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 trap here is assuming that a floating static route will always take over when the primary fails, without checking whether the backup interface itself is operational — candidates focus on AD values and miss the physical/link-state prerequisite.
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 only installs in the routing table when its administrative distance is higher than the primary route's and the primary route is removed. When Gi0/0 is shut down, the primary static default route is withdrawn, but the floating static via Gi0/1 cannot be installed because Gi0/1 itself is administratively down, so its next-hop 192.168.12.6 is unreachable. A static route requires a valid, reachable outgoing interface (and for non-point-to-point, a resolvable next-hop) before it can be placed in the RIB.
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?”
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Related to this question
Learn chapter
Static Routing
Key term
Routing table
A routing table is a data set stored in a router or host that contains information about network paths and is used to determine where to forward data packets.
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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JA
Written and reviewed by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
Last reviewed September 2026 · checked against the official Cisco exam blueprint
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.