The answer is that the BGP external administrative distance is 20. This is correct because the output shows the route is marked as "external" and "best," meaning it was learned from an eBGP neighbor, and by default Cisco IOS assigns an administrative distance of 20 to all eBGP-learned routes, which is lower than internal BGP’s distance of 200. On the Cisco CCNP ENARSI 300-410 exam, this concept tests your ability to interpret the `show bgp ipv4 unicast` output and distinguish between eBGP and iBGP path selection, often appearing in troubleshooting scenarios where a route is not preferred due to a higher administrative distance. A common trap is confusing the administrative distance with the metric or local preference—remember that AD is a route source trustworthiness value, not a path attribute. To lock it in, think: eBGP is external and eager, so it gets a low AD of 20; iBGP is internal and cautious, with a high AD of 200.
300-410 Administrative Distance Practice Question
This 300-410 practice question tests your understanding of administrative distance. The scenario asks you to isolate a root cause — eliminate options that address a different problem before choosing. After answering, compare your reasoning against the explanation and wrong-answer breakdown below. Once you have made your selection, read the full explanation to reinforce the concept and understand why each distractor is designed to mislead on exam day.
A network engineer runs the following command to troubleshoot an Administrative Distance issue:
R1# show bgp ipv4 unicast 192.168.4.0/24
BGP routing table entry for 192.168.4.0/24, version 2
Paths: (1 available, best #1, table default)
Advertised to update-groups:
1
Refresh Epoch 1
Local
Noticing these words before you look at the options changes how you read each choice.
Clue: "best"
Why it matters: Signals that multiple options may be partially correct. Choose the option that most directly solves the exact problem described, not the one that sounds most complete.
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
The route is an external BGP route with administrative distance 20.
The output shows BGP route details including the path attributes. The administrative distance for BGP external routes is 20 by default, but this is not shown here. The output indicates the route is learned via eBGP and is the best path.
Key principle: NAT direction and interface roles matter as much as the IP address mapping. Inside/outside designation controls which traffic is translated.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
✗
The route is an internal BGP route with administrative distance 200.
Why it's wrong here
The path shows 'external', indicating eBGP, which has AD 20.
✓
The route is an external BGP route with administrative distance 20.
Why this is correct
The output shows 'external', and eBGP routes have a default AD of 20.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "best" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Static NAT maps one inside address to one outside address.
✗
The route has a local preference of 200, making it preferred.
Why it's wrong here
Local preference is 100, not 200.
✗
The route is not the best path because it is external.
Why it's wrong here
The output says 'best #1', so it is the best path.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: NAT rules depend on direction and matching traffic
NAT is not only about the public address. The inside/outside interface roles and the ACL or rule that matches traffic are just as important.
Trap categories for this question
Command / output trap
The path shows 'external', indicating eBGP, which has AD 20.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
NAT questions usually test address translation, overload/PAT behaviour, static mappings and whether the right traffic is being translated. Read the interface direction and address terms carefully.
KKey Concepts to Remember
Static NAT maps one inside address to one outside address.
PAT allows many inside hosts to share one public address using ports.
Inside local and inside global describe the private and translated addresses.
NAT ACLs identify traffic for translation, not always security filtering.
TExam Day Tips
→Identify inside and outside interfaces first.
→Check whether the scenario needs static NAT, dynamic NAT or PAT.
→Do not confuse NAT matching ACLs with normal packet-filtering intent.
Key takeaway
NAT direction and interface roles matter as much as the IP address mapping. Inside/outside designation controls which traffic is translated.
Real-world example
How this comes up in practice
A small business has 20 workstations on the 192.168.1.0/24 network and one public IP from its ISP. The router uses PAT (NAT overload) so all 20 devices share one public address using different source ports. NAT questions test whether you understand the four address terms and which direction each translation applies.
Related glossary terms
Concepts from this question explained
These glossary pages explain the core terms tested in this 300-410 question in full detail.
Review the four NAT address types (inside local, inside global, outside local, outside global), PAT port overload, and static vs dynamic NAT use cases. Then practise related 300-410 NAT questions on configuration and troubleshooting.
Administrative Distance — This question tests Administrative Distance — Static NAT maps one inside address to one outside address..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: The route is an external BGP route with administrative distance 20. — The output shows BGP route details including the path attributes. The administrative distance for BGP external routes is 20 by default, but this is not shown here. The output indicates the route is learned via eBGP and is the best path.
What should I do if I get this 300-410 question wrong?
Review the four NAT address types (inside local, inside global, outside local, outside global), PAT port overload, and static vs dynamic NAT use cases. Then practise related 300-410 NAT questions on configuration and troubleshooting.
Are there clue words in this question I should notice?
Yes — watch for: "best". Signals that multiple options may be partially correct. Choose the option that most directly solves the exact problem described, not the one that sounds most complete.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Static NAT maps one inside address to one outside address.
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