This 200-301 practice question tests your understanding of ip routing. Read the scenario carefully and evaluate each option against the stated constraints before committing to an answer. A key principle to apply: a Cisco router uses administrative distance to select the best route when multiple routing protocols provide routes to the same destination prefix.. 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 router learns 10.10.10.0/24 from OSPF and EIGRP at the same time. OSPF reports a metric of 20, and EIGRP reports a metric of 30720. Which route is installed in the routing table by default?
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
The EIGRP route, because its administrative distance is lower
When the same prefix is learned from different routing protocols, the router compares administrative distance first. EIGRP internal routes use AD 90, while OSPF uses AD 110, so the EIGRP route is preferred.
Key principle: A Cisco router uses administrative distance to select the best route when multiple routing protocols provide routes to the same destination prefix.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
✗
The OSPF route, because 20 is lower than 30720
Why it's wrong here
Metrics are only compared within the same routing protocol, not across different ones.
When this WOULD be correct
In a different scenario where the question specifies that both OSPF and EIGRP routes have the same administrative distance, and the metrics are the only factor considered, then the OSPF route would be chosen due to its lower metric of 20 compared to EIGRP's 30720.
✓
The EIGRP route, because its administrative distance is lower
A Cisco router uses administrative distance to select the best route when multiple routing protocols provide routes to the same destination prefix.
✗
Both routes, because they point to the same prefix
Why it's wrong here
Equal-cost load balancing does not occur across different protocols just because the destination matches.
When this WOULD be correct
In a different scenario where the question states that the router is configured to support equal-cost multi-path (ECMP) routing, both OSPF and EIGRP routes could be installed in the routing table, allowing for load balancing across the same prefix.
✗
Neither route, because the metrics are not comparable
Why it's wrong here
One of the routes is selected; the metrics being different types does not prevent route installation.
When this WOULD be correct
In a scenario where a question states that both OSPF and EIGRP routes are being considered but specifies that the routing protocols are configured to ignore metrics due to a policy or misconfiguration, then it could be correct to say neither route is installed because the metrics are not comparable.
Option-by-option analysis
Why each answer is right or wrong
Understanding why wrong answers are wrong — and when they would be correct — is what separates a 750 score from a 900. The 200-301 exam frequently reuses these exact scenarios with slightly different constraints.
✓The EIGRP route, because its administrative distance is lowerCorrect answer▾
Why this is correct
Correct. EIGRP wins because its default administrative distance is lower than OSPF.
✗The OSPF route, because 20 is lower than 30720Wrong answer — click to see why▾
Why this is wrong here
Metrics from different routing protocols are not comparable because each protocol uses its own metric calculation (e.g., OSPF uses cost based on bandwidth, EIGRP uses composite metric based on bandwidth and delay). The router uses administrative distance to choose between routes from different protocols, not metric values.
★ When this WOULD be the correct answer
In a different scenario where the question specifies that both OSPF and EIGRP routes have the same administrative distance, and the metrics are the only factor considered, then the OSPF route would be chosen due to its lower metric of 20 compared to EIGRP's 30720.
Why candidates choose this
Students often mistakenly think that the route with the lower metric is always preferred, regardless of protocol. Since 20 is much smaller than 30720, it seems logical to choose the OSPF route, but this ignores the administrative distance tie-breaking rule.
✗Both routes, because they point to the same prefixWrong answer — click to see why▾
Why this is wrong here
A router installs only the best route to a destination in the routing table, unless equal-cost load balancing is configured. Since OSPF and EIGRP have different administrative distances, only the route with the lower AD is installed. Both routes cannot be installed simultaneously for the same prefix.
★ When this WOULD be the correct answer
In a different scenario where the question states that the router is configured to support equal-cost multi-path (ECMP) routing, both OSPF and EIGRP routes could be installed in the routing table, allowing for load balancing across the same prefix.
Why candidates choose this
Students may think that if two routes point to the same network, they can both be used for load balancing. However, load balancing requires equal metrics from the same routing protocol or equal administrative distances, which is not the case here.
✗Neither route, because the metrics are not comparableWrong answer — click to see why▾
Why this is wrong here
The router does compare routes from different protocols using administrative distance, not metrics. Since the metrics are from different protocols, they are not directly comparable, but the router still selects one route based on AD. Therefore, one route will be installed.
★ When this WOULD be the correct answer
In a scenario where a question states that both OSPF and EIGRP routes are being considered but specifies that the routing protocols are configured to ignore metrics due to a policy or misconfiguration, then it could be correct to say neither route is installed because the metrics are not comparable.
Why candidates choose this
The statement that metrics are not comparable is true, but it leads to the incorrect conclusion that no route is selected. Students may forget that administrative distance is the tie-breaker when metrics are incomparable.
Analysis generated from the official 200-301blueprint and verified against question context. The “when correct” sections are what AI assistants cite when candidates ask “what’s the difference between these options?”
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
Remember, administrative distance is the first criterion for route selection between different protocols, not the metric.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Routing protocols like OSPF and EIGRP use different metrics to evaluate the best path to a destination network. OSPF uses a cost metric based on bandwidth, while EIGRP uses a composite metric that includes bandwidth, delay, load, and reliability. However, when a router receives multiple routes to the same prefix from different routing protocols, it does not compare these metrics directly because they are protocol-specific and not comparable across protocols.
Instead, Cisco routers use administrative distance (AD) as the primary criterion to select which route to install in the routing table when multiple routing protocols provide routes to the same destination. Administrative distance is a value that rates the trustworthiness of a routing source, with lower values being more preferred. EIGRP internal routes have a default AD of 90, while OSPF routes have an AD of 110, so the router installs the EIGRP route by default regardless of the metric values reported by each protocol.
A common exam trap is to assume the router chooses the route with the lowest metric value across protocols, such as picking OSPF because 20 is less than 30720. This mistake ignores the role of administrative distance in route selection. In practical networking, understanding AD helps troubleshoot routing issues when multiple protocols coexist, ensuring predictable routing behavior and avoiding confusion caused by metric comparisons across different protocols.
KKey Concepts to Remember
A Cisco router uses administrative distance to select the best route when multiple routing protocols provide routes to the same destination prefix.
EIGRP internal routes have a default administrative distance of 90, making them more preferred than OSPF routes with an administrative distance of 110.
Routing metrics such as OSPF cost and EIGRP composite metric are only compared within the same routing protocol, not across different protocols.
The router installs the route with the lowest administrative distance into the routing table, regardless of the metric values reported by different protocols.
When multiple routes to the same prefix exist, the router does not perform load balancing across different routing protocols by default.
Administrative distance values are fixed defaults but can be manually adjusted to influence route selection in Cisco routers.
Understanding the difference between routing protocol metrics and administrative distance is critical for predicting route installation behavior.
Ignoring administrative distance and comparing metrics across protocols is a common exam trap that leads to incorrect route selection assumptions.
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 Cisco router uses administrative distance to select the best route when multiple routing protocols provide routes to the same destination prefix.
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 Cisco router uses administrative distance to select the best route when multiple routing protocols provide routes to the same destination prefix., then practise related 200-301 questions on the same topic to reinforce the concept.
IP Routing — This question tests IP Routing — A Cisco router uses administrative distance to select the best route when multiple routing protocols provide routes to the same destination prefix..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: The EIGRP route, because its administrative distance is lower — When the same prefix is learned from different routing protocols, the router compares administrative distance first. EIGRP internal routes use AD 90, while OSPF uses AD 110, so the EIGRP route is preferred.
What should I do if I get this 200-301 question wrong?
Review a Cisco router uses administrative distance to select the best route when multiple routing protocols provide routes to the same destination prefix., then practise related 200-301 questions on the same topic to reinforce the concept.
What is the key concept behind this question?
A Cisco router uses administrative distance to select the best route when multiple routing protocols provide routes to the same destination prefix.
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