mediumMultiple Choice
300-410 Practice Question: The default administrative distance for routes…
What is the default administrative distance for routes redistributed into EIGRP from another protocol?
⚠ Common exam trap
300-410 often tests the confusion between internal and external EIGRP administrative distances, leading candidates to choose 90 (internal) instead of 170 (external).
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
✓
170
The default administrative distance for routes redistributed into EIGRP from another protocol is 170. This value applies to external EIGRP routes, distinguishing them from internal EIGRP routes (AD 90). It ensures that internal EIGRP routes are preferred over redistributed ones.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
90
Why it's wrong here
90 is the administrative distance of an EIGRP internal route, not of a route redistributed into EIGRP from another protocol. It is tempting because 90 is genuinely EIGRP's default value, but redistribution assigns the source protocol's distance, which for external EIGRP routes is 170.
- ✗
110
Why it's wrong here
110 is the administrative distance of OSPF, not the value EIGRP assigns to redistributed routes. It is tempting because 110 is a well-known default distance, but redistributed routes entering EIGRP are external and carry 170, while internal EIGRP routes use 90.
- ✓
170
Why this is correct
EIGRP assigns redistributed routes a default administrative distance of 170, marking them less trustworthy than internal (90) or summary (5) routes. This value applies specifically to routes injected from other protocols, matching the stem's redistribution scenario.
- ✗
200
Why it's wrong here
200 is the default administrative distance for redistributed routes in EIGRP's competitor BGP, not EIGRP itself; EIGRP assigns 170 to routes redistributed from other protocols. It is tempting because 200 does appear as a redistribution-related distance value, but that figure belongs to BGP's external routes, so selecting it misstates EIGRP's own default.
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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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.