Question 1mediumdrag order
Read the full NAT/PAT explanation →Question 312 of 1,819
Quick Answer
The correct order of operations for a routing table lookup process is to first extract the destination IP address, then find all matching routes, apply the longest prefix match, compare administrative distances if needed, and finally choose the route with the lowest metric as the best route. This hierarchy is fundamental because Cisco routers prioritize the most specific route (longest subnet mask) above all else, ensuring traffic follows the most precise path; only when multiple routes share that same prefix length does the router fall back to comparing administrative distance, and only if those are equal does it compare metrics. On the CCNA 200-301 v2 exam, this concept appears in drag-and-drop or multiple-choice questions testing your understanding of route selection logic, with a common trap being that students mistakenly compare AD before the longest match. A reliable memory tip is “LAM” — Longest match first, then Administrative distance, then Metric — which mirrors the step-by-step order of operations in every Cisco router’s routing table lookup process.
CCNA IP Routing Practice Question
This 200-301 practice question tests your understanding of ip routing. Match the stated requirement to the specific cloud service, access model, or configuration option — many options are valid in isolation but not for this scenario. After answering, compare your reasoning against the explanation and wrong-answer breakdown below. 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.
Drag and drop the following steps into the correct order to determine the best route to a destination using a routing table.
Clue words in this question
Noticing these words before you look at the options changes how you read each choice.
Clue:
"best"Why it matters: Signals that multiple options may be partially correct. Choose the option that most directly solves the exact problem described, not the one that sounds most complete.
Answer choices
Why each option matters
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Extract the destination IP address from the packet.
The correct order follows Cisco's route selection logic: 1. Extract the destination IP (the lookup key). 2. Find all matching routes in the routing table. 3. Apply longest prefix match – the most specific route (longest subnet mask) is always preferred, regardless of administrative distance. 4. If multiple routes share that longest prefix length, compare administrative distances. 5. The route with the lowest administrative distance wins. 6. If AD values are equal (same routing protocol is typical), compare metrics. 7. The route with the lowest metric becomes the best route. This hierarchy – longest match > AD > metric – is fundamental to Cisco router behavior.
Key principle: Count usable hosts — not total addresses — and remember that the network and broadcast addresses are not available to hosts in standard IPv4 subnets.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: usable hosts are not the same as total addresses
Subnetting questions often tempt you into counting all addresses. In normal IPv4 subnets, the network and broadcast addresses are not usable host addresses.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Subnetting questions test whether you can identify the network, broadcast address, usable range, mask and correct subnet. Slow down enough to calculate the block size correctly.
KKey Concepts to Remember
- CIDR notation defines the prefix length.
- Block size helps identify subnet boundaries.
- Network and broadcast addresses are not usable hosts in normal IPv4 subnets.
- The required host count determines the smallest suitable subnet.
TExam Day Tips
- Write the block size before choosing the subnet.
- Check whether the question asks for hosts, subnets or a specific address range.
- Do not confuse /24, /25, /26 and /27 host counts.
Key takeaway
Count usable hosts — not total addresses — and remember that the network and broadcast addresses are not available to hosts in standard IPv4 subnets.
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.
What to study next
Got this wrong? Here's your next step.
Review block sizes, usable host formulas (2^n − 2), and how to find network and broadcast addresses for /24 through /30. Then practise related 200-301 subnetting questions on CIDR, address ranges, and subnet selection.
- →
IP Routing — study guide chapter
Learn the concepts, then practise the questions
- →
IP Routing practice questions
Targeted practice on this topic area only
- →
All 200-301 questions
1,819 questions across all exam domains
- →
CCNA 200-301 v2 study guide
Full concept coverage aligned to exam objectives
- →
200-301 practice test guide
How to use practice tests most effectively before exam day
Related practice questions
Related 200-301 practice-question pages
Use these pages to review the topic behind this question. This is how one missed question becomes focused revision.
Network Infrastructure and Connectivity practice questions
Practise 200-301 questions linked to Network Infrastructure and Connectivity.
Switching and Network Access practice questions
Practise 200-301 questions linked to Switching and Network Access.
IP Routing practice questions
Practise 200-301 questions linked to IP Routing.
Network Services and Security practice questions
Practise 200-301 questions linked to Network Services and Security.
AI and Network Operations practice questions
Practise 200-301 questions linked to AI and Network Operations.
CCNA subnetting practice questions
Practise IPv4 subnetting, CIDR, masks, host ranges and subnet selection.
CCNA OSPF practice questions
Practise OSPF neighbours, router IDs, metrics, areas and routing-table interpretation.
CCNA VLAN practice questions
Practise VLANs, access ports, trunks, allowed VLANs and switching scenarios.
CCNA STP practice questions
Practise spanning tree, root bridge election, port roles and STP troubleshooting.
CCNA EtherChannel practice questions
Practise LACP, PAgP, port-channel behaviour and bundle requirements.
CCNA ACL practice questions
Practise standard and extended ACLs, permit/deny logic and traffic filtering.
CCNA NAT practice questions
Practise static NAT, dynamic NAT, PAT and inside/outside address translation.
Practice this exam
Start a free 200-301 practice session
Short sessions build daily habit. Longer sessions build exam-day stamina. Try a timed session to simulate real conditions.
FAQ
Questions learners often ask
What does this 200-301 question test?
IP Routing — This question tests IP Routing — CIDR notation defines the prefix length..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Extract the destination IP address from the packet. — The correct order follows Cisco's route selection logic: 1. Extract the destination IP (the lookup key). 2. Find all matching routes in the routing table. 3. Apply longest prefix match – the most specific route (longest subnet mask) is always preferred, regardless of administrative distance. 4. If multiple routes share that longest prefix length, compare administrative distances. 5. The route with the lowest administrative distance wins. 6. If AD values are equal (same routing protocol is typical), compare metrics. 7. The route with the lowest metric becomes the best route. This hierarchy – longest match > AD > metric – is fundamental to Cisco router behavior.
What should I do if I get this 200-301 question wrong?
Review block sizes, usable host formulas (2^n − 2), and how to find network and broadcast addresses for /24 through /30. Then practise related 200-301 subnetting questions on CIDR, address ranges, and subnet selection.
Are there clue words in this question I should notice?
Yes — watch for: "best". Signals that multiple options may be partially correct. Choose the option that most directly solves the exact problem described, not the one that sounds most complete.
What is the key concept behind this question?
CIDR notation defines the prefix length.
About these practice questions
Courseiva creates original exam-style practice questions with explanations and wrong-answer analysis. It does not publish real exam questions, exam dumps, or protected exam content. Learn why practice questions differ from exam dumps →
Same concept, more angles
5 more ways this is tested on 200-301
These questions test the same concept from different angles. Work through them to make sure you can recognise it however the exam phrases it.
Variation 1. Drag and drop the following steps into the correct order to describe how a router selects the best path and forwards a packet, using the routing table lookup process from destination IP to forwarding decision.
hard- ✓ A.Step 1: Examine the destination IP address of the packet. Step 2: Perform a longest prefix match on the routing table. Step 3: Determine the next-hop IP address and outgoing interface. Step 4: Forward the packet to the next hop.
- B.Step 1: Perform a longest prefix match on the routing table. Step 2: Examine the destination IP address of the packet. Step 3: Determine the next-hop IP address and outgoing interface. Step 4: Forward the packet to the next hop.
- C.Step 1: Examine the destination IP address of the packet. Step 2: Determine the next-hop IP address and outgoing interface. Step 3: Perform a longest prefix match on the routing table. Step 4: Forward the packet to the next hop.
- D.Step 1: Determine the next-hop IP address and outgoing interface. Step 2: Examine the destination IP address of the packet. Step 3: Perform a longest prefix match on the routing table. Step 4: Forward the packet to the next hop.
Why A: The router first identifies the destination IP, then finds the best matching route using longest prefix match, and forwards to the next hop.
Variation 2. Drag and drop the following steps into the correct order to describe the routing table lookup process when a router receives a packet destined for 192.168.1.100, from destination IP match to forwarding decision.
medium- ✓ A.Match destination IP to routing table entries
- ✓ B.Perform longest prefix match
- ✓ C.Determine next-hop IP address
- ✓ D.Resolve Layer 2 address
Why A: The routing table lookup process begins with matching the destination IP, then longest prefix match, determining next-hop, resolving Layer 2 address, and finally forwarding the packet.
Variation 3. Drag and drop the following steps into the correct order to describe the router's routing table lookup process for a destination IP address, including the best-path selection logic (longest prefix match, then administrative distance, then metric) and the final forwarding decision.
medium- ✓ A.1. Perform longest prefix match on destination IP address 2. If multiple routes match, compare administrative distance 3. If AD is equal, compare metric 4. Forward packet using the best route
- B.1. Compare administrative distance of all routes 2. Compare metric of routes with lowest AD 3. Perform longest prefix match on remaining routes 4. Forward packet using the best route
- C.1. Compare metric of all routes 2. Compare administrative distance of routes with lowest metric 3. Perform longest prefix match on remaining routes 4. Forward packet using the best route
- D.1. Perform longest prefix match on destination IP address 2. If multiple routes match, compare metric 3. If metric is equal, compare administrative distance 4. Forward packet using the best route
Why A: The router applies longest prefix match first, then administrative distance, then metric, in that order, to select the best path and forward the packet.
Variation 4. Drag and drop the following steps into the correct order to describe the router's routing table lookup process from receiving a packet with a destination IP address to making the forwarding decision, including best-path selection criteria.
medium- ✓ A.Packet arrival, longest prefix match, tie-breaking using administrative distance and metric, forwarding decision
- B.Packet arrival, tie-breaking using administrative distance and metric, longest prefix match, forwarding decision
- C.Packet arrival, longest prefix match, forwarding decision, tie-breaking using administrative distance and metric
- D.Packet arrival, tie-breaking using administrative distance and metric, forwarding decision, longest prefix match
Why A: The process starts with packet arrival, then longest prefix match, followed by tie-breaking using administrative distance and metric, culminating in forwarding.
Variation 5. Drag and drop the following steps into the correct order to describe the router's routing table lookup process for a destination IP address, including best-path selection using longest prefix match, administrative distance, and metric.
medium- ✓ A.1. Perform longest prefix match on the destination IP address against all routes in the routing table. 2. If multiple routes match, compare administrative distances; choose the route with the lowest AD. 3. If multiple routes have the same AD, compare metrics; choose the route with the lowest metric. 4. Forward the packet using the selected route.
- B.1. Compare administrative distances of all routes; choose the route with the lowest AD. 2. Perform longest prefix match on the destination IP address against the remaining routes. 3. If multiple routes have the same AD, compare metrics; choose the route with the lowest metric. 4. Forward the packet using the selected route.
- C.1. Perform longest prefix match on the destination IP address against all routes in the routing table. 2. If multiple routes match, compare metrics; choose the route with the lowest metric. 3. If multiple routes have the same metric, compare administrative distances; choose the route with the lowest AD. 4. Forward the packet using the selected route.
- D.1. Compare metrics of all routes; choose the route with the lowest metric. 2. Perform longest prefix match on the destination IP address against the remaining routes. 3. If multiple routes have the same metric, compare administrative distances; choose the route with the lowest AD. 4. Forward the packet using the selected route.
Why A: The order follows the router's decision process: longest prefix match first, then administrative distance, then metric, leading to the forwarding decision.
Keep practising
More 200-301 practice questions
- A switchport connected to another switch should carry multiple VLANs, but it was manually configured as an access port.…
- What problem is HSRP designed to solve?
- Which TWO statements correctly describe the causes or implications of CRC errors, runts, giants, or output errors as see…
- You are connected to R1. Configure IPv4 and IPv6 addressing on R1's interfaces and verify reachability to R2. The curren…
- Which TWO statements accurately describe how AI/ML concepts are applied to network operations in modern enterprise netwo…
- Which TWO switch port configurations are required when connecting a Cisco IP phone and a desktop PC to a single access p…
Last reviewed: Jun 14, 2026
This 200-301 practice question is part of Courseiva's free Cisco certification practice question bank. Courseiva provides original exam-style practice questions with explanations, topic-based practice, mock exams, readiness tracking, and study analytics to help learners prepare for the 200-301 exam.
Question Discussion
Share a tip, memory trick, or ask about the reasoning behind this question. Do not post real exam questions, leaked content, braindumps, or copyrighted exam material. Comments are moderated and may be removed without notice.
Sign in to join the discussion.