Question 1hardmultiple choice
Full question →A router shows the following route:
O 10.10.40.0/24 [110/20] via 192.0.2.2, 00:00:12, GigabitEthernet0/0
What does the value 110 represent?
hardmultiple choiceObjective-mapped
A router shows the following route:
O 10.10.40.0/24 [110/20] via 192.0.2.2, 00:00:12, GigabitEthernet0/0
What does the value 110 represent?
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
Distractor review
The OSPF cost to the destination
The OSPF cost is the second value here, not the first.
B
Best answer
The administrative distance of OSPF
Correct. OSPF has a default administrative distance of 110.
C
Distractor review
The number of hops to the destination
OSPF does not use hop count this way.
D
Distractor review
The route age in seconds
The age is shown separately after the next-hop information.
Common exam trap
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
A frequent exam trap is mistaking the administrative distance value for the OSPF cost or metric. The number 110 in the route output is the administrative distance, not the cost to reach the destination. The OSPF cost is the second number inside the brackets, which in this example is 20. Confusing these values can lead to incorrect assumptions about route preference and path selection. Remember, administrative distance compares trustworthiness between routing protocols, while the metric determines the best path within a single protocol.
Technical deep dive
How to think about this question
Administrative distance (AD) is a Cisco-specific value used to rate the trustworthiness of routing information received from different routing protocols. It is a numeric value assigned to routes learned from various sources, where a lower AD indicates a more reliable route. In the route entry shown, the value 110 represents the administrative distance of the OSPF routing protocol, which Cisco routers use to select the best path when multiple routing protocols provide routes to the same destination. OSPF uses a default administrative distance of 110, which is higher than directly connected interfaces (0) and static routes (1), but lower than RIP (120). The number in brackets in Cisco route outputs is formatted as [administrative distance/metric]. The metric for OSPF is the cost, which is calculated based on interface bandwidth. The router uses the AD value to compare routes from different protocols and installs the route with the lowest AD into the routing table. A common exam trap is confusing the administrative distance with the OSPF metric or cost. The first number in brackets is the administrative distance, not the OSPF cost. The OSPF cost is the second number inside the brackets. Misinterpreting these values can lead to incorrect conclusions about route selection. Practically, understanding AD helps network engineers troubleshoot routing issues and predict route selection behavior on Cisco devices.
KKey Concepts to Remember
- Administrative distance is a Cisco router metric that rates the trustworthiness of routing information from different routing protocols.
- OSPF has a default administrative distance of 110, which is used to compare OSPF routes against routes from other protocols.
- The value in brackets in Cisco route output is formatted as [administrative distance/metric], where the first number is administrative distance.
- Routers prefer routes with the lowest administrative distance when multiple protocols provide routes to the same destination.
- The OSPF metric, or cost, is the second value in brackets and is based on interface bandwidth, not the administrative distance.
- Directly connected routes have an administrative distance of 0, static routes have 1, and RIP has 120, showing relative trust levels.
- Misreading the administrative distance as the OSPF cost is a common exam trap that leads to misunderstanding route selection.
- Understanding administrative distance is essential for predicting route installation and troubleshooting routing behavior on Cisco routers.
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 is a Cisco router metric that rates the trustworthiness of routing information from different routing protocols.
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: The administrative distance of OSPF — In Cisco route output, the value in brackets is [administrative distance/metric].
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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