Question 1mediummultiple choice
Full question →mediummultiple choiceObjective-mapped
What is the main difference between administrative distance and metric in 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
Administrative distance compares trust between route sources, while metric compares paths within a route source or protocol.
This is correct because it captures the different roles of AD and metric.
B
Distractor review
Administrative distance is used only for wireless routing and metric only for wired routing.
This is wrong because these are not wireless-versus-wired concepts.
C
Distractor review
Metric always overrides prefix length.
This is wrong because prefix specificity is a separate and often earlier decision factor.
D
Distractor review
Administrative distance is the same as subnet mask length.
This is wrong because AD and prefix length are different concepts.
Common exam trap
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.
Technical deep dive
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.
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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 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?
Then try more questions from the same exam bank and focus on understanding why the wrong options are tempting.
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