Question 1hardmultiple choice
Full question →hardmultiple choiceObjective-mapped
A router receives two routes to 10.50.0.0/16: one from OSPF and one static route with an administrative distance of 90. Which route is installed by default?
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 route, because its administrative distance is lower than OSPF's
This is correct because an administrative distance of 90 is lower than OSPF’s default 110.
B
Distractor review
The OSPF route, because dynamic routes always override static routes
This is wrong because route preference is not based on dynamic-versus-static alone; administrative distance matters.
C
Distractor review
Both routes, because equal destination networks always load-balance
This is wrong because routes from different sources are not automatically load-balanced in this situation.
D
Distractor review
Neither route, because the destinations overlap
This is wrong because overlapping route sources are normal and the router can choose the preferred one.
Common exam trap
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
A frequent exam trap is assuming that dynamic routing protocols like OSPF always override static routes regardless of administrative distance. Many candidates mistakenly believe that static routes only win if they use the default AD of 1. However, if a static route is manually assigned an AD lower than OSPF's default 110, it becomes the preferred route. This misunderstanding leads to incorrect answers because the exam tests knowledge of how administrative distance influences route selection, not just the routing protocol type. Remember, the router always chooses the route with the lowest administrative distance, even if it is a static route with a custom AD.
Technical deep dive
How to think about this question
Administrative distance (AD) is a key routing concept used by Cisco routers to select the best path when multiple routes to the same destination exist from different routing protocols or sources. Each routing protocol has a default AD value representing its trustworthiness; lower values indicate more preferred routes. For example, static routes have a default AD of 1, OSPF routes have a default AD of 110, and EIGRP internal routes have 90. When a router receives multiple routes to the same prefix, it compares their AD values and installs the route with the lowest AD into the routing table. In this scenario, the router receives two routes to 10.50.0.0/16: one learned via OSPF with AD 110 and one static route manually configured with an AD of 90. Since 90 is lower than 110, the router prefers the static route and installs it in the routing table. This behavior demonstrates that the administrative distance, not the routing protocol type alone, determines route preference. Even though OSPF is a dynamic routing protocol, a static route with a lower AD will override it. A common exam trap is assuming dynamic routing protocols always override static routes by default. Many learners mistakenly believe OSPF routes are always preferred over static routes unless the static route uses the default AD of 1. However, when a static route is assigned a custom AD lower than OSPF's 110, it becomes the preferred route. Practically, this allows network engineers to influence routing decisions by adjusting AD values, ensuring critical static routes take precedence over dynamic ones when necessary.
KKey Concepts to Remember
- Administrative distance determines the trustworthiness of routes learned from different routing protocols or sources on Cisco routers.
- Cisco routers install the route with the lowest administrative distance into the routing table when multiple routes to the same destination exist.
- Static routes have a default administrative distance of 1 but can be manually configured with a different value to influence route preference.
- OSPF routes have a default administrative distance of 110, which is higher than many other routing protocols and static routes with lower AD.
- The routing protocol type alone does not decide route preference; administrative distance is the key factor when comparing routes from different sources.
- When a static route is configured with an administrative distance lower than OSPF's 110, the static route is preferred and installed in the routing table.
- Cisco routers do not automatically load-balance between routes from different routing protocols with different administrative distances.
- Overlapping routes from different sources are common, and the router uses administrative distance to select the best route rather than ignoring both.
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?
Administrative distance determines the trustworthiness of routes learned from different routing protocols or sources on Cisco routers.
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: The static route, because its administrative distance is lower than OSPF's — By default, the static route with administrative distance 90 is installed because it is preferred over the OSPF route with default administrative distance 110. In plain language, the router is being told that the manually configured route is more trustworthy than the OSPF-learned one, so it chooses the static path first. The protocol type alone does not decide the outcome. Administrative distance is the key comparison when two different route sources offer the same destination prefix length. This is a classic routing-selection question because many learners incorrectly assume OSPF always wins over static routes unless the static route uses the default administrative distance. Once the static route is given a value lower than OSPF’s 110, it becomes the preferred path unless a more specific route exists elsewhere.
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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