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350-401 Practice Question: Router R3 has the following OSPF configuration:…
Router R3 has the following OSPF configuration: router ospf 1
router-id 3.3.3.3
network 10.0.0.0 0.255.255.255 area 0
default-information originate always metric 20 metric-type 2
What is the effect of the 'default-information originate always' command?
⚠ Common exam trap
Cisco often tests the distinction between the default behavior (inject only if a default route exists) and the 'always' keyword (unconditional injection), leading candidates to mistakenly think 'always' is required for any default route injection or that it modifies the metric behavior.
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
✓
It injects a default route into OSPF unconditionally, with metric 20 and type E2.
The 'default-information originate always' command injects a default route (0.0.0.0/0) into the OSPF link-state database unconditionally, regardless of whether the router itself has a default route in its routing table. The 'always' keyword overrides the default behavior, which requires a pre-existing default route. The metric 20 and metric-type 2 (E2) are explicitly set in the command, making the injected route an external type 2 route with a seed metric of 20.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
It redistributes all connected routes into OSPF.
Why it's wrong here
This is incorrect because 'default-information originate always' does not redistribute connected interfaces into OSPF. Connected subnets are only advertised when explicitly placed under OSPF with the 'network' command or through the 'redistribute connected' statement. The command under consideration originates a single 0.0.0.0/0 default route, not a collection of connected routes, and the 'always' keyword only affects the availability of that default route.
- ✗
It injects a default route into OSPF only if a default route is present in the routing table.
Why it's wrong here
The presence of 'always' eliminates the requirement that a default route already exist in the RIB. Without 'always', 'default-information originate' would inject 0.0.0.0/0 only if a candidate default was present, but with 'always' the router creates and advertises the default route regardless of the routing table contents. Therefore, claiming it injects only conditional on an existing default contradicts the behavior of the always keyword.
- ✓
It injects a default route into OSPF unconditionally, with metric 20 and type E2.
Why this is correct
This is correct because the command uses the 'always' keyword to unconditionally originate a default route into the OSPF domain, and the explicit 'metric 20' and 'metric-type 2' keywords dictate the cost and external type of that route. The resulting LSA is an external type 2 (E2) route with a metric of 20, which will be advertised to all OSPF neighbors. No default route needs to exist in the local routing table for this advertisement to occur.
- ✗
It sets the OSPF router ID to 3.3.3.3 and enables default route filtering.
Why it's wrong here
The router ID of an OSPF process is configured independently with the 'router-id' command; it is not derived from or set by 'default-information originate'. Additionally, the command originates a default route rather than filtering any routes, so it cannot enable default-route filtering. Filtering would require a mechanism such as 'distribute-list out' or a route-map applied to redistribution, not the 'default-information originate' command.
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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Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
This 350-401 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 350-401 exam.