easyMultiple Choice
300-410 Practice Question: The default administrative distance for a route…
What is the default administrative distance for a route learned via the Routing Information Protocol (RIP)?
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
✓
120
RIP routes have a default administrative distance of 120.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
100
Why it's wrong here
100 is the default administrative distance for IGRP, a legacy Cisco protocol, not RIP. It is tempting because it is a plausible interior gateway value, but RIP uses 120; 100 would only apply to routes learned through IGRP.
- ✗
110
Why it's wrong here
110 is the default administrative distance for OSPF, not RIP. It is tempting because OSPF and RIP are both interior gateway protocols often compared together, but RIP's default is 120, so 110 belongs to OSPF routes.
- ✓
120
Why this is correct
RIP's default administrative distance is 120, making it less trusted than static routes, eBGP, EIGRP and OSPF. Cisco routers therefore prefer those sources over RIP when multiple protocols advertise the same prefix, which is the value tested here.
- ✗
130
Why it's wrong here
130 is the default administrative distance for EIGRP external routes, not RIP. It is tempting because it sits in the same low range as interior gateway protocol values, but RIP's default is 120, so selecting 130 misattributes EIGRP's redistributed-route value to RIP.
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.
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Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
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