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EIGRP Troubleshooting →mediumMultiple ChoiceObjective-mapped

300-410 EIGRP Troubleshooting Practice Question

This 300-410 practice question tests your understanding of eigrp troubleshooting. The scenario asks you to isolate a root cause — eliminate options that address a different problem before choosing. After answering, compare your reasoning against the explanation and wrong-answer breakdown below. Once you have made your selection, read the full explanation to reinforce the concept and understand why each distractor is designed to mislead on exam day.

A network engineer is troubleshooting an EIGRP issue where a router is not installing a route in the routing table, even though the route is present in the EIGRP topology table. The route is a feasible successor, but it is not being used. What is the most likely reason for this?

Clue words in this question

Noticing these words before you look at the options changes how you read each choice.

Clue: "most likely"
Why it matters: Probability qualifier — the question wants the most probable cause or outcome, not a guaranteed one. Eliminate low-probability options.

A
The feasible successor has a higher metric than the current successor.
Correct because EIGRP installs only the route with the lowest metric (successor) into the routing table; feasible successors are kept as backup routes.
B
The route is a summary route that is being suppressed.
Why wrong: Incorrect because summary routes are installed in the routing table if they are the best path.
C
The route is being filtered by a distribute-list in.
Why wrong: Incorrect because if a route is in the topology table, it has not been filtered by a distribute-list in.
D
The EIGRP variance command is set to 1, preventing unequal-cost load balancing.
Why wrong: Incorrect because variance only affects whether feasible successors are used for load balancing; it does not prevent the successor from being installed.

Full breakdown with real-world context →

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 feasible successor has a higher metric than the current successor.

In EIGRP, a feasible successor is a backup route that meets the feasibility condition (reported distance < feasible distance). However, the router will only install the route with the best metric (the successor) into the routing table. If the feasible successor has a higher metric than the current successor, it will remain in the topology table as a backup but will not be used unless the successor fails. This matches option A.

Key principle: Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.

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 feasible successor has a higher metric than the current successor.
Why this is correct
Correct because EIGRP installs only the route with the lowest metric (successor) into the routing table; feasible successors are kept as backup routes.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "most likely" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
The route is a summary route that is being suppressed.
Why it's wrong here
Incorrect because summary routes are installed in the routing table if they are the best path.
✗
The route is being filtered by a distribute-list in.
Why it's wrong here
Incorrect because if a route is in the topology table, it has not been filtered by a distribute-list in.
✗
The EIGRP variance command is set to 1, preventing unequal-cost load balancing.
Why it's wrong here
Incorrect because variance only affects whether feasible successors are used for load balancing; it does not prevent the successor from being installed.

Common exam traps

Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword

Cisco often tests the distinction between a route being present in the topology table versus being installed in the routing table, tricking candidates into thinking that any feasible successor should be used immediately, when in fact only the successor (lowest metric) is installed by default.

Detailed technical explanation

How to think about this question

EIGRP uses the Diffusing Update Algorithm (DUAL) to maintain loop-free paths. The feasibility condition ensures that a feasible successor's reported distance is strictly less than the current feasible distance, guaranteeing no routing loops. Even with variance > 1, a feasible successor will only be installed if its metric is within the variance multiplier times the successor's metric; otherwise, it remains a backup. In real-world scenarios, this behavior prevents suboptimal routing while maintaining fast convergence via precomputed backup paths.

KKey Concepts to Remember

Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Find the constraint that changes the correct option.
Eliminate answers that are true in general but not in this case.

TExam Day Tips

Watch for words such as best, first, most likely and least administrative effort.
Review why wrong options are wrong, not only why the correct option is correct.

Key takeaway

Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.

Real-world example

How this comes up in practice

A practitioner preparing for the 300-410 exam encounters this exact type of scenario on the job. The correct answer here is not the most general option — it is the best answer for the specific constraint described. Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option. Real exam questions reward reading the full scenario before eliminating options, because the constraint defines which answer fits.

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.

What to study next

Got this wrong? Here's your next step.

Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.

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FAQ

Questions learners often ask

What does this 300-410 question test?

EIGRP Troubleshooting — This question tests EIGRP Troubleshooting — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..

What is the correct answer to this question?

The correct answer is: The feasible successor has a higher metric than the current successor. — In EIGRP, a feasible successor is a backup route that meets the feasibility condition (reported distance < feasible distance). However, the router will only install the route with the best metric (the successor) into the routing table. If the feasible successor has a higher metric than the current successor, it will remain in the topology table as a backup but will not be used unless the successor fails. This matches option A.

What should I do if I get this 300-410 question wrong?

Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.

Are there clue words in this question I should notice?

Yes — watch for: "most likely". Probability qualifier — the question wants the most probable cause or outcome, not a guaranteed one. Eliminate low-probability options.

What is the key concept behind this question?

Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.

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