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300-410 Practice Question: Consider the following partial configuration on a…
Consider the following partial configuration on a Cisco IOS-XE router: ```
router eigrp 100 network 10.0.0.0
distance eigrp 90 170 ``` What is the effect of the `distance eigrp 90 170` command?
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
✓
It sets the administrative distance for EIGRP internal routes to 90 and external routes to 170.
This command sets the administrative distance for EIGRP internal routes to 90 and external routes to 170.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
It sets the administrative distance for all EIGRP routes to 90.
Why it's wrong here
Two values are supplied, so the first sets internal distance and the second external; it does not apply 90 universally. A single-value reading is tempting because 90 is EIGRP's default internal distance, but external routes would still use 170.
- ✓
It sets the administrative distance for EIGRP internal routes to 90 and external routes to 170.
Why this is correct
The distance eigrp command takes two arguments: the administrative distance applied to internal EIGRP routes and the value applied to external EIGRP routes. Specifying 90 and 170 therefore sets internal routes to 90 and external routes to 170, matching EIGRP's defaults.
- ✗
It sets the administrative distance for EIGRP routes to 170 for all routes learned from neighbors with an AS of 100.
Why it's wrong here
The second value applies to external EIGRP routes, not to routes from neighbours with AS 100. This misreading is tempting because the router runs AS 100, but administrative distance distinguishes internal from external origin, not autonomous system membership.
- ✗
It sets the metric weights for EIGRP to 90 and 170.
Why it's wrong here
The command sets administrative distance values, not K-values; metric weights use the metric weights command. Confusing the two is tempting because both accept numeric arguments, but weights govern metric calculation while distance governs route preference.
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.
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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.