CCNA IP Routing Practice Question
Exhibit
R1# show running-config | include ip route ip route 0.0.0.0 0.0.0.0 192.168.12.2 ip route 0.0.0.0 0.0.0.0 192.168.12.6 200 R1# show ip interface brief Interface IP-Address OK? Method Status Protocol GigabitEthernet0/0 192.168.12.1 YES manual administratively down down GigabitEthernet0/1 192.168.12.5 YES manual administratively down down GigabitEthernet0/2 unassigned YES unset administratively down down
A network engineer configures a primary default route via Gi0/0 (next-hop 192.168.12.2) and a floating static default route via Gi0/1 (next-hop 192.168.12.6) with AD 200. To test failover, the engineer issues the shutdown command on Gi0/0. After this, the router does not have a default route in the routing table. Which problem explains this behavior?
⚠ Common exam trap
The most common mistake is assuming a floating static route will automatically be installed when the primary route disappears, forgetting that the next-hop must be reachable.
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 backup interface Gi0/1 is administratively down, making the next-hop unreachable.
A floating static route is installed only if its next-hop is reachable and the primary route (with lower AD) is absent. Shutting down Gi0/0 removes the primary route. However, backup interface Gi0/1 is also administratively down, so the next-hop 192.168.12.6 is unreachable, and the floating route is not installed. Option A correctly identifies the interface status as the root cause. Option B is wrong because a higher AD (200) correctly designates this as a backup; a lower AD would make it primary. Option C is false; shutting down an interface removes connected routes, which causes the recursive static route to be purged. Option D is incorrect because floating static routes do not require a track object—the AD difference alone dictates failover when the primary is removed.
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 backup interface Gi0/1 is administratively down, making the next-hop unreachable.
Why this is correct
With Gi0/1 administratively shut down, its interface state is down at both Layer 1 and Layer 2, so the router cannot use it as a valid output interface. A static route whose configured next-hop resides on a down interface is considered unreachable, and the router will not install it in the routing table. Because both Gi0/0 and Gi0/1 are unavailable, no default route is present, and the router has no path to the unknown destination.
- ✗
The floating static route uses an administrative distance of 200, which is too low to replace the primary route.
Why it's wrong here
An administrative distance of 200 is actually higher than the default distance of 1 for a directly connected static route, which makes it a backup route, not a competitor that could incorrectly replace the primary. The purpose of a floating static route is to use a higher AD so it only appears when the primary route disappears from the routing table. Saying 'too low' inverts this logic; if the AD were lower, it would be preferred, but 200 is correctly configured for failover.
- ✗
The primary default route remains in the routing table because shutting down Gi0/0 does not remove the static route.
Why it's wrong here
A static route that specifies only a next-hop IP address is recursive: the router must find an active route (such as a directly connected route) that can reach that next-hop before the static route is placed in the FIB. When Gi0/0 is shut down, its connected network is removed from the routing table, and the static route referencing that next-hop is also purged because it can no longer be resolved. Thus the primary default route does not remain; the router's RIB no longer contains the entry.
- ✗
The floating static route is missing a track object, so the router cannot detect the primary path failure.
Why it's wrong here
A floating static route operates purely through the routing table's preference logic: the backup has a higher AD than the primary, so it is only installed when the primary is no longer present. No track object is required for this basic mechanism, because the router does not need to 'detect' failure—it simply reacts to the absence of the primary route. Track objects and IP SLA are optional enhancements that can be used to conditionally install or remove a static route, but their presence is not a prerequisite for floating static routing.
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 backup interface Gi0/1 is administratively down, making the next-hop unreachable.Correct answer▾
Why this is correct
With Gi0/1 administratively shut down, its interface state is down at both Layer 1 and Layer 2, so the router cannot use it as a valid output interface. A static route whose configured next-hop resides on a down interface is considered unreachable, and the router will not install it in the routing table. Because both Gi0/0 and Gi0/1 are unavailable, no default route is present, and the router has no path to the unknown destination.
✗The floating static route uses an administrative distance of 200, which is too low to replace the primary route.Wrong answer — click to see why▾
Why this is wrong here
A lower AD would make it preferred, defeating the purpose of a floating route.
✗The primary default route remains in the routing table because shutting down Gi0/0 does not remove the static route.Wrong answer — click to see why▾
Why this is wrong here
The primary route is removed from the table when the interface goes down.
✗The floating static route is missing a track object, so the router cannot detect the primary path failure.Wrong answer — click to see why▾
Why this is wrong here
Track objects are optional enhancements for faster failover but not mandatory for floating static operation.
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?”
Go deeper
Related to this question
Learn chapter
Interpreting HSRP and VRRP Operational Status
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.
Key term
Static route
A static route is a manually configured path in a router's routing table that tells the router exactly where to send packets for a specific destination network.
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Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
This 200-301 practice question is part of Courseiva's free Cisco certification practice question bank. Courseiva provides original exam-style practice questions with explanations, topic-based practice, mock exams, readiness tracking, and study analytics to help learners prepare for the 200-301 exam.