Question 1hardmultiple choice
Full question →hardmultiple choiceObjective-mapped
Exhibit
R1# show ip route 172.16.10.0 D 172.16.10.0/24 [90/30720] via 10.1.1.2 O 172.16.10.0/24 [110/20] via 10.1.2.2 R 172.16.10.0/24 [120/1] via 10.1.3.2 S 172.16.10.0/24 [95/0] via 10.1.4.2
Exhibit: R1 has routes to 172.16.10.0/24 from multiple sources. Which route will be installed?
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 OSPF route with metric 20
OSPF loses on administrative distance before metric is even considered against other protocols.
B
Best answer
The EIGRP internal route
EIGRP internal AD 90 is the lowest among the listed candidates.
C
Distractor review
The RIP route because hop count is lowest
RIP AD 120 is worse than both EIGRP and OSPF here.
D
Distractor review
The static route with administrative distance 95
AD 95 is higher than EIGRP internal AD 90.
Common exam trap
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
A frequent exam trap is confusing the routing metric with administrative distance. Candidates might select the OSPF route because it has a lower metric (20) compared to EIGRP, or choose the static route with AD 95 over EIGRP internal routes. However, Cisco routers always prioritize routes based on administrative distance first, not metric. Since EIGRP internal routes have an AD of 90, which is lower than OSPF's 110 and the static route's 95, the EIGRP route is installed regardless of metric values. Misunderstanding this leads to incorrect answers and wasted time during the exam.
Technical deep dive
How to think about this question
Administrative distance (AD) is a Cisco-specific value used to rate the trustworthiness of routing information received from different routing protocols or sources. Each routing protocol is assigned a default AD value, with lower values indicating more trustworthy routes. For example, EIGRP internal routes have an AD of 90, static routes default to 1 (unless configured otherwise), OSPF routes have an AD of 110, and RIP routes have an AD of 120. When a router receives multiple routes to the same destination network from different protocols, it uses AD to decide which route to install in the routing table. The router first compares the AD values of all candidate routes to a destination network. The route with the lowest AD is preferred and installed in the routing table, regardless of the metric values within the routing protocols. Metrics such as OSPF cost or EIGRP composite metric are only used to select the best route within the same routing protocol. In this scenario, the EIGRP internal route with AD 90 is preferred over OSPF (AD 110), RIP (AD 120), and a static route with AD 95, because 90 is the lowest AD. A common exam trap is to confuse metric with administrative distance. Candidates often incorrectly select the OSPF route with a better metric or the static route with AD 95 over the EIGRP internal route. However, Cisco routers always prioritize routes by AD first before considering metrics. Practically, this means even if OSPF has a lower metric, its higher AD causes it to lose to EIGRP internal routes. Understanding this distinction is critical for correct route selection and troubleshooting in Cisco networks.
KKey Concepts to Remember
- Cisco routers use administrative distance to determine the trustworthiness of routes from different routing protocols before considering metrics.
- EIGRP internal routes have a default administrative distance of 90, making them more preferred than OSPF (110) and RIP (120) routes.
- Static routes have a default administrative distance of 1, but if configured with AD 95, they are less preferred than EIGRP internal routes.
- When multiple routes to the same destination exist, the router installs the route with the lowest administrative distance into the routing table.
- Metrics such as OSPF cost or EIGRP composite metric are only compared among routes from the same routing protocol, not across different protocols.
- A route with a lower metric but higher administrative distance will not be installed over a route with a higher metric but lower administrative distance.
- Understanding the difference between administrative distance and metric is essential to correctly predict route selection behavior on Cisco routers.
- Incorrectly prioritizing metric over administrative distance is a common exam trap that leads to wrong answers in routing questions.
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?
Cisco routers use administrative distance to determine the trustworthiness of routes from different routing protocols before considering metrics.
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: The EIGRP internal route — Routers compare route source trust first using administrative distance. The EIGRP internal route has AD 90, which beats OSPF 110 and RIP 120. A static route with AD 95 still loses to the EIGRP internal 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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