This 200-301 practice question tests your understanding of ip routing. Read the scenario carefully and evaluate each option against the stated constraints before committing to an answer. A key principle to apply: administrative distance determines the trustworthiness of routing sources, with lower values preferred for route installation.. Once you have made your selection, read the full explanation to reinforce the concept and understand why each distractor is designed to mislead on exam day.
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 the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
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.
Key principle: Administrative distance determines the trustworthiness of routing sources, with lower values preferred for route installation.
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 because static routes always win over dynamic routes
In a different scenario, if the static route had an administrative distance of 90 or lower, the static route would be preferred over OSPF. For example, a question could state that R1 has a static route to 10.50.0.0/24 with an administrative distance of 90, making this option correct.
✓
The OSPF route because its administrative distance is lower than the floating static route
Administrative distance determines the trustworthiness of routing sources, with lower values preferred for route installation.
✗
Both routes because the prefix length matches
Why it's wrong here
The router does not install both just because the mask matches.
When this WOULD be correct
In a different scenario where the routing table allows for multiple routes to the same prefix, such as when using policy-based routing or specific configurations that permit multiple routes, both routes could be installed. For example, a question could specify that equal-cost multi-path (ECMP) routing is enabled.
✗
Neither route until equal-cost load balancing is configured
In a different scenario where both OSPF and static routes have the same administrative distance and prefix length, and equal-cost load balancing is not enabled, the router would not install either route until load balancing is configured, as it cannot choose between the two equal routes.
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 OSPF route because its administrative distance is lower than the floating static routeCorrect answer▾
Why this is correct
OSPF AD 110 beats the floating static AD 130.
✗The static route because static routes always win over dynamic routesWrong answer — click to see why▾
Why this is wrong here
This option is incorrect because static routes do not always win over dynamic routes; the route with the lowest administrative distance is preferred. In this case, OSPF has a lower administrative distance (110) than the floating static route (130).
★ When this WOULD be the correct answer
In a different scenario, if the static route had an administrative distance of 90 or lower, the static route would be preferred over OSPF. For example, a question could state that R1 has a static route to 10.50.0.0/24 with an administrative distance of 90, making this option correct.
Why candidates choose this
Candidates may be tempted by this option due to the common belief that static routes are always prioritized over dynamic routes, leading to confusion about the role of administrative distance in route selection.
✗Both routes because the prefix length matchesWrong answer — click to see why▾
Why this is wrong here
This option is incorrect because only one route can be installed in the routing table for a specific prefix, and in this case, OSPF has a lower administrative distance than the floating static route, so only the OSPF route will be installed.
★ When this WOULD be the correct answer
In a different scenario where the routing table allows for multiple routes to the same prefix, such as when using policy-based routing or specific configurations that permit multiple routes, both routes could be installed. For example, a question could specify that equal-cost multi-path (ECMP) routing is enabled.
Why candidates choose this
Candidates may choose this option because they might assume that matching prefix lengths automatically allow for multiple routes to coexist, reflecting a common misunderstanding of routing table behavior.
✗Neither route until equal-cost load balancing is configuredWrong answer — click to see why▾
Why this is wrong here
This option is incorrect because OSPF is healthy and has a lower administrative distance than the floating static route, meaning the OSPF route will be preferred and installed in the routing table.
★ When this WOULD be the correct answer
In a different scenario where both OSPF and static routes have the same administrative distance and prefix length, and equal-cost load balancing is not enabled, the router would not install either route until load balancing is configured, as it cannot choose between the two equal routes.
Why candidates choose this
Candidates may choose this option due to a misunderstanding of how routing protocols prioritize routes, mistakenly believing that routes are only installed under load balancing conditions or that static routes always take precedence.
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?”
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
Remember that administrative distance determines route preference. A lower value means higher preference.
Detailed technical explanation
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.
Key takeaway
Administrative distance determines the trustworthiness of routing sources, with lower values preferred for route installation.
Real-world example
How this comes up in practice
A network engineer at a university connects two campus buildings via a fibre link. Both routers run OSPF, but no adjacency forms — even though both routers can ping each other. The engineer finds one router is in area 0 and the other in area 1. OSPF adjacency requires matching area numbers, hello/dead timers, and network type. IP reachability alone is not enough.
Related glossary terms
Concepts from this question explained
These glossary pages explain the core terms tested in this 200-301 question in full detail.
Review administrative distance determines the trustworthiness of routing sources, with lower values preferred for route installation., then practise related 200-301 questions on the same topic to reinforce the concept.
IP Routing — This question tests IP Routing — 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?
Review administrative distance determines the trustworthiness of routing sources, with lower values preferred for route installation., then practise related 200-301 questions on the same topic to reinforce the concept.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Administrative distance determines the trustworthiness of routing sources, with lower values preferred for route installation.
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