CCNA IP Routing Practice Question
A router has both an OSPF route and a static route to the same destination. The static route has an administrative distance of 200. What is the expected behavior while the OSPF route remains available?
⚠ Common exam trap
Remember that lower administrative distance means higher preference, regardless of whether a route is static or dynamic.
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 route remains a backup and is used only if the OSPF route is lost.
The static route with an administrative distance of 200 behaves as a floating backup. In plain language, the router keeps it in reserve and prefers the OSPF route while OSPF is healthy, because OSPF’s default administrative distance of 110 is lower and therefore more trusted. The static route does not disappear from the configuration, but it stays out of the active routing table unless the better route is lost. This is a very common CCNA concept because it shows how routing preference works between different route sources. The higher-distance static route is not useless; it is intentionally configured so that it becomes active only during a failure. That design provides backup routing without interfering with the normal dynamic path. The correct answer is the one describing the static route as a standby or floating route rather than as the preferred path.
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 remains a backup and is used only if the OSPF route is lost.
Why this is correct
The OSPF route has an administrative distance of 110, while the static route's distance is explicitly configured higher (e.g., 125) to create a floating static route. Because the router always prefers the lowest administrative distance, OSPF is installed in the routing table and used for forwarding; the static route is held in reserve. If the OSPF neighbor adjacency fails or the route is withdrawn from the routing table, the router then installs the static route to maintain reachability.
- ✗
The static route overrides OSPF immediately because static routes always win.
Why it's wrong here
Static routes do not 'always win' because route selection is based on administrative distance, not on the route type alone. By default, a static route has an AD of 1, which normally beats OSPF's 110, but here the static route's AD has been configured higher than OSPF's, allowing OSPF to remain preferred. Therefore, it is the specific numeric AD values that determine preference, not a blanket rule that static outranks dynamic routing.
When this WOULD be correct
In a different scenario where a static route has a lower administrative distance than OSPF (e.g., a static route with a distance of 90), the static route would immediately override OSPF, making this option correct. The question would need to specify that the static route has a lower administrative distance.
- ✗
Both routes must be installed simultaneously because they point to the same destination.
Why it's wrong here
The router does not install both routes just because they point to the same destination; it installs only the one with the best (lowest) administrative distance for that prefix. Both routes would be installed only if they had equal AD and formed equal-cost multipath (ECMP), or if they addressed different prefixes. Since the same destination and differing ADs mean only OSPF is selected, simultaneous installation is not required.
When this WOULD be correct
In a different scenario where both routes have the same administrative distance, such as if the static route were configured with an administrative distance of 110 (the same as OSPF), the router would install both routes and use equal-cost multipath routing to forward packets.
- ✗
The router removes the OSPF route because the static route has a manually configured distance.
Why it's wrong here
A manually configured distance does not cause the router to remove the OSPF route. The router selects the route with the lowest AD for the destination; because the static route's manually configured distance is higher than OSPF's 110, OSPF remains the best route and stays in the routing table. The static route is simply not installed, and OSPF is not removed merely because a static route with a higher distance exists.
When this WOULD be correct
In a different scenario where the static route has a lower administrative distance than the OSPF route, the router would remove the OSPF route from the routing table, making this option correct. For example, if the static route had an administrative distance of 110, it would take precedence over the OSPF route.
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 remains a backup and is used only if the OSPF route is lost.Correct answer▾
Why this is correct
The OSPF route has an administrative distance of 110, while the static route's distance is explicitly configured higher (e.g., 125) to create a floating static route. Because the router always prefers the lowest administrative distance, OSPF is installed in the routing table and used for forwarding; the static route is held in reserve. If the OSPF neighbor adjacency fails or the route is withdrawn from the routing table, the router then installs the static route to maintain reachability.
✗The static route overrides OSPF immediately because static routes always win.Wrong answer — click to see why▾
Why this is wrong here
Static routes do not always override dynamic routes; route selection is based on administrative distance. OSPF has a default AD of 110, which is lower than 200, so the OSPF route is preferred. The statement that static routes always win is incorrect because AD values determine preference.
★ When this WOULD be the correct answer
In a different scenario where a static route has a lower administrative distance than OSPF (e.g., a static route with a distance of 90), the static route would immediately override OSPF, making this option correct. The question would need to specify that the static route has a lower administrative distance.
Why candidates choose this
Students often mistakenly believe that static routes are inherently preferred over dynamic routes due to their manual configuration. However, AD is the decisive factor, and a static route with a higher AD is less preferred.
✗Both routes must be installed simultaneously because they point to the same destination.Wrong answer — click to see why▾
Why this is wrong here
Routers install only the best route (lowest AD) for a given destination in the routing table, unless equal-cost multipath (ECMP) is configured with identical metrics. Since OSPF and static routes have different ADs, they are not installed simultaneously; only the OSPF route is used.
★ When this WOULD be the correct answer
In a different scenario where both routes have the same administrative distance, such as if the static route were configured with an administrative distance of 110 (the same as OSPF), the router would install both routes and use equal-cost multipath routing to forward packets.
Why candidates choose this
Some students think that multiple routes to the same destination are always installed together for load balancing. However, load balancing requires equal AD and metric; otherwise, only the best route is installed.
✗The router removes the OSPF route because the static route has a manually configured distance.Wrong answer — click to see why▾
Why this is wrong here
The router does not remove the OSPF route because the static route has a manually configured distance. The OSPF route has a lower AD (110) than the static route's AD (200), so OSPF remains the preferred route and stays in the routing table.
★ When this WOULD be the correct answer
In a different scenario where the static route has a lower administrative distance than the OSPF route, the router would remove the OSPF route from the routing table, making this option correct. For example, if the static route had an administrative distance of 110, it would take precedence over the OSPF route.
Why candidates choose this
Students may think that a manually configured distance on a static route gives it some special priority. However, the AD value is compared numerically; a higher AD means lower preference, so OSPF is not removed.
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
Route
A route is a path that data takes through a network from one device or network to another, determined by routing protocols and configured rules.
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