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 a route, with lower values preferred over higher ones in Cisco routing decisions.. 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.
R1: S* 0.0.0.0/0 [200/0] via 192.0.2.2 (configured) OSPF neighbor advertises 0.0.0.0/0 as O E2 [110/1]
Exhibit: R1 has the static route 'ip route 0.0.0.0 0.0.0.0 192.0.2.2 200' and also learns a default route from OSPF. Which default route will be installed while the OSPF route is present?
R1: S* 0.0.0.0/0 [200/0] via 192.0.2.2 (configured) OSPF neighbor advertises 0.0.0.0/0 as O E2 [110/1]
The static default route
Why wrong: Distractor.
The OSPF default route
Correct choice.
Both default routes with per-packet load balancing
Why wrong: Distractor.
Neither route because floating statics suppress dynamic defaults
Why wrong: Distractor.
Answer choices
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
The OSPF default route
The OSPF external default route wins because its administrative distance is 110, which is lower than the floating static route's distance of 200. The static route is intentionally given a higher AD so it is used only as a backup.
Key principle: Administrative distance determines the trustworthiness of a route, with lower values preferred over higher ones in Cisco routing decisions.
Answer analysis
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
The static default route
Why it's wrong here
Distractor.
When this WOULD be correct
In a different scenario where the OSPF route is not present or is down, the static default route would be the only available route to the default gateway, making it the correct answer for a question asking which default route would be installed.
The OSPF default route
Why this is correct
Correct choice.
Related concept
Administrative distance determines the trustworthiness of a route, with lower values preferred over higher ones in Cisco routing decisions.
Both default routes with per-packet load balancing
Why it's wrong here
Distractor.
When this WOULD be correct
In a different scenario where both routes have the same administrative distance, such as if the static route's distance is changed to match that of OSPF, the router could perform per-packet load balancing between the two default routes.
Neither route because floating statics suppress dynamic defaults
Why it's wrong here
Distractor.
When this WOULD be correct
In a different scenario where the static route has an administrative distance lower than the OSPF route (e.g., 110), the static route would take precedence. The question could specify that the static route is configured with a lower administrative distance than the OSPF route, making this option correct.
Option-by-option analysis
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.
Why this is correct
Correct choice.
Why this is wrong here
The static default route will not be installed when a dynamic OSPF default route is present, as OSPF routes have a lower administrative distance than static routes, making the OSPF route preferred.
★ When this WOULD be the correct answer
In a different scenario where the OSPF route is not present or is down, the static default route would be the only available route to the default gateway, making it the correct answer for a question asking which default route would be installed.
Why candidates choose this
Candidates may choose this option because they might overlook the administrative distance concept, mistakenly believing that static routes always take precedence over dynamic routes regardless of the routing protocol's state.
Why this is wrong here
This option is wrong because OSPF routes have a lower administrative distance than static routes, meaning only the OSPF default route will be installed when both are present.
★ When this WOULD be the correct answer
In a different scenario where both routes have the same administrative distance, such as if the static route's distance is changed to match that of OSPF, the router could perform per-packet load balancing between the two default routes.
Why candidates choose this
Candidates may choose this option due to a misunderstanding of how routing protocols interact, leading them to believe that multiple default routes can be utilized simultaneously for load balancing.
Why this is wrong here
This option is incorrect because floating static routes only suppress dynamic routes if they have a higher administrative distance than the dynamic routes. In this case, the static route has an administrative distance of 200, which is higher than the default OSPF route, allowing the OSPF route to be installed.
★ When this WOULD be the correct answer
In a different scenario where the static route has an administrative distance lower than the OSPF route (e.g., 110), the static route would take precedence. The question could specify that the static route is configured with a lower administrative distance than the OSPF route, making this option correct.
Why candidates choose this
Candidates may find this option tempting because they might confuse the concept of administrative distances and assume that static routes always take precedence over dynamic routes without considering their specific values.
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
A common exam trap is assuming that static routes always override dynamic routes because static routes have a default administrative distance of 1. However, in this question, the static route is configured with an administrative distance of 200, making it less preferred than the OSPF route with an AD of 110. This floating static route is intended as a backup and will not be installed while the OSPF route is present. Misreading the static route’s AD or ignoring it leads to the incorrect conclusion that the static route will be used, which is a frequent mistake in CCNA routing questions.
Detailed technical explanation
Administrative distance (AD) is a Cisco-specific value used to rate the trustworthiness of routing information received from different routing protocols or sources. Lower AD values indicate more preferred routes. Static routes have a default AD of 1, but when configured with a higher AD, they act as floating static routes, used only if no better route exists. OSPF, a dynamic link-state routing protocol, has a default AD of 110 for its learned routes. When a router receives multiple routes to the same destination, it installs the route with the lowest AD into the routing table. In this scenario, R1 has a static default route with an AD of 200, which is intentionally set higher than OSPF's AD of 110. This means that when R1 learns a default route from OSPF, it prefers the OSPF route because it has a lower AD. The static route acts as a backup and will only be used if the OSPF route disappears. This behavior ensures dynamic routing protocols take precedence over less reliable static routes unless those routes are explicitly preferred. A common exam trap is assuming static routes always override dynamic routes because static routes have a default AD of 1. However, in this case, the static route is configured as a floating static with AD 200, making it less preferred than OSPF. Practically, this setup is used in networks to provide backup routes without disrupting the primary dynamic routing. Understanding how AD influences route selection is critical for configuring reliable and predictable routing behavior in Cisco networks.
Key takeaway
Administrative distance determines the trustworthiness of a route, with lower values preferred over higher ones in Cisco routing decisions.
Real-world example
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.
What to study next
Review administrative distance determines the trustworthiness of a route, with lower values preferred over higher ones in Cisco routing decisions., then practise related 200-301 questions on the same topic to reinforce the concept.
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FAQ
IP Routing — This question tests IP Routing — Administrative distance determines the trustworthiness of a route, with lower values preferred over higher ones in Cisco routing decisions..
The correct answer is: The OSPF default route — The OSPF external default route wins because its administrative distance is 110, which is lower than the floating static route's distance of 200. The static route is intentionally given a higher AD so it is used only as a backup.
Review administrative distance determines the trustworthiness of a route, with lower values preferred over higher ones in Cisco routing decisions., then practise related 200-301 questions on the same topic to reinforce the concept.
Administrative distance determines the trustworthiness of a route, with lower values preferred over higher ones in Cisco routing decisions.
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Last reviewed: May 17, 2026
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