JN0-106 Routing Fundamentals Practice Question
A network engineer is troubleshooting a connectivity issue and wants to see the active routes in the routing table. Which Junos CLI command should they use?
⚠ Common exam trap
The trap here is that candidates familiar with Cisco IOS might confuse 'show ip route' with Junos's 'show route' but incorrectly choose 'show configuration' thinking it shows routing information, or 'show interface' thinking it shows connected routes, when only 'show route' provides the complete active routing table.
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
✓
show route
The 'show route' command displays the active routing table entries, including directly connected, static, and dynamic routes learned via protocols like OSPF, BGP, or IS-IS. This is the correct command to view the active routes the device uses for forwarding traffic.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
show log messages
Why it's wrong here
The 'show log messages' command is used to inspect system event and error logs, such as daemon failures or interface flapping events. While these logs can give clues about why a connectivity issue occurred, they do not display the routing table or the current forwarding state. This makes it a diagnostic tool for historical context, not for verifying whether a route to a destination exists.
- ✗
show configuration
Why it's wrong here
The 'show configuration' command outputs the applied configuration in either set or hierarchy format, detailing static routes, protocols, and interfaces as they are configured. However, it shows only the intended or configured state, not the dynamically learned routes or active routing table entries. A route may be configured but still not be active in the routing table due to an error, so this command cannot confirm the actual routing state.
- ✗
show interface
Why it's wrong here
The 'show interface' command provides information about physical and logical interface properties, including link status, input/output errors, and protocol state (e.g., up/down). This is useful for verifying Layer 1 and Layer 2 connectivity, but it does not provide Layer 3 route information. Even if all interfaces show 'up', a route may still be missing or the next hop may be unreachable, so this command cannot be used to troubleshoot routing-table-level issues.
- ✓
show route
Why this is correct
The 'show route' command is the correct tool for troubleshooting a connectivity issue because it displays the active routing table, including all routes learned from each routing protocol, with their next-hop addresses and preference values. It allows an engineer to verify whether a destination is reachable, which route is being used, and why that route was selected. This command directly answers whether the router has a valid forwarding path to the target network.
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 JN0-106 practice question is part of Courseiva's free Juniper Networks 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 JN0-106 exam.