The answer is to assign an administrative distance higher than OSPF’s default of 110 and point the static route toward a valid next-hop or exit interface. A floating static route relies on a higher administrative distance to remain inactive in the routing table while OSPF is operational, because Cisco routers prefer the lowest AD when comparing routes from different sources. Once OSPF fails, the static route with the higher AD is installed, providing backup connectivity. On the CCNA 200-301 v2 exam, this concept tests your understanding of route selection logic and the purpose of administrative distance as a trustworthiness metric. A common trap is confusing metric with AD—remember that AD is compared first for routes from different protocols, so a lower metric cannot override a higher AD. Another pitfall is omitting a valid next-hop, which would prevent the route from ever being installed. Memory tip: “Float it high, point it true”—set the AD above 110 and always specify a next-hop.
CCNA IP Routing Practice Question
This 200-301 practice question tests your understanding of ip routing. The scenario asks you to isolate a root cause — eliminate options that address a different problem before choosing. A key principle to apply: a floating static route uses an administrative distance higher than the primary dynamic routing protocol to remain inactive until the primary route fails.. Once you have made your selection, read the full explanation to reinforce the concept and understand why each distractor is designed to mislead on exam day.
A network engineer needs a floating static route to back up an OSPF-learned route. Which two configurations are necessary for the static route to remain unused until OSPF fails?
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Configure the static route with an administrative distance higher than 110
A floating static route requires an administrative distance higher than OSPF's default of 110 (option A) so that the static route is less preferred and remains inactive while OSPF is available. Additionally, the static route must point to a valid next-hop IP or exit interface (option B); without a valid next-hop, the route cannot be installed in the routing table and would never serve as a backup. Option C is incorrect because Cisco routers compare administrative distance before metric when routes come from different sources, so a lower metric cannot override the AD difference. Option D is wrong because a directly connected route (with no next-hop) would be treated as a connected route, not a static route, and would be preferred over OSPF due to its AD of 0, defeating the purpose of a floating backup.
Configure the route as directly connected with no next-hop information
Why it's wrong here
A usable static route still requires a valid path definition.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
A common mistake is assuming that lowering the static route's metric makes it preferred, but Cisco routers compare administrative distance before metric when routes originate from different sources.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
A floating static route is a static route configured with an administrative distance higher than that of a dynamic routing protocol, such as OSPF. This design ensures the static route remains inactive while the dynamic route is available, providing a backup path only if the dynamic route fails. Administrative distance is the primary factor Cisco routers use to select the best path when multiple routes to the same destination exist from different sources. OSPF has a default administrative distance of 110, so any floating static route must have a distance greater than 110 to remain unused until needed.
When configuring a floating static route, it is essential to specify a valid next-hop IP address or exit interface. This ensures the static route is syntactically correct and operationally usable when activated. Without a valid next-hop or interface, the static route cannot be installed in the routing table, rendering it ineffective as a backup. The router compares administrative distances first, then metrics within the same routing protocol, so setting a metric lower than OSPF’s cost does not influence route preference across different routing sources.
A common exam trap is confusing metric and administrative distance. Metrics are used to select the best path within a routing protocol, but administrative distance determines route preference across different routing protocols or static routes. Another pitfall is neglecting to configure a valid next-hop or exit interface for the static route, which prevents the route from being installed and used as a backup. Practically, floating static routes provide a simple and reliable failover mechanism without requiring complex dynamic routing adjustments.
KKey Concepts to Remember
A floating static route uses an administrative distance higher than the primary dynamic routing protocol to remain inactive until the primary route fails.
OSPF has a default administrative distance of 110, so floating static routes must have an administrative distance greater than 110 to act as backups.
Cisco routers select routes based on administrative distance first, then metric within the same routing protocol, preventing metric comparison across different sources.
A static route must specify a valid next-hop IP address or exit interface to be operational and installed in the routing table.
If a static route lacks a valid next-hop or interface, it will not be installed, making it ineffective as a floating backup route.
Metrics influence route selection within a routing protocol but do not affect route preference between static routes and dynamic protocols.
Floating static routes provide a simple failover mechanism by activating only when the preferred dynamic route is unavailable.
Configuring a floating static route incorrectly by using a lower administrative distance than OSPF causes the static route to override OSPF, defeating the backup purpose.
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.
Key takeaway
A floating static route uses an administrative distance higher than the primary dynamic routing protocol to remain inactive until the primary route fails.
Real-world example
How this comes up in practice
A network engineer at a university connects two campus buildings via a fibre link. Both routers run OSPF, but no adjacency forms — even though both routers can ping each other. The engineer finds one router is in area 0 and the other in area 1. OSPF adjacency requires matching area numbers, hello/dead timers, and network type. IP reachability alone is not enough.
Related glossary terms
Concepts from this question explained
These glossary pages explain the core terms tested in this 200-301 question in full detail.
Review a floating static route uses an administrative distance higher than the primary dynamic routing protocol to remain inactive until the primary route fails., then practise related 200-301 questions on the same topic to reinforce the concept.
IP Routing — This question tests IP Routing — A floating static route uses an administrative distance higher than the primary dynamic routing protocol to remain inactive until the primary route fails..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Configure the static route with an administrative distance higher than 110 — A floating static route requires an administrative distance higher than OSPF's default of 110 (option A) so that the static route is less preferred and remains inactive while OSPF is available. Additionally, the static route must point to a valid next-hop IP or exit interface (option B); without a valid next-hop, the route cannot be installed in the routing table and would never serve as a backup. Option C is incorrect because Cisco routers compare administrative distance before metric when routes come from different sources, so a lower metric cannot override the AD difference. Option D is wrong because a directly connected route (with no next-hop) would be treated as a connected route, not a static route, and would be preferred over OSPF due to its AD of 0, defeating the purpose of a floating backup.
What should I do if I get this 200-301 question wrong?
Review a floating static route uses an administrative distance higher than the primary dynamic routing protocol to remain inactive until the primary route fails., then practise related 200-301 questions on the same topic to reinforce the concept.
What is the key concept behind this question?
A floating static route uses an administrative distance higher than the primary dynamic routing protocol to remain inactive until the primary route fails.
About these practice questions
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These questions test the same concept from different angles. Work through them to make sure you can recognise it however the exam phrases it.
Variation 1. You are connected to R1 via console. The network has a primary link to the ISP via R2 and a backup link via R3. Configure IPv4 and IPv6 floating static default routes on R1 so that the primary path goes through R2 (AD 1) and the backup through R3 (AD 10). Additionally, configure a static route on R1 for the internal LAN 192.168.10.0/24 via R2 (AD 1). The current configuration includes a static default route ip route 0.0.0.0 0.0.0.0 10.0.0.3, which causes a recursive routing failure because 10.0.0.3 is not a valid next-hop address. Identify and fix the issue, then apply the floating static routes.
hard
✓ A.Remove the existing incorrect IPv4 static default route and reconfigure the primary IPv4 default route with the correct next-hop address (10.0.0.2) and AD 1. Add the backup IPv4 default route via 10.0.0.6 with AD 10. Then add IPv6 static default routes: ipv6 route ::/0 2001:DB8:1:1::2 1 and ipv6 route ::/0 2001:DB8:2:1::2 10. Also add the static route for 192.168.10.0/24 via 10.0.0.2 with AD 1.
B.Add a static route to 10.0.0.0/30 via the backup link to R3, then the default route to 10.0.0.2 will work. Then configure IPv6 default routes with AD 1 and 10 as described.
C.Change the administrative distance of the IPv4 default route to 10 and the backup to 1, so the backup becomes primary. Then configure IPv6 default routes with AD 10 and 1 respectively.
D.Remove the existing IPv4 static default route and configure it with the next-hop as the exit interface (e.g., GigabitEthernet0/0) instead of the IP address. Then add IPv6 default routes using the exit interface as well.
Why A: The IPv4 default route currently uses next-hop 10.0.0.3, which is not a valid address on any directly connected interface, causing a recursive lookup failure. Option A fixes this by removing the incorrect route and correctly adding the primary (10.0.0.2 with AD 1) and backup (10.0.0.6 with AD 10) default routes, fulfilling the floating static requirement. It also adds both IPv6 floating default routes and the LAN static route. Option B is wrong because adding a route to 10.0.0.0/30 via R3 does not fix the next-hop 10.0.0.3 failure for the default route. Option C incorrectly reverses the administrative distances, making the backup path the primary. Option D erroneously uses an exit interface instead of the correct next-hop IP, which is not suitable for multi-access or point-to-point networks without additional configuration and does not resolve the original misconfigured next-hop.
Variation 2. You are connected to R1 via console. R1 has two paths to the Internet: primary via ISP1 (G0/0) and backup via ISP2 (G0/1). The primary route has an administrative distance of 1, and the backup should only be used if the primary fails. Currently, both routes are active. You need to configure a floating static route for the backup.
medium
✓ A.ip route 0.0.0.0 0.0.0.0 G0/1 200
B.ip route 0.0.0.0 0.0.0.0 G0/1 1
C.ip route 0.0.0.0 0.0.0.0 G0/1 0
D.ip route 0.0.0.0 0.0.0.0 G0/1 255
Why A: A floating static route with a higher administrative distance (200) than the primary route (1) ensures it is only used when the primary route is removed from the routing table, providing redundancy.
Variation 3. You are connected to R1 via console. R1 has two upstream paths to the Internet: a primary via ISP1 (G0/0 10.1.1.1/30) and a backup via ISP2 (G0/1 10.2.2.1/30). The backup path should only be used when the primary fails. The default route to ISP1 has been configured, but you must now configure a floating static default route to ISP2 with an administrative distance of 200.
medium
✓ A.ip route 0.0.0.0 0.0.0.0 10.2.2.2 200
B.ip route 0.0.0.0 0.0.0.0 10.2.2.1 2
C.ip route 0.0.0.0 0.0.0.0 10.2.2.1 1
D.ip route 0.0.0.0 0.0.0.0 10.2.2.1 250
Why A: A floating static route ensures backup connectivity by using an administrative distance (AD) higher than the primary route's AD. Here, the primary default route has an AD of 1, so the backup must be configured with AD 200 as specified. Crucially, the next-hop address must be the ISP's IP address (10.2.2.2) in the /30 subnet, not R1's own interface IP (10.2.2.1). Using the local interface IP creates an invalid static route. Option A is correct only with the next-hop set to 10.2.2.2. Options B and C fail because they use AD 2 and 1 respectively (not the required 200) and also point to the wrong next-hop. Option D uses AD 250 instead of 200 and has the same next-hop error.
Variation 4. Based on the exhibit, which command is the best next step to verify whether the floating static route becomes active after the primary route is lost?
hard
✓ A.show ip route
B.show vlan brief
C.show spanning-tree
D.show power inline
Why A: The best next step is to examine the routing table directly after removing or losing the primary route. In practical terms, the purpose of a floating static route is to appear when the better route disappears. The clearest way to verify that behavior is to inspect the route table for the default route after the failure condition.
This is a simulation-style verification question. It is not asking how to configure the route, but how to confirm failover actually happened.
Last reviewed: May 17, 2026
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