Question 1hardmulti select
Full question →hardmulti selectObjective-mapped
Exhibit
ip route 0.0.0.0 0.0.0.0 198.51.100.1 ip route 0.0.0.0 0.0.0.0 203.0.113.1 200
A static default route is configured on R1 toward ISP-A, and a second default route toward ISP-B is configured with a higher administrative distance. Which two statements are correct during normal operation and after ISP-A failure?
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 route through ISP-A is preferred during normal operation
It has the default static administrative distance and is preferred over AD 200.
B
Best answer
The route through ISP-B acts as a floating backup
Its higher administrative distance keeps it inactive until the primary route is lost.
C
Distractor review
Both defaults are always installed and used equally
They do not have equal administrative distance.
D
Distractor review
The backup route is ignored permanently because only one default route can exist
The backup can become active when the preferred route is removed.
Common exam trap
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
A frequent exam trap is assuming that both default routes are simultaneously active and load-balanced, or that the backup route is permanently ignored because only one default route can exist. The trap lies in misunderstanding administrative distance behavior: the higher AD route is not used until the primary route fails. Misreading this can lead to incorrect answers claiming equal usage or permanent backup route exclusion. Remember, Cisco routers always prefer the route with the lowest administrative distance and only switch to the floating static route when the primary path is lost.
Technical deep dive
How to think about this question
Static default routing is a fundamental routing technique where a router forwards packets destined for unknown networks to a specified next-hop IP address or exit interface. In Cisco routers, the administrative distance (AD) is a key factor in route selection; it is a numeric value that rates the trustworthiness of a route source. Lower AD values are preferred over higher ones. By default, a static route has an AD of 1, making it highly preferred compared to dynamic routing protocols or static routes with manually increased AD values. In the scenario where two static default routes are configured—one toward ISP-A with the default AD of 1 and another toward ISP-B with a higher AD (e.g., 200)—the router installs only the route with the lowest AD into the routing table. This design creates a floating static route: the higher AD route remains inactive and serves as a backup. If the primary route toward ISP-A fails (due to link failure or next-hop unreachability), the router removes it from the routing table and activates the floating static route toward ISP-B, ensuring continuous internet connectivity. A common exam trap is misunderstanding the behavior of multiple default routes with different administrative distances. Candidates might incorrectly assume that both routes are always active or that only one default route can exist. In reality, multiple default routes can coexist in the configuration, but only the route with the lowest AD is active. The floating static route is ignored during normal operation but becomes critical during failover. This mechanism prevents routing loops and unnecessary load balancing, providing a reliable and predictable backup path.
KKey Concepts to Remember
- A static default route with a lower administrative distance is preferred by Cisco routers during normal routing operations.
- A static default route configured with a higher administrative distance acts as a floating static route and remains inactive until the primary route fails.
- Cisco routers install only the route with the lowest administrative distance into the routing table for a given destination.
- When the primary default route toward ISP-A fails, the router detects the loss and activates the floating static route toward ISP-B.
- Administrative distance is a Cisco-specific value used to select the best path when multiple routes to the same destination exist.
- Floating static routes provide backup connectivity without causing routing loops or load balancing under normal conditions.
- Only one default route is active at a time in the routing table, but multiple default routes can be configured with different administrative distances.
- The router continuously monitors the reachability of the primary route to determine when to switch to the backup floating static route.
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.
Related practice questions
Related 200-301 practice-question pages
Use these pages to review the topic behind this question. This is how one missed question becomes focused revision.
CCNA subnetting practice questions
Practise IPv4 subnetting, CIDR, masks, host ranges and subnet selection.
CCNA OSPF practice questions
Practise OSPF neighbours, router IDs, metrics, areas and routing-table interpretation.
CCNA VLAN practice questions
Practise VLANs, access ports, trunks, allowed VLANs and switching scenarios.
CCNA STP practice questions
Practise spanning tree, root bridge election, port roles and STP troubleshooting.
CCNA EtherChannel practice questions
Practise LACP, PAgP, port-channel behaviour and bundle requirements.
CCNA ACL practice questions
Practise standard and extended ACLs, permit/deny logic and traffic filtering.
CCNA NAT practice questions
Practise static NAT, dynamic NAT, PAT and inside/outside address translation.
CCNA DHCP practice questions
Practise DHCP scopes, relay, leases and troubleshooting.
CCNA show ip route practice questions
Practise routing-table output, longest-prefix match, AD and route selection.
CCNA show interfaces trunk practice questions
Practise trunk verification and VLAN forwarding across switches.
CCNA wireless security practice questions
Practise WLAN security, authentication and wireless architecture concepts.
CCNA IPv6 practice questions
Practise IPv6 addressing, routes, neighbour discovery and common IPv6 exam traps.
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?
A static default route with a lower administrative distance is preferred by Cisco routers during normal routing operations.
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: The route through ISP-A is preferred during normal operation — This is a classic floating static design. The lower-AD default route is primary, and the higher-AD default waits in reserve.
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.
Discussion
Loading comments…
Sign in to join the discussion.