Question 1hardmultiple choice
Full question →hardmultiple choiceObjective-mapped
An engineer wants a static route to be used only if the OSPF route to the same network disappears. What should be configured?
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
A static route with lower administrative distance than OSPF
A lower AD would make the static route preferred all the time.
B
Best answer
A static route with higher administrative distance than OSPF
Correct. Higher-AD static routes provide backup behavior.
C
Distractor review
A second OSPF route with a lower metric
That would not create a static fallback route.
D
Distractor review
A default route with no next hop
A default route does not specifically solve the backup-to-this-prefix requirement.
Common exam trap
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
A frequent exam trap is selecting a static route with a lower administrative distance than OSPF, thinking it will act as a backup. In reality, a lower AD means the static route is preferred and installed in the routing table over the OSPF route, preventing OSPF from being used at all. This defeats the purpose of having a dynamic route as the primary path and a static route as a fallback. Candidates must remember that to create a backup static route, the AD must be higher than the dynamic routing protocol’s AD, so it only activates when the primary route fails.
Technical deep dive
How to think about this question
Administrative distance (AD) is a key concept in Cisco routing that ranks the trustworthiness of routing information sources. Each routing protocol and static route has a default AD value; for example, OSPF has an AD of 110, while static routes default to 1. The router installs the route with the lowest AD into the routing table, ensuring the most reliable path is used for forwarding traffic. This mechanism prevents routing loops and conflicts between multiple routing sources. When an engineer wants a static route to serve only as a backup to an OSPF-learned route, they configure a floating static route by assigning it an AD higher than OSPF's 110. This means the static route will not be installed in the routing table as long as the OSPF route exists. If the OSPF route disappears due to a link failure or topology change, the router then installs the floating static route, providing immediate backup connectivity without waiting for routing protocol reconvergence. A common exam trap is misunderstanding the role of administrative distance in route selection. Many candidates incorrectly assume that a static route with a lower AD than OSPF will act as a backup, but it will actually override the OSPF route and always be preferred. The practical behavior of floating static routes ensures network stability by only activating backup routes when necessary, avoiding routing conflicts and ensuring seamless failover in Cisco environments.
KKey Concepts to Remember
- Administrative distance (AD) determines the trustworthiness of a routing source, with lower AD values preferred over higher ones in the routing table.
- A floating static route is configured with a higher administrative distance than a dynamic routing protocol route to act as a backup route.
- OSPF uses an administrative distance of 110 by default, so a static route with an AD higher than 110 will only be used if the OSPF route disappears.
- Routing protocols like OSPF dynamically learn routes and update the routing table based on network topology changes.
- Static routes have a default administrative distance of 1, which makes them preferred over OSPF routes unless the AD is manually increased.
- Cisco routers install the route with the lowest administrative distance into the routing table, ignoring routes with higher AD unless the preferred route fails.
- Configuring a static route with a higher AD than OSPF creates a floating static route that remains inactive until the OSPF route is lost.
- Backup routes using floating static routes improve network resilience by providing immediate alternative paths without routing protocol convergence delays.
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 (AD) determines the trustworthiness of a routing source, with lower AD values preferred over higher ones in the routing table.
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: A static route with higher administrative distance than OSPF — A floating static route is given a higher administrative distance than the preferred dynamic route so it stays out of the routing table unless the dynamic route is lost.
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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