, the defining characteristic of a static route is manual configuration.

The correct answer is A. On HPE Aruba Networking AOS-CX switches, the out-of-band management interface is configured under interface mgmt. For a static IPv4 address on the management interface, the correct command is ip static, not ip address. HPE Aruba Networking documentation shows the management interface configuration using interface mgmt, then ip static < address/prefix > , followed by default-gateway < gateway-address > when a gateway is required. The default-gateway command assigns the IPv4 or IPv6 default gateway to the management interface, and HPE documentation notes that an IPv4 default gateway can only be configured if a static IPv4 address has been assigned to the management interface. Option B is incorrect because ip address is used on routed interfaces or VLAN interfaces, not the CX management interface command syntax. Option C is incorrect for the same reason and because vrf attach mgmt is not required here. Option D includes unnecessary VRF configuration and the invalid vrf attach mgmt

The correct answer is A. A public CA signed certificate should be deployed. The browser warning appears because the captive portal is presenting a self-signed certificate that the client device does not trust. For guest access, client devices are usually unmanaged and cannot be expected to already trust an internal or self-signed certificate authority. HPE Aruba Networking documentation for captive portal deployments recommends that production environments obtain and install a certificate issued for the site or domain by a well-known Certificate Authority. This avoids browser trust warnings and gives guest users confidence that they are connecting to the correct portal. Option B is incorrect because disabling HTTPS and using HTTP would reduce security and expose portal traffic. Option C may work only for managed devices where the self-signed or private CA can be pushed into the trust store, but that is not practical for open wired guest access. Option D can be valid for internal managed users, but for guests, a public trusted CA certificate is the best answer.

The correct answer is B. Authentication, Authorization, and Accounting. HPE Aruba Networking AOS-CX documentation defines AAA as the security framework used to manage user access, enforce privileges, and log user access records. Authentication identifies users and validates their credentials. Authorization determines what authenticated users are allowed to do, such as which commands or services they can access. Accounting records user activity, access events, or resource usage for auditing and tracking. AAA can use local user accounts or remote authentication services such as RADIUS and TACACS+, depending on the switch configuration and security design. Option A is incorrect because AAA does not stand for Aruba Authentication Algorithm. Option C is not the correct expansion of the acronym. Option D uses similar-sounding terms but is not the official meaning. In HPE Aruba Networking documentation, AAA means Authentication, Authorization, and Accounting.

The correct answer is C. Automates root cause analytics. HPE Aruba Networking AOS-CX documentation describes the Network Analytics Engine, or NAE, as a framework within AOS-CX switches that automates the detection of issues and automates root cause analysis. NAE agents monitor switch resources, events, configuration, protocol states, and other operational data to help identify issues faster. This helps administrators move from manual troubleshooting to analytics-driven troubleshooting directly on the switch. Option A is not the best answer because NAE is not simply a feature that automatically creates tech-support diagnostic files. Option B is incorrect because automated configuration backups are not the main purpose of NAE. Option D is incorrect because NAE does not primarily create support events in the HPE Aruba Networking Support Portal. Its purpose is local switch analytics, issue detection, and root cause analysis. Therefore, the best description is that NAE automates root cause analytics.