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 compares the trustworthiness of routes from different routing protocols or sources to determine which route is preferred.. 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.
What is the main difference between administrative distance and metric in route selection?
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Administrative distance compares trust between route sources, while metric compares paths within a route source or protocol.
Administrative distance compares the trustworthiness of different route sources, while metric compares candidate paths within a route source or protocol. In practical terms, if two routes to the same prefix come from different protocols, administrative distance often decides first. If the routes come from the same protocol, the metric is usually the more relevant comparison.
This distinction is one of the most important in route-selection questions because learners often mix them up.
Key principle: Administrative distance compares the trustworthiness of routes from different routing protocols or sources to determine which route is preferred.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
✓
Administrative distance compares trust between route sources, while metric compares paths within a route source or protocol.
Why this is correct
This is correct because it captures the different roles of AD and metric.
Related concept
Administrative distance compares the trustworthiness of routes from different routing protocols or sources to determine which route is preferred.
✗
Administrative distance is used only for wireless routing and metric only for wired routing.
Why it's wrong here
This is wrong because these are not wireless-versus-wired concepts.
When this WOULD be correct
If the exam question specified a scenario where routing protocols were distinctly categorized into wireless and wired types, and asked about the differences in routing metrics and administrative distances specifically for those categories, this option could be correct.
✗
Metric always overrides prefix length.
Why it's wrong here
This is wrong because prefix specificity is a separate and often earlier decision factor.
When this WOULD be correct
In a different question setup asking about specific routing protocols where metric is defined as the primary factor in determining path selection, one could argue that metric takes precedence over other attributes, including prefix length. For instance, if the question specified a scenario where multiple routes exist with the same prefix but different metrics, this option could be seen as correct.
✗
Administrative distance is the same as subnet mask length.
Why it's wrong here
This is wrong because AD and prefix length are different concepts.
When this WOULD be correct
In a different question that asks for definitions of various networking terms, if the question incorrectly states that administrative distance is defined in terms of subnet mask length, option D could be seen as correct in that misleading context.
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.
✓Administrative distance compares trust between route sources, while metric compares paths within a route source or protocol.Correct answer▾
Why this is correct
This is correct because it captures the different roles of AD and metric.
✗Administrative distance is used only for wireless routing and metric only for wired routing.Wrong answer — click to see why▾
Why this is wrong here
This option is incorrect because administrative distance is a concept applicable to all routing protocols, regardless of whether they are wireless or wired, while metrics are used to determine the best path within a specific routing protocol.
★ When this WOULD be the correct answer
If the exam question specified a scenario where routing protocols were distinctly categorized into wireless and wired types, and asked about the differences in routing metrics and administrative distances specifically for those categories, this option could be correct.
Why candidates choose this
Candidates may find this option tempting due to a misunderstanding of routing concepts, leading them to incorrectly associate administrative distance and metrics with specific types of routing technologies.
✗Metric always overrides prefix length.Wrong answer — click to see why▾
Why this is wrong here
This option is incorrect because metric does not inherently override prefix length; instead, it is used to determine the best path among routes with the same prefix length. Prefix length is a separate factor in route selection that influences the choice of routes.
★ When this WOULD be the correct answer
In a different question setup asking about specific routing protocols where metric is defined as the primary factor in determining path selection, one could argue that metric takes precedence over other attributes, including prefix length. For instance, if the question specified a scenario where multiple routes exist with the same prefix but different metrics, this option could be seen as correct.
Why candidates choose this
Candidates may find this option tempting because they might confuse the concepts of metric and prefix length, believing that a higher metric automatically means it takes precedence in route selection, reflecting a common misunderstanding of routing principles.
✗Administrative distance is the same as subnet mask length.Wrong answer — click to see why▾
Why this is wrong here
This option is incorrect because administrative distance and subnet mask length are distinct concepts; administrative distance measures the trustworthiness of routing information, while subnet mask length defines the size of a subnet, not its trust level.
★ When this WOULD be the correct answer
In a different question that asks for definitions of various networking terms, if the question incorrectly states that administrative distance is defined in terms of subnet mask length, option D could be seen as correct in that misleading context.
Why candidates choose this
Candidates may confuse administrative distance with subnetting concepts, leading them to mistakenly believe that both terms relate to the same aspect of routing protocols, especially if they have limited experience with routing fundamentals.
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
A common exam trap is to confuse administrative distance with metric, assuming they serve the same purpose or that metric is always the deciding factor in route selection. Many learners mistakenly believe that metric overrides administrative distance or that administrative distance relates to subnet mask length. This confusion leads to incorrect answers because administrative distance compares trustworthiness between different routing sources, while metric compares paths within the same routing protocol. Misunderstanding this distinction can cause errors in predicting which route a Cisco router will install in its routing table when multiple routes exist.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Administrative distance (AD) is a value used by Cisco routers to rate the trustworthiness of routing information received from different routing protocols or sources. It is a router-wide parameter that helps the router decide which routing protocol's route to install in the routing table when multiple protocols provide routes to the same destination prefix. Lower AD values indicate more trustworthy sources. For example, directly connected routes have an AD of 0, static routes default to 1, EIGRP internal routes have 90, OSPF has 110, and RIP has 120.
Metric, on the other hand, is a value used within a single routing protocol to compare multiple possible paths to the same destination network. Metrics vary by protocol: OSPF uses cost based on bandwidth, EIGRP uses a composite metric including bandwidth and delay, and RIP uses hop count. The metric helps the routing protocol select the best path among multiple candidates it learns from its own routing updates.
In Cisco routing behavior, when routes to the same prefix come from different routing protocols, the router first compares administrative distance to choose the most trusted route. If the routes come from the same protocol, the router compares their metrics to select the best path. A common exam trap is confusing AD and metric as interchangeable or thinking metric is used across protocols. Understanding this distinction is critical for correctly predicting route selection in multi-protocol environments and for troubleshooting routing issues in Cisco networks.
KKey Concepts to Remember
Administrative distance compares the trustworthiness of routes from different routing protocols or sources to determine which route is preferred.
Metric compares multiple candidate paths within the same routing protocol to select the best path to a destination network.
Cisco routers first compare administrative distance when multiple routes to the same prefix come from different protocols before considering metrics.
Lower administrative distance values indicate more trusted routing sources and are preferred over higher values.
Routing protocols assign different default administrative distances, such as 0 for connected, 1 for static, 90 for EIGRP, 110 for OSPF, and 120 for RIP.
Metrics vary by routing protocol and reflect path characteristics like bandwidth, delay, or hop count to choose the optimal route within that protocol.
Administrative distance and metric are distinct concepts and should not be confused or used interchangeably in route selection.
Understanding the difference between administrative distance and metric is essential for troubleshooting and predicting routing behavior in Cisco networks.
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 compares the trustworthiness of routes from different routing protocols or sources to determine which route is preferred.
Real-world example
How this comes up in practice
A small business has 20 workstations on the 192.168.1.0/24 network and one public IP from its ISP. The router uses PAT (NAT overload) so all 20 devices share one public address using different source ports. NAT questions test whether you understand the four address terms and which direction each translation applies.
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 compares the trustworthiness of routes from different routing protocols or sources to determine which route is preferred., then practise related 200-301 questions on the same topic to reinforce the concept.
IP Routing — This question tests IP Routing — Administrative distance compares the trustworthiness of routes from different routing protocols or sources to determine which route is preferred..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Administrative distance compares trust between route sources, while metric compares paths within a route source or protocol. — Administrative distance compares the trustworthiness of different route sources, while metric compares candidate paths within a route source or protocol. In practical terms, if two routes to the same prefix come from different protocols, administrative distance often decides first. If the routes come from the same protocol, the metric is usually the more relevant comparison.
This distinction is one of the most important in route-selection questions because learners often mix them up.
What should I do if I get this 200-301 question wrong?
Review administrative distance compares the trustworthiness of routes from different routing protocols or sources to determine which route is preferred., then practise related 200-301 questions on the same topic to reinforce the concept.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Administrative distance compares the trustworthiness of routes from different routing protocols or sources to determine which route is preferred.
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