Question 834 of 1,389
CCNA IP Routing Practice Question
Exhibit
R1# show ip route 10.10.10.130
Routing entry for 10.10.10.128/26
Known via "static", distance 1, metric 0
Redistributing via eigrp 100
Advertised by eigrp 100 metric 10000 100 255 1 1500
Last update from 10.1.1.2 on GigabitEthernet0/0, 00:16:45 ago
Routing Descriptor Blocks:
* 10.1.1.2, from 10.1.1.2, 00:16:45 ago, via GigabitEthernet0/0
Route metric is 0, traffic share count is 1
total delay is 10 microseconds, minimum bandwidth is 100000 Kbit
reliability 255/255, minimum MTU 1500 bytes
loading 1/255, Hops 0Refer to the exhibit. A network engineer is troubleshooting connectivity to server 10.10.10.130. The routing table contains both a static route and an OSPF route for overlapping prefixes. The engineer examines the specific routing entry for 10.10.10.130. Based on the output, why does the router choose the route via 10.1.1.2 instead of the OSPF route via 10.2.2.2 (for 10.10.10.0/24)?
⚠ Common exam trap
Cisco often tests the longest prefix match rule by presenting overlapping routes with different administrative distances, leading candidates to incorrectly assume that lower AD always wins, when in fact prefix length is evaluated first.
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 has a longer prefix length (/26) than the OSPF route (/24), making it a more specific match.
The router selects the route via 10.1.1.2 because the static route has a prefix length of /26, which is longer (more specific) than the OSPF route's /24. When multiple routes to the same destination exist, the router uses the most specific match (longest prefix) regardless of administrative distance or metric. Since 10.10.10.130 falls within the 10.10.10.128/26 range, the /26 route is preferred over the /24 route.
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 has a lower administrative distance (1) than the OSPF route (110).
Why it's wrong here
Administrative distance is used only after the longest prefix match comparison, and it only breaks ties between routes with the same prefix length. Here the static route is /26 and the OSPF route is /24, so they are not tied on prefix length; the more specific /26 is selected without ever consulting AD. If both routes were /24, only then would the static route's AD of 1 beat OSPF's 110.
- ✗
The OSPF route is inactive because its next-hop 10.2.2.2 is down.
Why it's wrong here
This answer misreads the routing table output: no field in the output indicates that 10.2.2.2 is unreachable or that the OSPF route is inactive. A next-hop failure would cause the route to be removed from the routing table entirely, not merely leave it present but unused. Both routes can coexist in the RIB; the OSPF /24 remains valid and is simply not chosen for packets matching the more specific /26.
- ✓
The static route has a longer prefix length (/26) than the OSPF route (/24), making it a more specific match.
Why this is correct
The deciding factor is longest prefix match, which is the first rule in IP route selection. The static route's mask of /26 matches 64 addresses, while the OSPF route's /24 matches 256 addresses; for any destination inside the /26, the static route is a longer, more specific match. Longest prefix match is evaluated before administrative distance or metric, so the /26 static route is preferred even though OSPF has a higher AD and a different metric.
- ✗
The router prefers the static route because it has a metric of 0, which is better than the OSPF metric.
Why it's wrong here
Metric comparison occurs only when two routes have the same prefix length and the same administrative distance. Since the static /26 and OSPF /24 differ in prefix length, the router ignores metric entirely during the lookup. Static routes do have a metric of 0, but that value is irrelevant here because longest prefix match already selected the /26 route before metric is ever evaluated.
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 has a longer prefix length (/26) than the OSPF route (/24), making it a more specific match.Correct answer▾
Why this is correct
The deciding factor is longest prefix match, which is the first rule in IP route selection. The static route's mask of /26 matches 64 addresses, while the OSPF route's /24 matches 256 addresses; for any destination inside the /26, the static route is a longer, more specific match. Longest prefix match is evaluated before administrative distance or metric, so the /26 static route is preferred even though OSPF has a higher AD and a different metric.
✗The static route has a lower administrative distance (1) than the OSPF route (110).Wrong answer — click to see why▾
Why this is wrong here
This reflects a common misunderstanding that AD is the sole tie-breaker between routes from different sources, ignoring prefix length priority.
✗The OSPF route is inactive because its next-hop 10.2.2.2 is down.Wrong answer — click to see why▾
Why this is wrong here
Candidates might assume that if the OSPF route is not used, it must be inactive; however, the exhibit does not show this.
✗The router prefers the static route because it has a metric of 0, which is better than the OSPF metric.Wrong answer — click to see why▾
Why this is wrong here
Candidates may mistake metric for the primary selection criterion, not realizing prefix length dominates all other route comparison steps.
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: Jul 4, 2026
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