Question 1hardmultiple choice
Full question →hardmultiple choiceObjective-mapped
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?
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
Best answer
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
Distractor review
Default routes always override static routes.
This is wrong because more specific static routes normally win when valid.
C
Distractor review
The destination must be configured as a /16, not a /24.
This is wrong because the issue is next-hop reachability, not the destination mask.
D
Distractor review
Static routes can be used only if OSPF is disabled.
This is wrong because static routes do not depend on OSPF being absent.
Common exam trap
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
A common exam trap is believing that static routes always override default routes regardless of next-hop reachability. Candidates may see a static route configured and assume it will be used, but if the next hop is unreachable, the router ignores the static route and uses the default route instead. This misunderstanding leads to incorrect troubleshooting conclusions. The trap exploits the assumption that static routes are always preferred, ignoring the critical requirement that the next hop must be resolvable in the routing table for the static route to be valid.
Technical deep dive
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.
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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?
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?
Then try more questions from the same exam bank and focus on understanding why the wrong options are tempting.
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