hardMultiple Select
300-410 Practice Question: Which TWO statements about the interaction…
Which TWO statements about the interaction between administrative distance and floating static routes are true? (Choose TWO.)
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
✓
A floating static route must have an administrative distance higher than the primary route's AD to serve as a backup.
Option A is correct because a floating static route is designed to stay out of the routing table while the primary route is active, so its administrative distance must be higher than the primary route's AD (for example, a static route with AD 200 backing up an OSPF route with AD 110). Option D is correct because the Cisco 'ip route' command accepts an optional administrative distance argument at the end of the syntax (e.g., 'ip route 192.168.2.0 255.255.255.0 10.1.1.2 200'), which is exactly how a floating static route is configured. Option B is incorrect because the default administrative distance for a static route is 1, not 0 (0 is used for directly connected interfaces). Option C is incorrect because a route is only installed if its next hop is resolvable/reachable; an unreachable next hop prevents installation. Option E is incorrect because floating static routes can back up any routing protocol (OSPF, EIGRP, RIP, BGP, etc.) or even another static route, not just OSPF.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✓
A floating static route must have an administrative distance higher than the primary route's AD to serve as a backup.
Why this is correct
A floating static route is deliberately given a higher administrative distance than the primary route, so it stays out of the routing table while the primary remains reachable and only installs when the primary fails. This satisfies the backup requirement in the stem.
- ✗
The default administrative distance for a static route is 0.
Why it's wrong here
Static routes carry a default administrative distance of 1, not 0; 0 is reserved for directly connected interfaces. The value 0 is tempting because it represents the most trusted route source, but floating static routes rely on a configured distance higher than the primary protocol's, so a default of 0 would never float.
- ✗
A floating static route will be installed in the routing table immediately after the primary route is removed, even if the next-hop is unreachable.
Why it's wrong here
A floating static route is only installed once the primary route is withdrawn, and installation still requires a resolvable next hop; an unreachable next hop prevents it entering the table. It is tempting because floating routes do activate on primary failure, and would be correct if the next hop remained reachable.
- ✓
The 'ip route' command can be used to configure a floating static route by specifying an administrative distance value.
Why this is correct
The 'ip route' command accepts an optional administrative distance argument appended after the next hop, letting engineers set a value higher than the primary route's AD. This is the exact syntax that creates a floating static route for backup use.
- ✗
A floating static route can only be used with OSPF as the primary routing protocol.
Why it's wrong here
Floating static routes work with any routing protocol, including EIGRP, RIP and BGP, by setting an administrative distance above the primary route's. Restricting them to OSPF is tempting because OSPF's default distance of 110 is a common reference point, but the mechanism is protocol-agnostic.
Visual reference
Quick reference
Routing Protocol Comparison
| Protocol | Metric | Max Hops | Algorithm | Type |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| RIP v2 | Hop count | 15 | Bellman-Ford | Distance vector |
| OSPF | Cost (bandwidth) | Unlimited | Dijkstra (SPF) | Link state |
| EIGRP | Composite metric | Unlimited | DUAL | Hybrid |
| IS-IS | Cost | Unlimited | Dijkstra | Link state |
| BGP | Policy / attributes | Unlimited | Path vector | Path vector |
RIP's 15-hop limit makes it unsuitable for large networks. OSPF and EIGRP dominate modern enterprise deployments.
Go deeper
Related to this question
About these practice questions
This 300-410 question is part of Courseiva's 1,401-question bank — original exam-style content with full explanations and wrong-answer analysis, never real exam questions or exam dumps. Learn why practice questions differ from exam dumps →
JA
Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
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.