The answer is that the static route is not used because its next-hop address is unreachable or invalid for forwarding. This occurs because a router must have a valid, active route to the next-hop IP in its routing table before it can install the static route; if that next hop is not reachable, the static route is considered invalid and is not placed into the routing table. On the CCNA 200-301 v2 exam, this tests your understanding of recursive route resolution—a common troubleshooting scenario where a seemingly correct static route fails because the router cannot reach the gateway. A typical trap is assuming a configured route is always active, but the router silently discards it if the next hop is missing. Remember the memory tip: “No path to the hop, the route will drop.”
CCNA IP Routing Practice Question
This 200-301 practice question tests your understanding of ip routing. The scenario asks you to isolate a root cause — eliminate options that address a different problem before choosing. A key principle to apply: a static route requires a reachable next-hop IP address or exit interface to be installed and used in the routing table.. 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.
Exhibit
R1# show run | include ^ip route
ip route 192.168.40.0 255.255.255.0 203.0.113.2
ip route 0.0.0.0 0.0.0.0 198.51.100.1
R1# show ip route
C 198.51.100.0/30 is directly connected, GigabitEthernet0/0
L 198.51.100.2/32 is directly connected, GigabitEthernet0/0
Based on the exhibit, why is traffic to 192.168.40.200 using the default route instead of the intended static route?
R1# show run | include ^ip route
ip route 192.168.40.0 255.255.255.0 203.0.113.2
ip route 0.0.0.0 0.0.0.0 198.51.100.1
R1# show ip route
C 198.51.100.0/30 is directly connected, GigabitEthernet0/0
L 198.51.100.2/32 is directly connected, GigabitEthernet0/0
A
The static route next hop is unreachable or invalid for forwarding.
This is correct because the configured next hop does not appear as a reachable remote path for the route to use.
B
Default routes always override static routes.
Why wrong: This is wrong because more specific static routes normally win when valid.
C
The destination must be configured as a /16, not a /24.
Why wrong: This is wrong because the issue is next-hop reachability, not the destination mask.
D
Static routes can be used only if OSPF is disabled.
Why wrong: This is wrong because static routes do not depend on OSPF being absent.
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
The static route next hop is unreachable or invalid for forwarding.
The intended static route is not being used because the next hop for that static route is not reachable from the current routing table. In practical terms, a route can be configured, but the router still needs a way to resolve and forward to the next-hop address. If that next hop is unreachable, the route may not be installed or usable, so traffic falls back to the default route instead.
This is a realistic troubleshooting pattern because the configuration line alone can look correct until you compare it with actual reachability.
Key principle: A static route requires a reachable next-hop IP address or exit interface to be installed and used in the routing table.
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 route next hop is unreachable or invalid for forwarding.
Why this is correct
This is correct because the configured next hop does not appear as a reachable remote path for the route to use.
Related concept
A static route requires a reachable next-hop IP address or exit interface to be installed and used in the routing table.
✗
Default routes always override static routes.
Why it's wrong here
This is wrong because more specific static routes normally win when valid.
When this WOULD be correct
In a different scenario where the question states that the routing protocol is configured to prioritize default routes over static routes due to specific administrative distance settings, option B could be correct. For example, if a network is designed to always prefer default routes for certain traffic types, this option would apply.
✗
The destination must be configured as a /16, not a /24.
Why it's wrong here
This is wrong because the issue is next-hop reachability, not the destination mask.
When this WOULD be correct
In a different scenario where a question specifies that a static route must match the subnet mask of the destination network exactly, and the configured static route is /24 while the destination is /16, this option would be correct as it would indicate a misconfiguration preventing traffic from routing properly.
✗
Static routes can be used only if OSPF is disabled.
Why it's wrong here
This is wrong because static routes do not depend on OSPF being absent.
When this WOULD be correct
In a different scenario, if a question specifies that a network is configured to use OSPF exclusively and that static routes are not permitted due to policy or design constraints, then 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 route next hop is unreachable or invalid for forwarding.Correct answer▾
Why this is correct
This is correct because the configured next hop does not appear as a reachable remote path for the route to use.
✗Default routes always override static routes.Wrong answer — click to see why▾
Why this is wrong here
This option is incorrect because static routes do not inherently get overridden by default routes; rather, the routing table prioritizes routes based on their specificity and administrative distance.
★ When this WOULD be the correct answer
In a different scenario where the question states that the routing protocol is configured to prioritize default routes over static routes due to specific administrative distance settings, option B could be correct. For example, if a network is designed to always prefer default routes for certain traffic types, this option would apply.
Why candidates choose this
Candidates might choose this option due to a common misconception that default routes always take precedence over static routes, leading to confusion about route prioritization in routing protocols.
✗The destination must be configured as a /16, not a /24.Wrong answer — click to see why▾
Why this is wrong here
This option is incorrect because the subnet mask of the destination IP does not affect the functionality of static routes in this context; static routes can operate with various subnet masks without being limited to /16 or /24.
★ When this WOULD be the correct answer
In a different scenario where a question specifies that a static route must match the subnet mask of the destination network exactly, and the configured static route is /24 while the destination is /16, this option would be correct as it would indicate a misconfiguration preventing traffic from routing properly.
Why candidates choose this
Candidates may find this option appealing due to a common misconception that subnet mask mismatches directly impact routing decisions, leading them to believe that the specific mask is critical to route functionality.
✗Static routes can be used only if OSPF is disabled.Wrong answer — click to see why▾
Why this is wrong here
This option is incorrect because static routes can coexist with dynamic routing protocols like OSPF; they do not require OSPF to be disabled to function properly.
★ When this WOULD be the correct answer
In a different scenario, if a question specifies that a network is configured to use OSPF exclusively and that static routes are not permitted due to policy or design constraints, then this option would be correct.
Why candidates choose this
Candidates may choose this option due to a misunderstanding of routing protocols, believing that static routes are incompatible with dynamic protocols like OSPF, leading to confusion about their operational relationship.
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
Be cautious of confusing administrative distance with reachability issues. Always verify the next hop's reachability.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Static routing in Cisco devices involves manually configuring a route with a specific destination network and a next-hop IP address or exit interface. The router uses this information to forward packets destined for that network. However, for the static route to be effective, the next-hop IP address must be reachable via an existing route in the routing table. If the next hop is unreachable, the static route is considered invalid and will not be installed in the routing table, causing the router to use alternative routes such as the default route.
When a router receives traffic destined for an IP address, it performs a longest prefix match against its routing table. If a static route exists but its next hop is unreachable, the router cannot forward packets through that route. Instead, it falls back to less specific routes like the default route (0.0.0.0/0) if available. This behavior ensures that traffic is forwarded via a known path rather than being dropped silently. Cisco routers do not install static routes with unreachable next hops to prevent blackholing traffic.
A common exam trap is assuming that static routes always take precedence over default routes regardless of next-hop reachability. In reality, Cisco routers verify next-hop reachability before installing static routes. If the next hop is unreachable, the static route is ignored, and the router uses the default route or other available routes. Understanding this behavior is critical for troubleshooting routing issues and designing reliable static routing configurations in Cisco networks.
KKey Concepts to Remember
A static route requires a reachable next-hop IP address or exit interface to be installed and used in the routing table.
Cisco routers perform longest prefix matching and prefer more specific static routes over default routes when the next hop is reachable.
If the next hop of a static route is unreachable, the router excludes that route from the routing table and uses alternate routes like the default route.
Static routes do not depend on dynamic routing protocols such as OSPF to function or be installed in the routing table.
The administrative distance of static routes is lower than default routes, but next-hop reachability is a prerequisite for route installation.
A misconfigured next hop IP address in a static route leads to traffic being forwarded via the default route or dropped if no default exists.
Cisco routers verify next-hop reachability by checking the routing table before installing static routes to prevent blackholing traffic.
Traffic forwarding decisions rely on both route specificity and next-hop reachability, not just the presence of a 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.
Key takeaway
A static route requires a reachable next-hop IP address or exit interface to be installed and used in the routing table.
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 static route requires a reachable next-hop IP address or exit interface to be installed and used in the routing table., then practise related 200-301 questions on the same topic to reinforce the concept.
IP Routing — This question tests IP Routing — A static route requires a reachable next-hop IP address or exit interface to be installed and used in the routing table..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: The static route next hop is unreachable or invalid for forwarding. — The intended static route is not being used because the next hop for that static route is not reachable from the current routing table. In practical terms, a route can be configured, but the router still needs a way to resolve and forward to the next-hop address. If that next hop is unreachable, the route may not be installed or usable, so traffic falls back to the default route instead.
This is a realistic troubleshooting pattern because the configuration line alone can look correct until you compare it with actual reachability.
What should I do if I get this 200-301 question wrong?
Review a static route requires a reachable next-hop IP address or exit interface to be installed and used in the routing table., then practise related 200-301 questions on the same topic to reinforce the concept.
What is the key concept behind this question?
A static route requires a reachable next-hop IP address or exit interface to be installed and used in the routing table.
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