JN0-106 Operational Monitoring and Maintenance Practice Question
An administrator notices that the routing table is not updating as expected. Which command should be used to verify the routing table contents?
⚠ Common exam trap
Many exam-takers confuse 'show route' with 'show interfaces' or 'show log', thinking that interface status or log messages would directly reveal routing table updates, when in fact only 'show route' provides the definitive view of the routing table contents.
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 routing table, which contains all active routes learned via static configuration, direct interfaces, or dynamic routing protocols such as OSPF, IS-IS, BGP, and RIP. If the routing table is not updating as expected, this command allows the administrator to verify the current routes, their next hops, and protocol sources to identify missing or incorrect entries.
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
Why it's wrong here
show log: This command is used to view system logging messages, which record events like interface transitions, routing protocol neighbor changes, or user authentication attempts. It does not display the current routing table or its learned routes, as the routing table is a separate data structure maintained by the routing daemon. While logs can help diagnose why a route is missing, they are not the direct source of routing information.
- ✓
show route
Why this is correct
show route: This is the correct command to display the routing table on Junos, showing all active routes, their next hops, and protocol attributes. It allows an administrator to verify if the routing table is updating correctly by checking for presence or absence of specific prefixes. Additionally, options like 'show route protocol ospf' or 'show route prefix' provide granular views for troubleshooting.
- ✗
show system storage
Why it's wrong here
show system storage: This command shows disk space usage on the device's file systems, including the routing engine's hard drive or flash storage. It is useful for monitoring capacity but has no relation to the routing table's contents or updates. Routing table updates are processed in memory and are not dependent on storage space, so this command would not help in investigating missing updates.
- ✗
show interfaces
Why it's wrong here
show interfaces: This displays the status and statistics of physical and logical interfaces, such as link state, MTU, and traffic counters. While interface state can influence whether routes are installed (e.g., a down interface removes its routes), the command does not show the routing table itself. It shows Layer 1/Layer 2 details, not Layer 3 routing information.
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
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