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 assigns a numeric trustworthiness value to routes learned from different routing sources to aid route selection.. 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 reason route administrative distance exists in Cisco routing logic?
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
To rank the trustworthiness of different route sources
Administrative distance exists so the router can rank the trustworthiness of different route sources. In plain language, if the router learns the same destination from multiple sources such as static routing and OSPF, it needs a way to decide which source to trust more before installing the route.
This is different from a metric, which usually compares paths inside one routing protocol. Administrative distance is a cross-source preference tool.
Key principle: Administrative distance assigns a numeric trustworthiness value to routes learned from different routing sources to aid route selection.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
✓
To rank the trustworthiness of different route sources
Why this is correct
This is correct because administrative distance helps the router choose between routes learned from different sources.
Related concept
Administrative distance assigns a numeric trustworthiness value to routes learned from different routing sources to aid route selection.
In a question focused on Layer 2 networking or Ethernet switching, where the context is about determining the next hop's MAC address for forwarding frames, this option could be correct. For example, a question asking how a switch identifies the next hop for a frame would make this answer valid.
In a question focused on VLAN configurations, such as asking about the impact of native VLAN settings on trunk links, this option could be correct. For example, if the question asked how to manage VLAN traffic over a trunk link, identifying the native VLAN would be relevant.
In a question asking about methods to secure routing protocols, such as OSPF or EIGRP, if the focus is on ensuring the confidentiality of routing updates, then encryption of routing updates would be the correct answer. For instance, 'What is a method to secure routing information exchanged between routers?'
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.
✓To rank the trustworthiness of different route sourcesCorrect answer▾
Why this is correct
This is correct because administrative distance helps the router choose between routes learned from different sources.
✗To identify the MAC address of the next hopWrong answer — click to see why▾
Why this is wrong here
This option is incorrect because route administrative distance is not related to identifying MAC addresses; it pertains to the ranking of routing protocols based on their trustworthiness in determining the best path for routing packets.
★ When this WOULD be the correct answer
In a question focused on Layer 2 networking or Ethernet switching, where the context is about determining the next hop's MAC address for forwarding frames, this option could be correct. For example, a question asking how a switch identifies the next hop for a frame would make this answer valid.
Why candidates choose this
Candidates might choose this option due to a misunderstanding of routing concepts, confusing Layer 2 functions with Layer 3 routing processes, leading them to incorrectly associate MAC address identification with routing decisions.
✗To determine trunk native VLAN behaviorWrong answer — click to see why▾
Why this is wrong here
This option is wrong because trunk native VLAN behavior pertains to VLAN configuration and management, not to the concept of administrative distance in routing. Administrative distance is specifically about the trustworthiness of routing information from different sources.
★ When this WOULD be the correct answer
In a question focused on VLAN configurations, such as asking about the impact of native VLAN settings on trunk links, this option could be correct. For example, if the question asked how to manage VLAN traffic over a trunk link, identifying the native VLAN would be relevant.
Why candidates choose this
Candidates may find this option tempting because they might confuse routing concepts with VLAN configurations, leading them to think that understanding VLAN behavior is relevant to routing decisions.
✗To encrypt routing updates between routersWrong answer — click to see why▾
Why this is wrong here
This option is wrong because route administrative distance is not related to the encryption of routing updates; rather, it is used to rank the trustworthiness of different routing sources. Encryption is a separate concern in network security.
★ When this WOULD be the correct answer
In a question asking about methods to secure routing protocols, such as OSPF or EIGRP, if the focus is on ensuring the confidentiality of routing updates, then encryption of routing updates would be the correct answer. For instance, 'What is a method to secure routing information exchanged between routers?'
Why candidates choose this
Candidates may find this option tempting because they might associate routing protocols with security measures, leading them to think that encryption is a relevant aspect of routing logic.
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 frequent exam trap is mistaking administrative distance for routing metrics or other unrelated functions like MAC address resolution or VLAN behavior. Some candidates incorrectly believe administrative distance affects how routers identify next-hop MAC addresses or manage VLAN trunks, which is false. Administrative distance strictly ranks the trustworthiness of route sources, not path cost or hardware addressing. Confusing AD with encryption of routing updates is another trap; AD does not provide security but only route preference. Recognizing that AD is a cross-protocol route selection tool helps avoid these common misconceptions.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Administrative distance (AD) is a Cisco-specific value assigned to routes learned from different routing sources to indicate their trustworthiness. It is a numeric value ranging from 0 to 255, where a lower AD means a more trusted route source. For example, directly connected interfaces have an AD of 0, static routes default to 1, and dynamic routing protocols like OSPF and EIGRP have higher AD values. This mechanism allows a router to compare routes from multiple sources and select the best one to install in its routing table.
When a router receives multiple routes to the same destination network from different routing protocols or sources, it uses administrative distance to decide which route to prefer. The route with the lowest AD is chosen and installed in the routing table, while others are ignored. This decision process is independent of the routing metric used within a protocol; AD is a cross-protocol preference tool. For example, if a static route and an OSPF route exist for the same destination, the router will prefer the static route because its AD (1) is lower than OSPF’s default AD (110).
A common exam trap is confusing administrative distance with routing metrics. Metrics are used to select the best path within a single routing protocol, such as OSPF cost or EIGRP composite metric, whereas administrative distance compares routes from different protocols or sources. Understanding this distinction is critical because administrative distance determines which routing protocol’s route is installed, while metrics determine the best path inside that protocol. Practically, network engineers use AD to influence route selection when multiple routing protocols coexist, such as preferring static routes over dynamic ones for critical paths.
KKey Concepts to Remember
Administrative distance assigns a numeric trustworthiness value to routes learned from different routing sources to aid route selection.
Routers compare administrative distance values when multiple routes to the same destination exist from different protocols or sources.
The route with the lowest administrative distance is installed in the routing table, overriding routes with higher values.
Administrative distance is distinct from routing metrics, which compare path costs within a single routing protocol.
Directly connected interfaces have the lowest administrative distance of 0, making them the most trusted route source.
Static routes have a default administrative distance of 1, typically preferred over dynamic routing protocols like OSPF or EIGRP.
Administrative distance does not affect MAC address resolution, VLAN trunking behavior, or encryption of routing updates.
Understanding administrative distance helps network engineers control route preference when multiple routing protocols coexist.
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 assigns a numeric trustworthiness value to routes learned from different routing sources to aid route selection.
Real-world example
How this comes up in practice
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.
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 assigns a numeric trustworthiness value to routes learned from different routing sources to aid route selection., then practise related 200-301 questions on the same topic to reinforce the concept.
IP Routing — This question tests IP Routing — Administrative distance assigns a numeric trustworthiness value to routes learned from different routing sources to aid route selection..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: To rank the trustworthiness of different route sources — Administrative distance exists so the router can rank the trustworthiness of different route sources. In plain language, if the router learns the same destination from multiple sources such as static routing and OSPF, it needs a way to decide which source to trust more before installing the route.
This is different from a metric, which usually compares paths inside one routing protocol. Administrative distance is a cross-source preference tool.
What should I do if I get this 200-301 question wrong?
Review administrative distance assigns a numeric trustworthiness value to routes learned from different routing sources to aid route selection., then practise related 200-301 questions on the same topic to reinforce the concept.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Administrative distance assigns a numeric trustworthiness value to routes learned from different routing sources to aid route selection.
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