Question 1mediummatching
Full question →Match each routing concept to its most accurate description.
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mediummatchingObjective-mapped
Match each routing concept to its most accurate description.
Common exam trap
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
A frequent exam trap is mixing up administrative distance and metric, assuming both compare paths the same way. Administrative distance compares the trustworthiness of entire routing sources (like OSPF vs. EIGRP), while metric compares path quality inside a single routing protocol. Another trap is thinking a floating static route is active all the time; it only activates when the primary route fails due to its higher administrative distance. Misunderstanding these differences can lead to incorrect answers about route selection and failover behavior.
Technical deep dive
How to think about this question
Routing decisions in Cisco networks rely on multiple concepts to determine the best path for forwarding packets. Administrative distance (AD) is a value assigned to each routing source, such as static routes, OSPF, or EIGRP, to indicate trustworthiness. Lower AD values mean higher preference. Metrics, on the other hand, are used within routing protocols to evaluate the quality of multiple paths to the same destination, considering factors like bandwidth, delay, or hop count. A default route is a special static route that matches all destinations not explicitly listed in the routing table, providing a fallback path. When a router receives multiple routes to the same destination, it first compares administrative distances to select the most trusted routing source. If multiple routes come from the same protocol, it then compares their metrics to choose the best path. Default routes are used when no specific route matches the destination IP, ensuring packets are forwarded rather than dropped. Floating static routes are configured with a higher administrative distance than the primary route, so they remain inactive until the preferred route fails, enabling seamless failover without dynamic routing protocol involvement. A common exam trap is confusing administrative distance with metric, leading to incorrect route selection understanding. Administrative distance compares route sources globally, while metrics compare paths within a single routing protocol. Another pitfall is misunderstanding floating static routes as primary routes; they only activate when the preferred route is lost. Practically, this design allows network engineers to implement backup routes that do not interfere with normal routing but provide immediate failover, enhancing network reliability and stability.
KKey Concepts to Remember
- Administrative distance determines the trustworthiness of a routing source by assigning a numeric value, where lower values indicate more preferred routes.
- Routing metrics quantify the cost of a path within a routing protocol, influencing route selection based on parameters like bandwidth, delay, or hop count.
- A default route acts as a catch-all path used when no specific route matches a destination IP address in the routing table.
- Floating static routes are manually configured backup routes with higher administrative distance values, remaining inactive until the primary route fails.
- Routing protocols use metrics internally to compare multiple paths to the same destination and select the best one for installation in the routing table.
- Administrative distance is used to choose between routes learned from different routing protocols or sources, not between paths within the same protocol.
- Default routes simplify routing tables by providing a single route for unknown destinations, reducing the need for extensive route advertisements.
- Floating static routes provide network redundancy by enabling automatic failover without dynamic routing protocol intervention.
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 routing source by assigning a numeric value, where lower values indicate more preferred routes.
What exam trap should I watch out for?
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword: A frequent exam trap is mixing up administrative distance and metric, assuming both compare paths the same way. Administrative distance compares the trustworthiness of entire routing sources (like OSPF vs. EIGRP), while metric compares path quality inside a single routing protocol. Another trap is thinking a floating static route is active all the time; it only activates when the primary route fails due to its higher administrative distance. Misunderstanding these differences can lead to incorrect answers about route selection and failover behavior.
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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