Administrative Distance: Route Selection for Same Destination
Exhibit
R1# show ip route 172.16.10.0 D 172.16.10.0/24 [90/30720] via 10.1.1.2 O 172.16.10.0/24 [110/20] via 10.1.2.2 R 172.16.10.0/24 [120/1] via 10.1.3.2 S 172.16.10.0/24 [95/0] via 10.1.4.2
R1 has routes to 172.16.10.0/24 from multiple sources. Which route will be installed?
Quick Answer
The answer is the EIGRP internal route because when multiple routing sources provide a path to the same prefix, the router uses administrative distance as the first tiebreaker to select the most trustworthy route. Administrative distance is a value of trust assigned to each routing source, with lower numbers indicating higher reliability. In this scenario, EIGRP internal routes have an AD of 90, which is lower than OSPF’s 110, RIP’s 120, and a static route’s default AD of 1 or a floating static’s AD of 95, so the EIGRP route is installed into the routing table regardless of metric values. On the CCNA 200-301 v2 exam, this concept tests your understanding of route selection logic and is a frequent multiple-choice trap where candidates mistakenly compare metrics first. A common memory tip is to remember that AD decides “who you trust” before metrics decide “which path is best,” and for EIGRP, think “90 is lower than 110, so it wins the trust race.”
⚠ Common exam trap
A common trap is confusing administrative distance with routing metric, causing candidates to choose OSPF due to its lower metric or the static route with AD 95 over the correct EIGRP route.
Answer choices
Why each option matters
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
The EIGRP internal route
Routers compare route source trust first using administrative distance. EIGRP internal routes have an AD of 90, which is lower than OSPF (110), RIP (120), and a static route with AD 95. Therefore, the EIGRP internal route is installed, regardless of metrics.
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 with metric 20
Why it's wrong here
OSPF loses on administrative distance before metric is even considered against other protocols.
When this WOULD be correct
If the question stated that OSPF and EIGRP have the same administrative distance (e.g., both set to 120) and OSPF's metric (20) is better than EIGRP's metric, then the OSPF route would be installed based on lowest metric.
- ✓
The EIGRP internal route
Why this is correct
EIGRP internal AD 90 is the lowest among the listed candidates.
- ✗
The RIP route because hop count is lowest
Why it's wrong here
RIP AD 120 is worse than both EIGRP and OSPF here.
When this WOULD be correct
In a scenario where all routes are from RIP (e.g., multiple RIP paths to the same network), the route with the lowest hop count would be installed. For example, if the question asked 'Which RIP route will be installed?' and two RIP routes with different hop counts exist, the one with the lowest hop count is correct.
- ✗
The static route with administrative distance 95
Why it's wrong here
AD 95 is higher than EIGRP internal AD 90.
When this WOULD be correct
If the question stated that the static route had an administrative distance of 85 (lower than all dynamic protocols), or if the dynamic routes were all from protocols with higher ADs (e.g., RIP at 120, OSPF at 110), then the static route with AD 95 would be installed.
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 internal routeCorrect answer▾
Why this is correct
EIGRP internal AD 90 is the lowest among the listed candidates.
✗The OSPF route with metric 20Wrong answer — click to see why▾
Why this is wrong here
OSPF's administrative distance (110) is higher than EIGRP's (90), so OSPF loses despite its low metric.
★ When this WOULD be the correct answer
If the question stated that OSPF and EIGRP have the same administrative distance (e.g., both set to 120) and OSPF's metric (20) is better than EIGRP's metric, then the OSPF route would be installed based on lowest metric.
Why candidates choose this
Candidates may focus on the metric value (20) being low and assume that OSPF will win, forgetting that administrative distance is evaluated first before metric comparison.
✗The RIP route because hop count is lowestWrong answer — click to see why▾
Why this is wrong here
RIP's administrative distance (120) is the highest among the options, so it is not installed regardless of hop count.
★ When this WOULD be the correct answer
In a scenario where all routes are from RIP (e.g., multiple RIP paths to the same network), the route with the lowest hop count would be installed. For example, if the question asked 'Which RIP route will be installed?' and two RIP routes with different hop counts exist, the one with the lowest hop count is correct.
Why candidates choose this
Candidates may mistakenly believe that the metric (hop count) is the deciding factor across different routing protocols, ignoring the higher priority of administrative distance.
✗The static route with administrative distance 95Wrong answer — click to see why▾
Why this is wrong here
A static route with AD 95 has a higher administrative distance than EIGRP's 90, so it loses.
★ When this WOULD be the correct answer
If the question stated that the static route had an administrative distance of 85 (lower than all dynamic protocols), or if the dynamic routes were all from protocols with higher ADs (e.g., RIP at 120, OSPF at 110), then the static route with AD 95 would be installed.
Why candidates choose this
Candidates may think that a static route with a low AD (95) is always preferred over dynamic routes, but they forget that EIGRP internal routes have an even lower AD (90).
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?”
Visual reference
Quick reference
Routing Protocol Comparison
| Protocol | Metric | Max Hops | Algorithm | Type |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| RIP v2 | Hop count | 15 | Bellman-Ford | Distance vector |
| OSPF | Cost (bandwidth) | Unlimited | Dijkstra (SPF) | Link state |
| EIGRP | Composite metric | Unlimited | DUAL | Hybrid |
| IS-IS | Cost | Unlimited | Dijkstra | Link state |
| BGP | Policy / attributes | Unlimited | Path vector | Path vector |
RIP's 15-hop limit makes it unsuitable for large networks. OSPF and EIGRP dominate modern enterprise deployments.
Go deeper
Related to this question
Learn chapter
Interpreting HSRP and VRRP Operational Status
Key term
OSPF
OSPF is a link-state routing protocol used to find the best path for data packets to travel across IP networks, like a smart GPS that recalculates routes when traffic changes.
Key term
Static route
A static route is a manually configured path in a router's routing table that tells the router exactly where to send packets for a specific destination network.
About these practice questions
This 200-301 question is part of Courseiva's 1,389-question bank — original exam-style content with full explanations and wrong-answer analysis, never real exam questions or exam dumps. Learn why practice questions differ from exam dumps →
Same concept, more angles
1 more way this is tested on 200-301
These questions test the same concept from different angles. Work through them to make sure you can recognise it however the exam phrases it.
Variation 1. 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?
hard- ✓ A.The static route, because its administrative distance is lower than OSPF's
- B.The OSPF route, because dynamic routes always override static routes
- C.Both routes, because equal destination networks always load-balance
- D.Neither route, because the destinations overlap
Why A: 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.
JA
Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
This 200-301 practice question is part of Courseiva's free Cisco certification practice question bank. Courseiva provides original exam-style practice questions with explanations, topic-based practice, mock exams, readiness tracking, and study analytics to help learners prepare for the 200-301 exam.