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 10.5.5.0/24
BGP routing table entry for 10.5.5.0/24, version 12 Paths: (1 available, best #1, table default) Advertised to update-groups: 1 Refresh Epoch 1 65007
10.1.17.7 from 10.1.17.7 (10.7.7.7)
Origin IGP, metric 0, localpref 100, valid, external, best rx pathid: 0, tx pathid: 0x0
Based on this output, what does the 'r' in the status codes indicate if present? (Not shown here, but the engineer notices a similar route with 'r' status.)
⚠ Common exam trap
Many exam-takers confuse the BGP status codes 'r', 's', 'd', and 'i' — candidates often pick 'suppressed' or 'dampened' because they sound similar, but only 'r' means the route lost RIB installation to a lower-AD route.
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
✓
The route is a RIB-failure, meaning it is not installed in the routing table because another route with a lower administrative distance exists.
In Cisco BGP show output, the status code 'r' stands for RIB-failure, meaning the route was selected as best by BGP but was not installed in the IP routing table because another route (typically with a lower administrative distance, such as a static or IGP route) already occupies that prefix. The BGP route remains in the BGP table and is still advertised to peers, but it is not used for forwarding. This is a common troubleshooting scenario when a static route shadows a BGP-learned prefix.
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 suppressed by a route-map.
Why it's wrong here
The 'r' status code marks a route that has been dampened by BGP route dampening, not one suppressed by a route-map. Route-map suppression appears as 'd' in some outputs; 'r' specifically reflects the dampening penalty state, so a route-map is the wrong mechanism here.
- ✗
The route is not valid due to next-hop unreachability.
Why it's wrong here
Next-hop unreachability produces the 'invalid' status, shown as a missing 'valid' flag or 'inaccessible' in the path, not 'r'. The 'r' code denotes a dampened route, so this option confuses the reachability check with the dampening penalty mechanism.
- ✓
The route is a RIB-failure, meaning it is not installed in the routing table because another route with a lower administrative distance exists.
Why this is correct
The 'r' code marks a RIB-failure: BGP selected the path as best, but the route was rejected for installation into the IP routing table because a route with a lower administrative distance already exists for that prefix.
- ✗
The route is dampened.
Why it's wrong here
The 'r' status code marks a route whose next hop is unreachable, indicating RIB failure, not dampening. Dampening is shown by the 'd' code, so confusing the two is tempting; 'r' appears when the router cannot resolve the next hop, which is the actual condition to investigate.
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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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