hardMultiple Choice
300-410 Router R1 and R2 are running OSPF in area 0 Practice Question
Router R1 and R2 are running OSPF in area 0. R1 has a loopback interface with IP 192.168.1.1/32 advertised into OSPF. R2 learns this route as an intra-area route (AD 110). R2 also runs RIP and learns the same prefix from R3 with AD 120. R2's 'show ip route 192.168.1.1' shows the RIP route. What is the root cause?
⚠ Common exam trap
300-410 often tests the misconception that the lowest-metric route always wins — candidates forget that administrative distance is compared before metrics across different routing protocols.
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
✓
R2's OSPF process has 'distance 130' configured, making OSPF routes have AD 130, which is higher than RIP's AD 120.
Administrative distance (AD) is the tiebreaker when two routing protocols offer the same prefix; lower AD wins. By default, OSPF has AD 110 and RIP has AD 120, so OSPF should win. The fact that RIP appears in the routing table means OSPF's AD was raised above 120 — the 'distance 130' configuration under the OSPF process does exactly that, making OSPF (130) lose to RIP (120). This is the only option consistent with the observed outcome.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✓
R2's OSPF process has 'distance 130' configured, making OSPF routes have AD 130, which is higher than RIP's AD 120.
Why this is correct
The 'distance 130' command under the OSPF process raises OSPF's administrative distance to 130, above RIP's 120. R2 therefore prefers the RIP route for 192.168.1.1/32 despite OSPF being intra-area, explaining the unexpected 'show ip route' output.
- ✗
The RIP route has a better metric than the OSPF route.
Why it's wrong here
Administrative distance decides before metrics are compared, so RIP's AD 120 loses to OSPF's 110 regardless of metric values. Metric comparison is tempting because it governs selection within a single protocol, such as two OSPF paths to the same prefix.
- ✗
R2 has a static route with AD 1 that overrides both.
Why it's wrong here
No static route is mentioned in the topology, and a static with AD 1 would appear in the routing table instead of the RIP entry. Static routes are tempting because their low AD does override OSPF and RIP, but only when actually configured.
- ✗
The OSPF route is an external route with AD 170 due to redistribution.
Why it's wrong here
The loopback is advertised within area 0, so R2 installs it as intra-area OSPF with AD 110, not external 170. External AD 170 applies only to OSPF routes redistributed from another protocol into the domain, which is not happening here.
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 — 1,401 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 →
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.