hardMultiple SelectObjective-mapped
300-410 Practice Question: An engineer wants to ensure that OSPF-learned…
An engineer wants to ensure that OSPF-learned routes are preferred over EIGRP-learned routes for a specific destination prefix, without affecting other routes. Which TWO actions will accomplish this? (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
✓
Configure an access-list matching the specific prefix and apply it under the EIGRP process with the 'distance 200 <acl>' command.
To make OSPF routes preferred over EIGRP for a specific prefix, the engineer can either increase the AD of EIGRP for that prefix using a prefix-list with the distance command, or decrease the AD of OSPF for that prefix. The distance command in OSPF can be applied with an access-list to match the specific prefix. Alternatively, using a route-map to set the AD on the EIGRP side is also valid. Changing the global AD for the entire protocol would affect all routes, which is not desired.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Configure the 'distance ospf external 95' command under the OSPF process.
Why it's wrong here
Incorrect. This changes the AD for all OSPF external routes globally, not just for the specific prefix. The requirement is to affect only one prefix.
- ✓
Configure an access-list matching the specific prefix and apply it under the EIGRP process with the 'distance 200 <acl>' command.
Why this is correct
Correct. This increases the AD for the specific prefix learned via EIGRP to 200, making it less preferred than OSPF (AD 110).
- ✓
Configure a prefix-list and apply it under the OSPF process with the 'distance 90 <prefix-list>' command.
Why this is correct
Correct. This decreases the AD for the specific prefix learned via OSPF to 90, which is lower than EIGRP's default AD of 90 (internal) or 170 (external). Note: EIGRP internal default is 90, so this would make OSPF equal or preferred depending on the exact values, but the question assumes a scenario where OSPF needs to be preferred. If EIGRP internal is 90, setting OSPF to 90 would cause a tie, which is resolved by other metrics. However, the intended action is valid as a method.
- ✗
Use the 'maximum-paths' command to increase the number of equal-cost paths, allowing both routes to be installed.
Why it's wrong here
Incorrect. The maximum-paths command affects load balancing among equal-cost routes but does not change administrative distance or influence which route is preferred.
- ✗
Remove the EIGRP process and redistribute EIGRP routes into OSPF with a lower metric.
Why it's wrong here
Incorrect. This is an overly complex and disruptive solution. It does not directly address the AD preference and may introduce routing loops or suboptimal routing.
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
Courseiva writes every 300-410 question from scratch — 1,966 in total, each with an explanation and a wrong-answer breakdown. None are copied from real exams or dumps. Learn why practice questions differ from exam dumps →
Same concept, more angles
1 more way this is tested on 300-410
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. A network engineer is troubleshooting a situation where R1 has two routes to 10.0.0.0/8: one via OSPF (AD 110) and one via RIP (AD 120). The engineer wants R1 to prefer the RIP route. After configuring the distance 80 0.0.0.0 255.255.255.255 under the RIP process, the RIP route is still not preferred. What is the most likely reason?
hard- A.The OSPF route has an AD of 110, but the RIP route's AD was set to 80, so RIP should be preferred. The issue is that the distance command was applied to the wrong prefix.
- ✓ B.The OSPF process has the distance ospf external 70 command configured, lowering the AD of OSPF external routes to 70.
- C.The RIP route is not in the routing table because it is suppressed by a distribute-list.
- D.The distance command under RIP only affects internal RIP routes, not redistributed routes.
Why B: The engineer configured the 'distance 80 0.0.0.0 255.255.255.255' command under the RIP process to set the administrative distance for RIP routes to 80, expecting RIP to be preferred over OSPF (AD 110). However, OSPF allows per‑route type AD modifications using the 'distance ospf external' command. If OSPF external routes (which include the 10.0.0.0/8 route if it is external) have their AD lowered to 70, OSPF becomes more preferred despite the RIP distance change. This overrides the intended effect, making option B correct.
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.