mediumMultiple Choice
300-410 Practice Question: Examine this configuration: ``` router ospf 1…
Examine this configuration: ```
router ospf 1
distance ospf intra-area 150 inter-area 160 external 170 ``` What is the effect of this 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 intra-area OSPF routes to 150, inter-area to 160, and external to 170.
This command sets different administrative distances for different OSPF route types: intra-area to 150, inter-area to 160, external 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 OSPF routes to 150.
Why it's wrong here
The distance ospf command takes three separate values, so intra-area, inter-area and external each receive their own administrative distance; a single value of 150 applies only to intra-area routes. It is tempting because 150 is the first number in the command, but the syntax deliberately overrides each route type independently.
- ✓
It sets the administrative distance for intra-area OSPF routes to 150, inter-area to 160, and external to 170.
Why this is correct
The distance ospf command overrides default administrative distances per route type: intra-area 110, inter-area 110, external 110. Here intra-area becomes 150, inter-area 160 and external 170, so OSPF routes are less preferred than other sources, altering route selection accordingly.
- ✗
It sets the administrative distance for OSPF routes to 150, but only for routes learned from area 1.
Why it's wrong here
The intra-area, inter-area and external keywords classify OSPF route types by LSA origin, not by OSPF area number; area 1 is irrelevant to this syntax. It is tempting because 150 matches the intra-area value, but no area parameter exists in the distance ospf command.
- ✗
It sets the administrative distance for OSPF external routes to 170 and leaves intra-area and inter-area at default.
Why it's wrong here
All three keywords are supplied, so intra-area becomes 150 and inter-area 160 rather than remaining at the default of 110. It is tempting because external routes do get 170, but the command applies the full set of values, not just the external one.
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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