easyMultiple Choice
300-410 Practice Question: In BGP, what is the default administrative…
In BGP, what is the default administrative distance for eBGP routes?
⚠ Common exam trap
The trap is confusing eBGP's AD (20) with iBGP's AD (200) — candidates often swap these two values under exam pressure.
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
✓
20
Cisco IOS assigns eBGP routes a default administrative distance of 20, making them more trusted than OSPF (110), RIP (120), and iBGP (200). This low AD ensures that when the same prefix is learned via eBGP and an IGP, the eBGP route is preferred in the routing table. The value 20 is a Cisco-specific default and is configurable via the 'distance bgp' command.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✓
20
Why this is correct
eBGP routes carry a default administrative distance of 20, making them preferred over iBGP (200), OSPF (110) and RIP (120). This low value reflects eBGP's trustworthiness as an exterior gateway protocol learned from directly connected external peers.
- ✗
200
Why it's wrong here
eBGP routes carry a default administrative distance of 20, not 200. The value 200 belongs to iBGP, so this option confuses the internal and external variants. It tempts because both are BGP distances, and it would be correct if the question asked for the administrative distance of iBGP routes instead.
- ✗
120
Why it's wrong here
120 is the default administrative distance for RIP, not eBGP, which uses 20. It tempts because RIP's distance is another commonly memorised value, and it would be correct if the question asked for the administrative distance of RIP routes rather than eBGP routes.
- ✗
110
Why it's wrong here
110 is the default administrative distance for OSPF, not eBGP. eBGP uses 20. It tempts because OSPF is a common routing protocol whose distance is frequently memorised alongside BGP values, and it would be correct if the question asked for OSPF's administrative distance.
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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Variation 1. What is the default BGP administrative distance for routes learned from an external peer (eBGP) in Cisco IOS-XE?
medium- ✓ A.20
- B.200
- C.110
- D.120
Why A: Cisco IOS-XE assigns eBGP routes a default administrative distance of 20, making them more trusted than internal BGP (iBGP, AD 200) and most IGPs except connected and static routes. This low value reflects that eBGP routes come from external peers and are typically preferred over iBGP-learned routes.
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.