CCNA IP Routing Practice Question

Answer analysis

Option-by-option breakdown

For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.

• ✓

  Enter privileged EXEC mode using the enable command.

  Why this is correct

  Entering privileged EXEC mode with the enable command is the initial prerequisite for any router configuration. This command escalates the user EXEC mode to privileged EXEC mode, granting access to high-level commands, including global configuration and detailed verification tools. Without this transition, you cannot even execute 'configure terminal' to start the process. The enable command itself may require a password if one is configured on the vty or console lines.

• ✓

  Enter global configuration mode using the configure terminal command.

  Why this is correct

  After gaining privileged EXEC access, the 'configure terminal' command (often abbreviated 'conf t') places the router into global configuration mode. This mode allows you to issue configuration-level commands that affect the entire device, such as static routing, rather than interface-specific settings. It is from here that you define the actual IP route statements, so this step is mandatory for establishing both the primary and floating static routes. The prompt changes from 'Router#' to 'Router(config)#' to indicate you are in the correct mode.

• ✓

  Configure the primary default static route with ip route 0.0.0.0 0.0.0.0 [primary-next-hop].

  Why this is correct

  The primary default static route uses the syntax 'ip route 0.0.0.0 0.0.0.0 [primary-next-hop]' and is assigned a default administrative distance (AD) of 1. This low AD makes it the preferred route to any destination not explicitly listed in the routing table, typically directing traffic toward the primary ISP or main WAN link. Because it has the lowest possible static route AD, this is the path that will be actively used under normal conditions. The next-hop IP address must be directly reachable from the router's own interface to be considered valid.

• ✓

  Configure the floating backup static route with ip route 0.0.0.0 0.0.0.0 [backup-next-hop] [higher-AD].

  Why this is correct

  The floating backup static route is also defined with 'ip route 0.0.0.0 0.0.0.0 [backup-next-hop] [higher-AD]' but with a deliberately elevated administrative distance, such as 10 or 100. This higher AD ensures the route remains in the routing table only if the primary route disappears, because the router always prefers the lowest AD for identical prefixes. It acts as a safety net for failover, commonly pointing to a backup ISP or secondary WAN link. When the primary route fails, the backup is immediately injected into the routing table, providing automatic redundancy without dynamic routing protocols.

• ✓

  Exit global configuration mode using the end command.

  Why this is correct

  Exiting global configuration mode with the 'end' command is the quickest way to return directly to privileged EXEC mode, bypassing any intermediate sub-configuration modes. This step is essential before verifying the routing table because commands like 'show ip route' and 'show running-config' are only available in privileged EXEC mode. It also precedes the final save step, as you cannot copy the running-config from within configuration mode. Using 'exit' instead would require multiple steps to return to privileged EXEC mode.

• ✓

  Save the configuration using the copy running-config startup-config command.

  Why this is correct

  The 'copy running-config startup-config' command commits the floating static route configuration to NVRAM, ensuring it survives a router reload or power cycle. Without this save operation, all configuration changes exist only in volatile RAM and are lost on reboot. This is a common source of troubleshooting failures in production networks where careful change management is not followed. The command can be abbreviated to 'copy run start' and is the definitive way to secure the new default route settings.

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