CCNA IP Routing Practice Question
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?
⚠ Common exam trap
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.
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 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.
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 next hop for the static route may not be reachable
Why this is correct
When a static route is configured with only a next-hop IP address, the router must perform a recursive route lookup to determine the exit interface and next-hop reachability. If that next-hop IP is not reachable—meaning there is no valid route in the routing table to that IP—the static route will not be installed in the routing table. This commonly happens when the next hop is on a directly connected network that is down or has no matching connected route.
- ✓
The exit interface associated with that path may be down
Why this is correct
If the static route is configured with an exit interface (for example, GigabitEthernet0/0), the router checks whether that interface is in an up/up state. When the interface is administratively down, has no carrier, or is otherwise not operational, the static route is considered unusable and is not installed. Directly attached static routes require the specified interface to be active because the router assumes the destination is reachable out of that interface without a separate recursive lookup.
- ✗
The default route always overrides more specific routes
Why it's wrong here
The default route (0.0.0.0/0) is only used when no more specific route matches the destination prefix. Routing decisions are made using the longest prefix match algorithm, so a static route to 172.16.40.0/24 is more specific than the default route and will always be preferred for traffic destined to that subnet. The default route does not override a more specific route; rather, it acts as a catch-all for destinations that do not have a longer match in the routing table.
When this WOULD be correct
In a scenario where policy-based routing (PBR) is configured to match the default route and forward traffic differently, or if the question specifies that the default route has a lower administrative distance than the static route (e.g., static route is learned via DHCP with AD 254, while default is OSPF with AD 110).
- ✗
Static routes require a metric lower than 1
Why it's wrong here
Static route installation does not depend on the metric being lower than 1. In Cisco IOS, a static route is assigned an administrative distance of 1 by default, but administrative distance is not the same as a routing protocol metric, and no metric threshold governs whether the route is placed in the routing table. The real issue is likely that the static route cannot be resolved because its next hop is unreachable or the specified exit interface is down.
When this WOULD be correct
In a scenario where a routing protocol like OSPF is used and the question asks about the metric range for OSPF, the correct answer might be that OSPF uses a metric from 1 to 65535, but a metric of 0 is invalid.
- ✗
The destination prefix must be configured under router ospf first
Why it's wrong here
Static routes are entirely independent of dynamic routing protocols such as OSPF. OSPF is a link-state routing protocol used to exchange routes between routers, while a static route is manually configured and does not need any OSPF process or configuration to be installed. The destination prefix being advertised in OSPF has no bearing on whether a static route is installed; the only prerequisites are that the next hop is reachable and any specified exit interface is active.
When this WOULD be correct
In a question about OSPF route redistribution, where a static route must be redistributed into OSPF, the destination prefix must be configured under 'router ospf' with a 'redistribute static' command for OSPF to advertise it.
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 next hop for the static route may not be reachableCorrect answer▾
Why this is correct
When a static route is configured with only a next-hop IP address, the router must perform a recursive route lookup to determine the exit interface and next-hop reachability. If that next-hop IP is not reachable—meaning there is no valid route in the routing table to that IP—the static route will not be installed in the routing table. This commonly happens when the next hop is on a directly connected network that is down or has no matching connected route.
✗The default route always overrides more specific routesWrong answer — click to see why▾
Why this is wrong here
The default route does not override more specific routes; routers use the longest prefix match, so a /24 route is preferred over a default /0 route regardless of metric or administrative distance.
★ When this WOULD be the correct answer
In a scenario where policy-based routing (PBR) is configured to match the default route and forward traffic differently, or if the question specifies that the default route has a lower administrative distance than the static route (e.g., static route is learned via DHCP with AD 254, while default is OSPF with AD 110).
Why candidates choose this
Candidates may confuse the concept of administrative distance with prefix length, mistakenly thinking a default route can override a more specific route if it has a lower AD, or they may misunderstand that static routes always take precedence over dynamic defaults.
✗Static routes require a metric lower than 1Wrong answer — click to see why▾
Why this is wrong here
Static routes do not require a metric; they are administrative distance-based, and the default metric is 1, but a metric lower than 1 is not possible.
★ When this WOULD be the correct answer
In a scenario where a routing protocol like OSPF is used and the question asks about the metric range for OSPF, the correct answer might be that OSPF uses a metric from 1 to 65535, but a metric of 0 is invalid.
Why candidates choose this
Candidates may confuse metric with administrative distance or think that static routes need a low metric to be preferred over dynamic routes.
✗The destination prefix must be configured under router ospf firstWrong answer — click to see why▾
Why this is wrong here
OSPF configuration is irrelevant for static route behavior; static routes are independent of any routing protocol and do not require the destination prefix to be configured under OSPF.
★ When this WOULD be the correct answer
In a question about OSPF route redistribution, where a static route must be redistributed into OSPF, the destination prefix must be configured under 'router ospf' with a 'redistribute static' command for OSPF to advertise it.
Why candidates choose this
Candidates may confuse the configuration requirements of dynamic routing protocols like OSPF with the simpler configuration of static routes, assuming that all routes need protocol-specific setup.
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
Router
A router is a networking device that connects different networks together and directs data traffic between them by choosing the best path for data to travel.
Key term
Next hop
A next hop is the next immediate router or device that a packet is sent to on its path from source to destination.
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JA
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.