Question 1hardmultiple choice
Full question →hardmultiple choiceObjective-mapped
A router has a connected route to 192.168.1.0/24 and also has a default route. Which route is used for traffic to 192.168.1.55?
Answer choices
Why each option matters
Good practice is not just finding the correct option. The wrong answers often show the exact trap the exam wants you to fall into.
A
Best answer
The connected route to 192.168.1.0/24
This is correct because the destination falls within the directly connected subnet.
B
Distractor review
The default route
This is wrong because a more specific connected route exists.
C
Distractor review
Both routes equally
This is wrong because the connected route is clearly preferred.
D
Distractor review
Neither route
This is wrong because the connected route clearly matches.
Common exam trap
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
A common exam trap is assuming that the default route will be used for all traffic not explicitly configured, including traffic destined for directly connected subnets. Candidates may mistakenly select the default route because it appears as a fallback path, ignoring that connected routes always take precedence due to their specificity and administrative distance. Another trap is thinking that both routes could be used simultaneously or load-balanced, which is incorrect because the router selects only the best matching route based on prefix length and administrative distance.
Technical deep dive
How to think about this question
Routing in Cisco devices relies on the routing table, which contains routes learned from various sources such as connected interfaces, static routes, and dynamic routing protocols. A connected route is automatically installed when an interface is configured with an IP address and is up, representing a directly attached subnet. This makes connected routes the most specific and reliable source of routing information because the router knows it can reach that subnet directly without forwarding traffic elsewhere. When a router receives a packet, it performs a longest prefix match lookup in its routing table. This means the router selects the route with the most specific subnet mask that matches the destination IP address. In this scenario, the connected route to 192.168.1.0/24 is more specific than the default route (0.0.0.0/0), so the router forwards traffic destined for 192.168.1.55 using the connected route. The default route serves as a catch-all only when no more specific route exists. A common exam trap is to confuse the default route as always being used or to think that multiple routes can be used simultaneously. However, Cisco routers never load-balance between a connected subnet and a default route for the same destination because the connected route is a direct match and has a lower administrative distance. Practically, this ensures efficient routing and prevents unnecessary forwarding to gateways when the destination is local.
KKey Concepts to Remember
- A Cisco router installs connected routes automatically when an interface is configured with an IP address and is operational.
- Routing decisions use longest prefix match, preferring routes with the most specific subnet mask that matches the destination IP address.
- Default routes are used only when no more specific route exists in the routing table for the destination address.
- Connected routes have the highest administrative distance (lowest numeric value) and are preferred over static and dynamic routes.
- A router never forwards traffic to a default route if a connected route exists that matches the destination subnet.
- The routing table lookup process ensures that traffic destined for a directly connected subnet is sent out the local interface.
- Multiple routes to the same destination are not equally used if one is more specific or has a better administrative distance.
- Understanding route specificity and administrative distance is critical to predicting routing behavior on Cisco devices.
TExam Day Tips
- Watch for words such as best, first, most likely and least administrative effort.
- Review why wrong options are wrong, not only why the correct option is correct.
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More questions from this exam
Keep practising from the same exam bank, or move into a focused topic page if this question exposed a weak area.
Question 1
A router learns the same prefix from both OSPF and EIGRP. Which route is installed by default?
Question 2
A router shows this output: R1#show ip ospf neighbor Neighbor ID Pri State Dead Time Address Interface 10.1.1.2 1 FULL/DR 00:00:34 192.168.12.2 GigabitEthernet0/0 10.1.1.3 1 2WAY/DROTHER 00:00:39 192.168.12.3 GigabitEthernet0/0 Which statement is correct?
Question 3
What is the OSPF metric called?
Question 4
A non-root switch has two uplinks toward the root bridge. One path has a lower total STP cost than the other. What role will the lower-cost uplink have?
Question 5
A router interface applies this ACL inbound: 10 deny tcp any any eq 80 20 permit ip any any A user reports that web browsing to a server by IP address fails, but ping works. Which statement best explains the behavior?
Question 6
A router learns route 198.51.100.0/24 from OSPF with AD 110 and also has a static route to the same prefix configured with AD 150. Which route is installed?
FAQ
Questions learners often ask
What does this 200-301 question test?
A Cisco router installs connected routes automatically when an interface is configured with an IP address and is operational.
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: The connected route to 192.168.1.0/24 — The connected route is used because it is both directly attached and more specific than the default route. In plain language, the router already knows that the destination belongs to one of its local interface networks, so it has no reason to send that traffic to a fallback route. This is one of the most basic route-selection behaviors. Default routes matter only when no better match exists. Here, a directly connected, exact matching network is already present.
What should I do if I get this 200-301 question wrong?
Then try more questions from the same exam bank and focus on understanding why the wrong options are tempting.
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