Question 252 of 1,389
CCNA IP Routing Practice Question
Exhibit
R1# show running-config | include ip route ip route 0.0.0.0 0.0.0.0 Serial0/0/0 130 R1# show ip interface brief Interface IP-Address OK? Method Status Protocol GigabitEthernet0/0 192.168.1.1 YES manual up up Serial0/0/0 10.1.1.1 YES manual up down Serial0/0/1 unassigned YES unset administratively down down
An administrator configured a floating static default route on R1 as a backup to reach 10.10.10.0/24. The primary path is learned via OSPF, and the floating static route uses an administrative distance of 130. After the primary OSPF neighbor fails, traffic to 10.10.10.0/24 is dropped. According to the exhibit, why is the backup default route not being used?
⚠ Common exam trap
Cisco often tests the distinction between static routes with an outgoing interface versus a next-hop IP address, where candidates mistakenly assume a floating static route will automatically become active when the primary route fails, without considering the interface state.
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 specifies an outgoing interface that is down; the next‑hop must be reachable for the route to be used.
The floating static default route is not used because the outgoing interface specified in the static route is down. For a static route with an outgoing interface to be considered valid and installed in the routing table, the interface must be in an up/up state. When the primary OSPF neighbor fails, the backup static route cannot be used because its next-hop is unreachable due to the interface being down, causing traffic to be dropped.
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 specifies an outgoing interface that is down; the next‑hop must be reachable for the route to be used.
Why this is correct
Because the static route uses only the outgoing interface (Serial0/0/0) without a next‑hop IP, the interface must be up/up for the route to be placed in the RIB. Since Serial0/0/0 is down, the entry is invalid.
- ✗
The administrative distance of 130 is still less than the OSPF default of 110, so it will never be installed.
Why it's wrong here
Administrative distance determines preference—lower is preferred. When OSPF routes are lost, a static route with AD 130 would normally become active because no more preferred route exists. The AD value here is not the problem.
- ✗
The static route is missing the permanent keyword, which is required for backup routes.
Why it's wrong here
The permanent keyword forces a static route to stay in the routing table even if the interface is down, but it is not required for a floating static route to work. The underlying issue is simply that the interface used is down.
- ✗
The metric of the static route is too high; it should be reduced to 0.
Why it's wrong here
In Cisco IOS, you cannot assign a metric to a static route; the second value in [130/0] is always displayed as 0 and is not user-configurable nor used for comparison between routes. Route preference is determined solely by administrative distance, not by metric, so stating the metric is too high misidentifies the failure. The route is not installed because the outgoing interface Serial0/0/0 is down, not because of any metric value.
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 specifies an outgoing interface that is down; the next‑hop must be reachable for the route to be used.Correct answer▾
Why this is correct
Because the static route uses only the outgoing interface (Serial0/0/0) without a next‑hop IP, the interface must be up/up for the route to be placed in the RIB. Since Serial0/0/0 is down, the entry is invalid.
✗The administrative distance of 130 is still less than the OSPF default of 110, so it will never be installed.Wrong answer — click to see why▾
Why this is wrong here
This misinterprets AD: after the primary route is gone, any route with a higher AD (i.e., lower numeric value) is no longer present, so the floating static route should be installed if reachable.
✗The static route is missing the permanent keyword, which is required for backup routes.Wrong answer — click to see why▾
Why this is wrong here
Permanent is rarely needed and does not make a route usable when the interface is down; it only keeps the routing table entry present, but traffic cannot be forwarded.
✗The metric of the static route is too high; it should be reduced to 0.Wrong answer — click to see why▾
Why this is wrong here
Changing a static route metric is not possible, and even if it were, it would not change the fact that the specified interface is down.
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.
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Last reviewed: Jun 25, 2026
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.
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