CCNA IP Routing Practice Question
Exhibit
R1# show ip route
Codes: L - local, C - connected, S - static, R - RIP, M - mobile, B - BGP
D - EIGRP, EX - EIGRP external, O - OSPF, IA - OSPF inter area
N1 - OSPF NSSA external type 1, N2 - OSPF NSSA external type 2
E1 - OSPF external type 1, E2 - OSPF external type 2
i - IS-IS, su - IS-IS summary, L1 - IS-IS level-1, L2 - IS-IS level-2
ia - IS-IS inter area, * - candidate default, U - per-user static route
o - ODR, P - periodic downloaded static route, H - NHRP, l - LISP
+ - replicated route, % - next hop override
Gateway of last resort is not set
10.0.0.0/8 is variably subnetted, 2 subnets, 2 masks
C 10.1.1.0/24 is directly connected, GigabitEthernet0/0
L 10.1.1.1/32 is directly connected, GigabitEthernet0/0
192.168.1.0/24 is variably subnetted, 2 subnets, 2 masks
C 192.168.1.0/24 is directly connected, GigabitEthernet0/1
L 192.168.1.1/32 is directly connected, GigabitEthernet0/1
O 192.168.2.0/24 [110/2] via 192.168.1.2, 00:05:03, GigabitEthernet0/1Refer to the exhibit. A network technician is troubleshooting router R1, which cannot reach hosts on the internet. R1 is connected to an ISP router at 203.0.113.1. The exhibit shows the output of the show ip route command. What is the most likely cause of the issue?
⚠ Common exam trap
Cisco often tests the misconception that OSPF automatically shares a default route to all neighbors, when in fact it requires explicit configuration via the 'default-information originate' command.
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
✓
A static default route is not configured on R1, and OSPF is not advertising a default route.
The exhibit shows that R1 has no default route (0.0.0.0/0) in its routing table, and the only routes present are OSPF-learned internal routes. Since R1 cannot reach the internet, the most likely cause is that no static default route is configured pointing to the ISP router (203.0.113.1) and OSPF is not injecting a default route into R1. Without a default route, R1 has no path for traffic destined outside its OSPF domain.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✓
A static default route is not configured on R1, and OSPF is not advertising a default route.
Why this is correct
The output explicitly shows 'Gateway of last resort is not set' and no 0.0.0.0/0 route. A default route is required to reach external networks like the internet. The OSPF-learned route proves OSPF adjacency, but the absence of O*E2 or similar default route indicates default-information originate is not configured.
- ✗
The OSPF neighbor relationship with the ISP router is down.
Why it's wrong here
The OSPF neighbor relationship is healthy because the routing table contains an OSPF-learned route (192.168.2.0/24) with an administrative distance of 110 and next hop 192.168.1.2. Such a route can only appear after the neighbor adjacency reaches the Full state and LSAs are exchanged. If the neighbor were down, the OSPF route would be removed from the routing table entirely after the dead timer expires, so the absence of a default route cannot be attributed to a dead neighbor.
- ✗
The interface connecting to the ISP router is in a shutdown state.
Why it's wrong here
No interface in the exhibit shows an 'administratively down' state. Both GigabitEthernet0/0 and 0/1 are directly connected and up. If the ISP-facing interface were shut down, its directly connected route would be missing or show as down.
- ✗
An incorrect next-hop address was specified in the static default route, making the route invalid.
Why it's wrong here
The routing table would still display a static default route with an invalid next-hop, but it would be listed with a status like 'S* 0.0.0.0/0 [1/0] via [invalid]'. The exhibit shows no S* entry at all, and the gateway of last resort is not set, confirming no static default route exists.
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.
✓A static default route is not configured on R1, and OSPF is not advertising a default route.Correct answer▾
Why this is correct
The output explicitly shows 'Gateway of last resort is not set' and no 0.0.0.0/0 route. A default route is required to reach external networks like the internet. The OSPF-learned route proves OSPF adjacency, but the absence of O*E2 or similar default route indicates default-information originate is not configured.
✗The OSPF neighbor relationship with the ISP router is down.Wrong answer — click to see why▾
Why this is wrong here
Candidates often assume OSPF is not working at all when a default route is missing, ignoring other OSPF routes in the table.
✗The interface connecting to the ISP router is in a shutdown state.Wrong answer — click to see why▾
Why this is wrong here
Candidates may assume any connectivity failure means an interface is disabled, but the routing table would show no connected network if the interface were shut down.
✗An incorrect next-hop address was specified in the static default route, making the route invalid.Wrong answer — click to see why▾
Why this is wrong here
Candidates might think a misconfigured static route would cause the problem, but they overlook that the route would still appear in the table, just with a different next-hop.
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
Interpreting HSRP and VRRP Operational Status
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
OSPF
OSPF is a link-state routing protocol used to find the best path for data packets to travel across IP networks, like a smart GPS that recalculates routes when traffic changes.
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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.