Question 1mediummultiple choice
Full question →mediummultiple choiceObjective-mapped
Exhibit
show ip route 10.50.0.0 O 10.50.0.0/24 [110/30] via 192.0.2.2 S 10.50.0.0/24 [130/0] via 198.51.100.2
Exhibit: R1 has learned 10.50.0.0/24 through OSPF and also has a floating static route to the same prefix with administrative distance 130. Which route is installed while OSPF is healthy?
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
Distractor review
The static route because static routes always win over dynamic routes
A static route only wins if its administrative distance is lower.
B
Best answer
The OSPF route because its administrative distance is lower than the floating static route
OSPF AD 110 beats the floating static AD 130.
C
Distractor review
Both routes because the prefix length matches
The router does not install both just because the mask matches.
D
Distractor review
Neither route until equal-cost load balancing is configured
The OSPF route is perfectly valid already.
Common exam trap
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
A common exam trap is believing that static routes always override dynamic routes regardless of administrative distance. This mistake happens because static routes by default have an AD of 1, which is indeed preferred over most dynamic protocols. However, floating static routes are intentionally configured with a higher AD (such as 130) to act as backup routes. If you overlook the AD values, you might incorrectly select the static route as the installed route even when the OSPF route is healthy and active. This misunderstanding can lead to wrong answers in routing questions involving floating static routes.
Technical deep dive
How to think about this question
Administrative distance (AD) is a fundamental concept in Cisco routing that determines the trustworthiness of a routing source. Each routing protocol or route type is assigned a default AD value; lower values indicate more preferred routes. OSPF, a dynamic link-state routing protocol, has a default AD of 110, while static routes have an AD of 1 by default. However, floating static routes are configured with a higher AD to serve as backup routes, activating only if the primary route fails. When a router learns multiple routes to the same destination prefix, it compares their AD values to decide which route to install in the routing table. In this scenario, R1 has learned 10.50.0.0/24 via OSPF (AD 110) and also has a floating static route with AD 130 to the same prefix. Since OSPF’s AD is lower, the router installs the OSPF route while it is healthy. The floating static route remains inactive and only takes over if the OSPF route disappears, ensuring seamless failover. A common exam trap is assuming static routes always take precedence over dynamic routes. This misconception arises because static routes have a default AD of 1, which is indeed preferred. However, floating static routes intentionally use a higher AD to avoid overriding dynamic routes unless necessary. Understanding this distinction is critical for correctly interpreting route selection and avoiding incorrect answers in CCNA exams. Practically, this behavior allows network engineers to implement reliable backup routes without disrupting normal routing operations.
KKey Concepts to Remember
- Administrative distance determines the trustworthiness of routing sources, with lower values preferred for route installation.
- OSPF uses an administrative distance of 110, making its routes more preferred than floating static routes with higher AD values.
- Floating static routes are configured with a higher administrative distance to act as backup routes only when primary routes fail.
- A router installs only the route with the lowest administrative distance to a destination prefix in its routing table.
- Static routes with default AD 1 override dynamic routes, but floating static routes with AD above dynamic protocols defer to them.
- When multiple routes to the same prefix exist, the router does not install both but selects the single best route based on AD.
- OSPF routes remain active and preferred as long as the OSPF process is healthy and the route is reachable.
- Floating static routes provide network redundancy by activating only when the preferred dynamic route becomes unavailable.
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?
Administrative distance determines the trustworthiness of routing sources, with lower values preferred for route installation.
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: The OSPF route because its administrative distance is lower than the floating static route — A floating static route is meant to stay out of the table until the preferred route disappears. OSPF has administrative distance 110, which is lower than the static route AD 130, so the OSPF route is installed while the OSPF path is still present.
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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