300-410 Layer 3 Technologies Practice Question
A network engineer is configuring a static route on a Cisco IOS router to reach the network 192.168.2.0/24 via the next-hop address 10.1.1.2. The engineer enters the command 'ip route 192.168.2.0 255.255.255.0 10.1.1.2'. However, the route does not appear in the routing table. What is the most likely reason?
⚠ Common exam trap
The trap here is assuming that a static route will always appear in the routing table once configured, ignoring next-hop reachability requirements.
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
✓
The next-hop address 10.1.1.2 is not reachable.
A static route is only installed in the routing table if its next-hop address is reachable. The next-hop 10.1.1.2 must be reachable via a directly connected interface or another route. If it is not reachable, the static route remains in the configuration but is not active. The subnet mask is correct, and no special keywords are needed for basic installation. Thus, the most likely reason is that the next-hop is unreachable.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✓
The next-hop address 10.1.1.2 is not reachable.
Why this is correct
For a static route to be installed in the routing table, the next-hop address must be reachable via a directly connected interface or another route. If 10.1.1.2 is not reachable, the static route remains inactive and does not appear in the routing table. This is a common issue when the next-hop is not on a directly connected subnet or lacks a route.
- ✗
The static route requires the 'permanent' keyword to be installed.
Why it's wrong here
The 'permanent' keyword keeps the static route in the routing table even if the next-hop becomes unreachable. However, it is not required for initial installation. Without 'permanent', the route is installed only if the next-hop is reachable. Since the route is not appearing, the next-hop is likely unreachable, not a missing keyword.
- ✗
The subnet mask is incorrect; it should be 255.255.255.0.
Why it's wrong here
The subnet mask 255.255.255.0 is correct for a /24 network. The command uses the correct mask. If the mask were incorrect, the route might still appear but with a different prefix length. However, the issue here is that the route is not appearing at all, which points to next-hop reachability rather than mask error.
- ✗
The router needs a default route to install any static route.
Why it's wrong here
A default route is not required to install a static route. Static routes are installed based on their own next-hop reachability. A default route is used for destinations not matching any other route. The absence of a default route does not prevent a specific static route from being installed if its next-hop is reachable.
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JA
Written and reviewed by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
Last reviewed September 2026 · checked against the official Cisco exam blueprint
This 300-410 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 300-410 exam.