Question 1hardmultiple choice
Full question →hardmultiple choiceObjective-mapped
Exhibit
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?
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 default route
Distractor.
B
Best answer
The OSPF default route
Correct choice.
C
Distractor review
Both default routes with per-packet load balancing
Distractor.
D
Distractor review
Neither route because floating statics suppress dynamic defaults
Distractor.
Common exam trap
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
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.
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. 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.
KKey Concepts to Remember
- Administrative distance determines the trustworthiness of a route, with lower values preferred over higher ones in Cisco routing decisions.
- OSPF routes have a default administrative distance of 110, which is used to compare against other routing sources like static routes.
- Static routes can be configured with a higher administrative distance to act as floating static routes, serving as backup routes.
- When multiple routes to the same destination exist, the router installs the route with the lowest administrative distance into the routing table.
- A floating static route with an administrative distance higher than OSPF’s 110 will not be installed if the OSPF route is present.
- OSPF default routes learned dynamically take precedence over static default routes with higher administrative distances.
- Configuring a static route with an administrative distance of 200 ensures it is only used if the OSPF route fails or is removed.
- Understanding administrative distance is essential for predicting route selection behavior in Cisco routers during routing conflicts.
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 a route, with lower values preferred over higher ones in Cisco routing decisions.
What is the correct answer to this question?
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.
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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