Question 1hardmultiple choice
Full question →hardmultiple choiceObjective-mapped
A router has a directly connected route to 10.1.1.0/24 and a static default route. Which route is used for traffic to 10.1.1.200?
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 directly connected 10.1.1.0/24 route
This is correct because the destination is in the connected subnet.
B
Distractor review
The static default route
This is wrong because a more specific route already 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 frequent exam trap is selecting the static default route for traffic destined to an IP address within a directly connected subnet. Candidates might incorrectly believe the default route overrides connected routes due to its static configuration or because it is manually set. However, the router always prefers the most specific route, which is the directly connected subnet in this case. Misunderstanding the longest prefix match and administrative distance hierarchy leads to this error. Remember, the default route is only a fallback when no other route matches the destination IP address.
Technical deep dive
How to think about this question
Routing in Cisco devices fundamentally depends on the concept of the routing table, which stores routes learned via various methods such as directly connected interfaces, static configuration, or dynamic routing protocols. Each route entry includes a destination network and a subnet mask, which together define the prefix length. The router uses the longest prefix match algorithm to determine which route best fits the destination IP address of a packet. This means the route with the most specific subnet mask (largest number of matching bits) is chosen to forward the packet. Directly connected routes are automatically installed in the routing table when an interface is configured with an IP address and brought up. These routes have an administrative distance of 0, which is the highest trust level in Cisco routing. Static routes have an administrative distance of 1, making them less preferred than connected routes but more preferred than dynamic routes. A static default route (0.0.0.0/0) is a catch-all route used only when no other more specific route matches the destination IP. Therefore, when a packet destined for 10.1.1.200 arrives, the router matches it against the directly connected 10.1.1.0/24 route first because it is more specific than the default route. A common exam trap is assuming that the static default route might be used even when a directly connected route exists. This mistake arises from misunderstanding route specificity and administrative distance. In practice, the router never uses the default route if a directly connected route matches the destination subnet. The default route only forwards traffic to unknown destinations. Understanding this behavior is critical for troubleshooting routing issues and designing efficient routing policies in Cisco networks, ensuring traffic is forwarded optimally and predictably.
KKey Concepts to Remember
- A router uses the most specific route in its routing table to forward packets, preferring longer prefix matches over less specific ones.
- Directly connected routes have the highest administrative distance and are always preferred over static or dynamic routes for matching destinations.
- A static default route (0.0.0.0/0) is used only when no more specific route exists in the routing table for the destination IP address.
- Routing decisions in Cisco routers rely on longest prefix match, meaning the route with the most bits matching the destination IP is selected.
- Static routes have a fixed administrative distance of 1, but directly connected routes have an administrative distance of 0, making them preferred.
- When a destination IP address falls within a subnet of a directly connected interface, the router forwards traffic out that interface without consulting other routes.
- The default route acts as a gateway of last resort, forwarding packets only when no other routes match the destination network.
- Cisco routers do not load balance between a directly connected route and a static default route because the connected route is always more specific.
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.
Related practice questions
Related 200-301 practice-question pages
Use these pages to review the topic behind this question. This is how one missed question becomes focused revision.
CCNA subnetting practice questions
Practise IPv4 subnetting, CIDR, masks, host ranges and subnet selection.
CCNA OSPF practice questions
Practise OSPF neighbours, router IDs, metrics, areas and routing-table interpretation.
CCNA VLAN practice questions
Practise VLANs, access ports, trunks, allowed VLANs and switching scenarios.
CCNA STP practice questions
Practise spanning tree, root bridge election, port roles and STP troubleshooting.
CCNA EtherChannel practice questions
Practise LACP, PAgP, port-channel behaviour and bundle requirements.
CCNA ACL practice questions
Practise standard and extended ACLs, permit/deny logic and traffic filtering.
CCNA NAT practice questions
Practise static NAT, dynamic NAT, PAT and inside/outside address translation.
CCNA DHCP practice questions
Practise DHCP scopes, relay, leases and troubleshooting.
CCNA show ip route practice questions
Practise routing-table output, longest-prefix match, AD and route selection.
CCNA show interfaces trunk practice questions
Practise trunk verification and VLAN forwarding across switches.
CCNA wireless security practice questions
Practise WLAN security, authentication and wireless architecture concepts.
CCNA IPv6 practice questions
Practise IPv6 addressing, routes, neighbour discovery and common IPv6 exam traps.
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 router uses the most specific route in its routing table to forward packets, preferring longer prefix matches over less specific ones.
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: The directly connected 10.1.1.0/24 route — The directly connected route is used because it is the most specific and most immediate match. In practical terms, the router already knows that 10.1.1.200 belongs to a network on one of its own interfaces, so there is no reason to use the default route. The default route exists only for destinations that do not match anything more specific. This is one of the most fundamental route-selection behaviors in IP routing.
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.
Discussion
Loading comments…
Sign in to join the discussion.