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BeginnerPublished 2026-07-02

HSRP Fundamentals: A Virtual Default Gateway

Free preview — the first lab of First-Hop Redundancy (HSRP & VRRP)

Build a fault-tolerant default gateway on a single LAN using HSRP. Two routers share one virtual IP so a host keeps the same default route even if one router fails. You will configure basic HSRP group 1 with a shared VIP, verify active/standby roles, and confirm the host can ping the virtual gateway.

Track
Est. time
35 minutes
Difficulty
Beginner
Topics

Learning objectives

  • Explain how HSRP provides a resilient default gateway using a shared virtual IP and MAC
  • Configure HSRP group 1 with a common virtual IP on two routers in the same VLAN
  • Observe deterministic active/standby selection with equal priorities
  • Verify HSRP operation using show standby and show standby brief
  • Validate host connectivity to the virtual default gateway

Troubleshooting focus

  • Both routers must use the same HSRP group and identical virtual IP on the same interface/VLAN
  • Do not assign the virtual IP as a physical interface address on either router
  • Ensure the switch ports are in the correct access VLAN and up/up
  • If the host cannot ping the VIP, verify ARP and the HSRP state (Active/Standby present)
  • Mismatched masks or shutdown interfaces prevent HSRP from forming properly

Topology

Lab topology diagram

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Learn First-Hop Redundancy (HSRP & VRRP)HSRP vs VRRP: What's the Difference?

Grade your work

How this lab is graded
  • Build it your way. Where a lab lets you choose a value — a VLAN name, an interface description — grading checks that you configured it, not which name you picked. Names that another line has to reference, like an ACL applied with access-class, are stated in the guide and do have to match.
  • Addresses, modes and protocol keywords are exact. An IP address, a subnet mask, switchport mode trunk, an encapsulation — these carry the meaning of the lab, so they are graded as written in the guide.
  • Grading reads your saved configuration. Export the lab from CML after you have configured it, and make sure anything you set is in the running-config — a change that only exists in a terminal session never reaches the grader.
  • You can submit as many times as you like. Your best score stands, and each attempt tells you which checks passed so you can work the gaps.
  • Scored something you believe is correct? Use Report an issue on this page — that is exactly how the grading fixes in the changelog got found.

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