Question 1hardmultiple choice
Full question →hardmultiple choiceObjective-mapped
A route to 192.168.1.0/24 appears in the routing table from OSPF, but a more specific static route to 192.168.1.128/25 is also configured. Which route is used for traffic to 192.168.1.200?
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 static /25 route
This is correct because 192.168.1.200 falls within 192.168.1.128/25.
B
Distractor review
The OSPF /24 route
This is wrong because the /24 is less specific than the matching /25 route.
C
Distractor review
Both routes automatically load-balance
This is wrong because they are not equal-prefix equal-cost routes in the needed sense.
D
Distractor review
Neither route because the network overlaps
This is wrong because overlapping routes are normal when specificity resolves the choice.
Common exam trap
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
A common exam trap is assuming that the routing protocol with the lower administrative distance or higher trustworthiness automatically wins, regardless of prefix length. Candidates may incorrectly choose the OSPF /24 route because OSPF is a dynamic protocol and often trusted. However, the router always applies the longest-prefix match rule first, so the more specific static /25 route is preferred. Overlapping routes are normal and do not cause routing conflicts; the router simply forwards packets based on the most specific match. Misunderstanding this can lead to selecting the wrong answer and missing the core routing principle tested here.
Technical deep dive
How to think about this question
Routing tables use the longest-prefix match rule to determine the best path for forwarding packets. This means the router selects the route with the most specific subnet mask that matches the destination IP address. In this scenario, the static route to 192.168.1.128/25 is more specific than the OSPF-learned route to 192.168.1.0/24 because /25 covers a smaller range of IP addresses, making it a longer prefix. When multiple routes to the same destination exist, routers first compare prefix lengths to find the longest match. If multiple routes have the same prefix length, the router then considers administrative distance and metric to choose the best path. Here, since the static route has a longer prefix (/25 vs /24), it is preferred regardless of the routing protocol or administrative distance. A common exam trap is assuming that routing protocol trustworthiness or administrative distance alone determines the chosen route. However, the longest-prefix match rule always applies first. Overlapping routes are normal in routing tables, and the router uses prefix specificity to resolve which route to use. Practically, this ensures traffic to 192.168.1.200, which falls within the /25 subnet, uses the static route, providing more precise control over routing behavior.
KKey Concepts to Remember
- The router uses the longest-prefix match rule to select the most specific route that matches the destination IP address.
- A static route with a /25 prefix is more specific than an OSPF route with a /24 prefix and is therefore preferred for matching traffic.
- Routing protocols like OSPF advertise routes but do not override the longest-prefix match rule when a more specific static route exists.
- Administrative distance is only considered when multiple routes have the same prefix length and destination network.
- Overlapping routes in the routing table are normal and resolved by choosing the route with the longest subnet mask.
- Traffic destined for 192.168.1.200 matches the static 192.168.1.128/25 route because the IP falls within that subnet range.
- Static routes provide precise routing control and can override dynamic routing entries when they have a longer prefix.
- Routers do not load-balance between routes of different prefix lengths, even if both routes exist in the routing table.
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?
The router uses the longest-prefix match rule to select the most specific route that matches the destination IP address.
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: The static /25 route — The static /25 route is used because longest-prefix match prefers the most specific matching route. In plain language, even though the OSPF /24 route covers the destination, the /25 static route covers a narrower range and therefore wins for addresses inside that upper half of the subnet. The router does not begin by asking which protocol is more trusted unless the prefix lengths are equal among the matching routes.
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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