Question 1hardmulti select
Full question →hardmulti selectObjective-mapped
Exhibit
R1(config)# ip route 172.16.40.0 255.255.255.0 10.10.10.2 R1# show ip route 172.16.40.0 % Subnet not in table R1# show ip route 0.0.0.0 S* 0.0.0.0/0 [1/0] via 192.0.2.254
Exhibit: A static route to 172.16.40.0/24 is configured, but traffic still follows the default route. Which two explanations are plausible?
Answer choices
Why each option matters
Good practice is not just finding the correct option. The wrong answers often show the exact trap the exam wants you to fall into.
A
Best answer
The next hop for the static route may not be reachable
A recursive lookup problem can prevent installation.
B
Best answer
The exit interface associated with that path may be down
If the route cannot resolve to an active path, it may not be installed.
C
Distractor review
The default route always overrides more specific routes
Longest match wins when the specific route exists.
D
Distractor review
Static routes require a metric lower than 1
That is not how static route installation works.
E
Distractor review
The destination prefix must be configured under router ospf first
Static routes do not depend on OSPF configuration.
Common exam trap
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
A frequent exam trap is believing that a static route always takes precedence over a default route regardless of network conditions. Candidates may overlook that Cisco routers require the next hop to be reachable and the exit interface to be operational before installing the static route. If these conditions are not met, the router ignores the static route and uses the default route instead. This misunderstanding can lead to incorrect answers, especially when the question involves static route reachability or interface status.
Technical deep dive
How to think about this question
Static routing in Cisco devices involves manually configuring a specific path to a destination network. When a static route is configured, the router uses the next-hop IP address or the exit interface to forward packets. However, for the static route to be installed in the routing table and used for forwarding, the next hop must be reachable and the exit interface must be operational. If the next hop is unreachable or the interface is down, the router will not install the static route as a valid path. Cisco routers perform a recursive lookup to verify the reachability of the next hop IP address specified in a static route. This means the router checks its routing table to find a route to the next hop. If no route exists or the interface associated with the next hop is down, the static route is considered invalid and is not installed. Consequently, the router falls back to using a less specific route, such as the default route, to forward traffic. A common exam trap is assuming that a static route will always override a default route regardless of next-hop reachability or interface status. In practice, Cisco routers require the static route to be fully resolvable and the exit interface to be up before using it. If these conditions are not met, the router prefers the default route, which can lead to unexpected routing behavior. Understanding this helps avoid misconfigurations and troubleshooting errors in static routing scenarios.
KKey Concepts to Remember
- A static route requires the next-hop IP address to be reachable for the route to be installed in the routing table.
- Cisco routers perform a recursive lookup to verify the next hop of a static route before installing it.
- If the exit interface associated with a static route is down, the router will not install the static route as usable.
- When a static route is invalid due to unreachable next hop or down interface, the router prefers a less specific route like the default route.
- Static routes do not depend on dynamic routing protocols such as OSPF to be installed or used.
- The longest prefix match rule ensures that a specific static route overrides a default route when it is valid and reachable.
- Administrative distance and metric values do not prevent a static route from being installed if the next hop is unreachable or interface is down.
- Cisco routers require both next-hop reachability and interface operational status to forward traffic via a static route.
TExam Day Tips
- Watch for words such as best, first, most likely and least administrative effort.
- Review why wrong options are wrong, not only why the correct option is correct.
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More questions from this exam
Keep practising from the same exam bank, or move into a focused topic page if this question exposed a weak area.
Question 1
A router learns the same prefix from both OSPF and EIGRP. Which route is installed by default?
Question 2
A router shows this output: R1#show ip ospf neighbor Neighbor ID Pri State Dead Time Address Interface 10.1.1.2 1 FULL/DR 00:00:34 192.168.12.2 GigabitEthernet0/0 10.1.1.3 1 2WAY/DROTHER 00:00:39 192.168.12.3 GigabitEthernet0/0 Which statement is correct?
Question 3
What is the OSPF metric called?
Question 4
A non-root switch has two uplinks toward the root bridge. One path has a lower total STP cost than the other. What role will the lower-cost uplink have?
Question 5
A router interface applies this ACL inbound: 10 deny tcp any any eq 80 20 permit ip any any A user reports that web browsing to a server by IP address fails, but ping works. Which statement best explains the behavior?
Question 6
A router learns route 198.51.100.0/24 from OSPF with AD 110 and also has a static route to the same prefix configured with AD 150. Which route is installed?
FAQ
Questions learners often ask
What does this 200-301 question test?
A static route requires the next-hop IP address to be reachable for the route to be installed in the routing table.
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: The next hop for the static route may not be reachable — If a static route points to an unreachable next hop or the outgoing interface is down, the route may not be installed as usable. In that case the router can still use a less specific route such as the default route.
What should I do if I get this 200-301 question wrong?
Then try more questions from the same exam bank and focus on understanding why the wrong options are tempting.
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