CCNA IP Routing Practice Question
An engineer configures a floating static route to 0.0.0.0/0 with an administrative distance of 200 while OSPF is providing a default route. What is the intended behavior?
⚠ Common exam trap
Don't assume static routes always take precedence over dynamic ones; administrative distance dictates preference.
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 static default route acts as a backup and becomes active only if the OSPF default route is lost.
The intended behavior is that the static default route stays in reserve and becomes active only if the OSPF-learned default route disappears. In plain language, the administrator wants a backup path, not a replacement for the normal OSPF path. By assigning the static route a higher administrative distance than OSPF, the router treats it as less trustworthy during normal operation. This is a standard floating-static design. The static route is still configured, but it does not normally appear as the preferred forwarding choice until the lower-distance route is lost. That is the key operational purpose of the configuration.
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 static default route acts as a backup and becomes active only if the OSPF default route is lost.
Why this is correct
A floating static route is configured with an administrative distance greater than OSPF's default of 110, such as 150. While the OSPF default route exists in the routing table, the static route remains dormant because the router prefers the lower AD. If the OSPF route disappears due to a neighbor loss or removal of the default-information originate command, the static route is then installed and used as the default path.
- ✗
The static default route overrides OSPF immediately because it is manually configured.
Why it's wrong here
Manual configuration does not give a route preference over dynamically learned routes; the router relies on administrative distance as the first tiebreaker. Since OSPF's default AD is 110 and the static route is configured with a higher AD (e.g., 150), the OSPF default route is chosen immediately. The static route only overrides OSPF if the OSPF route is removed from the routing table, which is the intended behavior of a floating route.
When this WOULD be correct
In a different scenario where the static route is configured with an administrative distance lower than OSPF (e.g., 100), the static route would override the OSPF default route immediately, making this option correct.
- ✗
Both default routes must always load-balance together.
Why it's wrong here
Load balancing across two default routes requires that they have equal administrative distance and equal metric, typically from the same routing protocol. Here, OSPF has an AD of 110 while the floating static route is purposely set to a higher AD (e.g., 150), so they are not considered equal-cost paths. Even if the metrics matched, the differing AD values mean only the OSPF route is installed in the RIB, making simultaneous load balancing impossible.
When this WOULD be correct
In a different scenario where both the static and OSPF default routes are configured with the same administrative distance, a question could ask about load-balancing behavior. In that case, the correct answer would be that both routes would be used for load balancing.
- ✗
The router ignores both defaults because they overlap.
Why it's wrong here
The router does not discard both default routes just because they overlap. Instead, the routing table selects the route with the lowest administrative distance—here, OSPF at 110—and keeps the static route as a candidate only if the preferred route fails. Overlapping prefixes are common and are resolved by the route-selection process, not by ignoring them. Both entries remain in the routing table but only one is active.
When this WOULD be correct
In a different scenario where both the OSPF and static routes are configured with the same administrative distance, a question could state that the router is configured to ignore routes with overlapping prefixes. In this case, if the router's configuration explicitly states to ignore overlapping routes, this option would be correct.
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 static default route acts as a backup and becomes active only if the OSPF default route is lost.Correct answer▾
Why this is correct
A floating static route is configured with an administrative distance greater than OSPF's default of 110, such as 150. While the OSPF default route exists in the routing table, the static route remains dormant because the router prefers the lower AD. If the OSPF route disappears due to a neighbor loss or removal of the default-information originate command, the static route is then installed and used as the default path.
✗The static default route overrides OSPF immediately because it is manually configured.Wrong answer — click to see why▾
Why this is wrong here
The static default route has an administrative distance of 200, which is higher than OSPF's default distance of 110. Therefore, OSPF's route is preferred, and the static route does not override it. Manual configuration does not bypass administrative distance; the router always prefers the lower distance.
★ When this WOULD be the correct answer
In a different scenario where the static route is configured with an administrative distance lower than OSPF (e.g., 100), the static route would override the OSPF default route immediately, making this option correct.
Why candidates choose this
Students often think that static routes always take precedence over dynamic routes because they are manually configured. However, administrative distance is the decisive factor, and a higher distance makes the static route less preferred.
✗Both default routes must always load-balance together.Wrong answer — click to see why▾
Why this is wrong here
Load balancing requires multiple routes with equal administrative distance and metric. Here, OSPF and the static route have different administrative distances (110 vs. 200), so they are not equal. The router will only use the best route (OSPF) and not load-balance.
★ When this WOULD be the correct answer
In a different scenario where both the static and OSPF default routes are configured with the same administrative distance, a question could ask about load-balancing behavior. In that case, the correct answer would be that both routes would be used for load balancing.
Why candidates choose this
Some might assume that multiple default routes automatically load-balance traffic, but load balancing only occurs when routes are equally preferred. The different administrative distances prevent this.
✗The router ignores both defaults because they overlap.Wrong answer — click to see why▾
Why this is wrong here
Overlapping default routes are common and do not cause the router to ignore them. The router uses the route with the lowest administrative distance (OSPF) and ignores the static route unless OSPF fails. There is no conflict that would cause both to be ignored.
★ When this WOULD be the correct answer
In a different scenario where both the OSPF and static routes are configured with the same administrative distance, a question could state that the router is configured to ignore routes with overlapping prefixes. In this case, if the router's configuration explicitly states to ignore overlapping routes, this option would be correct.
Why candidates choose this
A student might think that having two default routes creates a conflict or ambiguity, but routing protocols handle this by preferring the best route. The router does not ignore both; it selects the best one.
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
OSPFv3 Single-Area Configuration for IPv6
Key term
OSPF
OSPF is a link-state routing protocol that uses the SPF algorithm to compute the shortest path to each destination within a single autonomous system.
Key term
Default route
A default route is a catch-all routing entry that tells a network device where to send packets when no specific route matches the destination address.
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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.