mediumMultiple Choice
300-410 Practice Question: Runs the following command on Router R1: R1# show…
A network engineer runs the following command on Router R1:
R1# show bgp ipv4 unicast 10.3.3.0/24
BGP routing table entry for 10.3.3.0/24, version 10 Paths: (2 available, best #2, table default) Advertised to update-groups: 1 Refresh Epoch 1 65003 65004
10.1.13.3 from 10.1.13.3 (10.3.3.3)
Origin IGP, metric 0, localpref 100, valid, external rx pathid: 0, tx pathid: 0 Refresh Epoch 1 65005
10.1.15.5 from 10.1.15.5 (10.5.5.5)
Origin IGP, metric 0, localpref 200, valid, external, best rx pathid: 0, tx pathid: 0x0
Based on this output, why is the path via 10.1.15.5 chosen as best?
⚠ Common exam trap
The 300-410 exam often tests the order of BGP best path selection, and candidates may incorrectly choose AS path length as the first criterion, forgetting that local preference is evaluated earlier.
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
✓
Because it has a higher local preference of 200.
BGP best path selection prefers the path with the highest local preference value. In the output, the path via 10.1.15.5 has a local preference of 200, while the path via 10.1.13.3 has 100. Since local preference is evaluated before AS path length, the higher local preference wins, making the 10.1.15.5 path best.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Because it has a shorter AS path (65005 vs 65003 65004).
Why it's wrong here
AS-path length is compared only after local preference, and here the paths differ at that earlier step: 200 versus 100. Local preference is checked first in the BGP best-path algorithm, so the higher value on 10.1.15.5 decides selection before path length is ever considered.
- ✓
Because it has a higher local preference of 200.
Why this is correct
BGP best-path selection compares local preference before AS path length, so the higher value wins. The path via 10.1.15.5 carries localpref 200 against 100 for the 65003 65004 path, making it best despite the longer AS path, which would only matter at a later tie-break step.
- ✗
Because it has a lower metric (0 vs 0).
Why it's wrong here
Both paths show metric 0, so the Multi-Exit Discriminator is tied and cannot break the tie; localpref 200 versus 100 already decided best-path selection. MED is genuinely useful when comparing paths from the same neighbouring AS with equal localpref, which is not the situation here.
- ✗
Because it was learned from a lower neighbor IP address.
Why it's wrong here
BGP does not compare neighbour IP addresses when selecting a best path; the deciding attribute here is localpref 200 against 100. Lowest-neighbour-IP tie-breaking belongs to other protocols, such as OSPF's router-ID comparison, so it is tempting but irrelevant to BGP path selection.
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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
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