Question 1hardmulti select
Full question →hardmulti selectObjective-mapped
Exhibit
Routing information sources: O 172.16.50.0/24 [110/20] via 10.1.1.2 S 172.16.50.0/24 [5/0] via 192.0.2.1
A router has learned route 172.16.50.0/24 from OSPF with cost 20 and also has a static route to the same prefix with administrative distance 5. Which two statements are correct about route selection?
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
Best answer
The static route is installed because it has the lower administrative distance
Administrative distance is compared before metric when routes come from different sources.
B
Distractor review
The OSPF route is installed because cost 20 is lower than metric 0
Metrics are not compared across different routing protocols before AD.
C
Best answer
If the static route is removed, OSPF can become the active route
Once the preferred route disappears, the next-best source can be installed.
D
Distractor review
Both routes are installed as equal-cost paths automatically
They are from different sources and do not qualify for ECMP here.
Common exam trap
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
A common exam trap is to incorrectly assume that the OSPF route with a lower cost metric will be preferred over a static route. Many candidates mistakenly compare OSPF cost directly against the static route’s metric or ignore administrative distance entirely. This leads to the wrong conclusion that OSPF wins because 20 is less than 0 or some assumed static metric. However, Cisco routers always compare administrative distance first when routes come from different sources. Ignoring this rule causes confusion and incorrect answers in routing questions involving multiple protocols.
Technical deep dive
How to think about this question
Administrative distance (AD) is a key concept in Cisco routing that determines the trustworthiness of a route source. When a router learns multiple routes to the same destination prefix from different routing protocols or sources, it first compares their administrative distances. The route with the lowest AD is preferred and installed in the routing table. Static routes have a default AD of 1 if configured with an interface, or 1 or 5 if configured with an IP next-hop, which is lower than OSPF's default AD of 110, making static routes generally more preferred over OSPF routes. In this scenario, the router has learned the 172.16.50.0/24 route from OSPF with a cost (metric) of 20 and also has a static route to the same prefix with an AD of 5. The router compares the AD values first, not the metrics, because metrics are only compared when routes come from the same routing protocol. Since the static route has a lower AD (5) than OSPF (110), the static route is installed in the routing table. If the static route is removed, the router will then install the OSPF route as the active route because it is the next-best route available. A common exam trap is to confuse metric comparison across different routing protocols. Metrics like OSPF cost or EIGRP metric are only relevant within their own protocol and do not influence route selection against routes from other protocols. Another practical behavior is that static routes provide administrative control and can override dynamic routing protocols, which is useful for traffic engineering or failover scenarios. Understanding this hierarchy helps avoid mistakes in route troubleshooting and exam questions.
KKey Concepts to Remember
- A router compares administrative distance before metric when selecting routes from different routing protocols or sources.
- Static routes have a default administrative distance lower than OSPF, causing static routes to be preferred over OSPF routes to the same prefix.
- OSPF cost is a metric used only to compare multiple OSPF routes, not to compete against routes from other protocols.
- If the preferred static route is removed, the router installs the next-best route, such as the OSPF-learned route, based on administrative distance.
- Routes from different sources with different administrative distances do not qualify for equal-cost multipath (ECMP) load balancing.
- Administrative distance is a Cisco-specific value that ranks route trustworthiness, with lower values indicating more preferred routes.
- Static routes provide network administrators with manual control over route preference, overriding dynamic routing protocols when necessary.
- Understanding the difference between administrative distance and metric is critical for accurate route selection and troubleshooting.
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?
A router compares administrative distance before metric when selecting routes from different routing protocols or sources.
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: The static route is installed because it has the lower administrative distance — When the same prefix is learned from different routing sources, the router first compares administrative distance. The static route wins because AD 5 is better than OSPF AD 110.
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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