This 200-301 practice question tests your understanding of ip routing. This is a configuration task: choose the command set that satisfies every stated requirement. Small differences — like 'secret' vs 'password' or 'transport input ssh' vs 'all' — change whether the answer is correct. A key principle to apply: a floating static route uses a higher administrative distance than dynamic routing protocols to act as a backup route.. Once you have made your selection, read the full explanation to reinforce the concept and understand why each distractor is designed to mislead on exam day.
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?
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.
The static default route overrides OSPF immediately because it is manually configured.
Why it's wrong here
This is wrong because the higher administrative distance prevents it from overriding OSPF during normal operation.
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
This is wrong because routes from different sources do not automatically load-balance in this scenario.
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
This is wrong because overlapping defaults are normal and route preference resolves the choice.
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
This is correct because the higher administrative distance makes the static route float behind OSPF.
✗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?”
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
Don't assume static routes always take precedence over dynamic ones; administrative distance dictates preference.
Trap categories for this question
Scenario analysis trap
This is wrong because routes from different sources do not automatically load-balance in this scenario.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
A floating static route is a static route configured with an administrative distance higher than the dynamic routing protocol's default distance, ensuring it acts as a backup path rather than the primary route. In this scenario, the static default route to 0.0.0.0/0 is assigned an administrative distance of 200, which is higher than OSPF's default administrative distance of 110. This means the router prefers the OSPF-learned default route under normal conditions and only uses the static route if the OSPF route becomes unavailable.
Administrative distance is a key Cisco routing concept that determines the trustworthiness of routing information from different sources. When multiple routes to the same destination exist, the router selects the route with the lowest administrative distance. By configuring a floating static route with a higher administrative distance, the static route remains in the routing table but is suppressed in favor of the dynamic route unless the dynamic route fails. This design provides redundancy without disrupting normal routing operations.
The exam trap here is misunderstanding the role of administrative distance and assuming that a manually configured static route always overrides dynamic routes. In reality, the higher administrative distance assigned to the floating static route prevents it from immediately overriding the OSPF route. This ensures network stability by avoiding route flapping and unintended traffic shifts. Practically, floating static routes are widely used in Cisco networks to provide backup paths that activate only during dynamic route failures.
KKey Concepts to Remember
A floating static route uses a higher administrative distance than dynamic routing protocols to act as a backup route.
OSPF has a default administrative distance of 110, which is lower than the floating static route's 200, making OSPF preferred.
The router selects the route with the lowest administrative distance as the primary forwarding path.
Static routes with higher administrative distances do not override dynamic routes unless the dynamic route is lost.
Administrative distance determines route preference when multiple routes to the same destination exist.
Floating static routes provide redundancy by activating only when the preferred dynamic route is unavailable.
Overlapping default routes do not cause the router to ignore them; route preference resolves which route is used.
Manually configured static routes do not automatically override dynamic routes if their administrative distance is higher.
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.
Key takeaway
A floating static route uses a higher administrative distance than dynamic routing protocols to act as a backup route.
Real-world example
How this comes up in practice
A network engineer at a university connects two campus buildings via a fibre link. Both routers run OSPF, but no adjacency forms — even though both routers can ping each other. The engineer finds one router is in area 0 and the other in area 1. OSPF adjacency requires matching area numbers, hello/dead timers, and network type. IP reachability alone is not enough.
Related glossary terms
Concepts from this question explained
These glossary pages explain the core terms tested in this 200-301 question in full detail.
Review a floating static route uses a higher administrative distance than dynamic routing protocols to act as a backup route., then practise related 200-301 questions on the same topic to reinforce the concept.
IP Routing — This question tests IP Routing — A floating static route uses a higher administrative distance than dynamic routing protocols to act as a backup route..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: 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.
What should I do if I get this 200-301 question wrong?
Review a floating static route uses a higher administrative distance than dynamic routing protocols to act as a backup route., then practise related 200-301 questions on the same topic to reinforce the concept.
What is the key concept behind this question?
A floating static route uses a higher administrative distance than dynamic routing protocols to act as a backup route.
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