Cisco Enterprise Network Core Technologies (ENCOR) Practice Exam

In the HSRP (Hot Standby Router Protocol) election process, the active router is determined primarily by the priority value assigned to each router participating in the HSRP group. When routers are configured to work in an HSRP environment, they each have a default priority value of 100. Higher priority values take precedence during the election process; therefore, the router with the highest priority among the candidates will assume the role of the active router. If multiple routers share the same highest priority, the router with the lowest IP address will then become the active router as a tiebreaker.

The importance of priority lies in its ability to provide network administrators with control over which router takes the active role in routing traffic, ensuring a more predictable and manageable network infrastructure. This feature allows for flexible configurations—network administrators can adjust priorities to influence the selection process effectively as required.

The other choices do not align with the principles of HSRP. The lowest IP address is only relevant in case of a tie in priority. The order of configuration does not impact the HSRP election process, nor does the number of interfaces a router has. These factors are not considered in determining which router becomes active in an HSRP setup, reinforcing the critical nature