Cisco Certified Network Professional Practice Test

Which of the following is NOT a factor when choosing an Interior Gateway Protocol?

1. Speed to repair

2. Vendor neutrality

3. Convergence time

4. Physical location of routers

The correct answer is: Physical location of routers

Choosing an Interior Gateway Protocol (IGP) involves considering various factors that influence how the protocol functions and how it meets certain network requirements. The correct answer highlights that "physical location of routers" does not typically factor into the selection of an IGP. Factors like speed to repair, convergence time, and vendor neutrality are critical for ensuring the IGP can respond quickly to changes in the network, maintain compatibility across different hardware and software environments, and recover from failures efficiently. Convergence time specifically relates to how quickly the entire network can agree on a consistent view of the topology after a change or failure, which is essential for maintaining network stability and performance. Vendor neutrality is also important, as it allows an organization to avoid being locked into a single vendor's ecosystem, making it easier to incorporate equipment from multiple suppliers. In contrast, the physical location of routers pertains more to the network's infrastructure design rather than the decision-making process for selecting an interior gateway protocol. While placement can affect latency and redundancy in the architecture, it does not have a direct impact on the protocols' operational characteristics. Thus, when determining which factors to consider in choosing an IGP, the focus would be on performance-related qualities rather than the geographical arrangement of the routers themselves.