The correct answer is that static routes can have a next-hop of 'discard'. This is valid in Junos because the discard next-hop silently drops traffic without generating an ICMP unreachable message, making it a useful tool for blackholing unwanted traffic or creating summary routes. On the JNCIA-Junos exam, this concept tests your understanding that Juniper static routes are not limited to IP-based next-hops; they can also use reject, next-table, or interface-based next-hops. A common trap is assuming static routes always require a specific IP address, but Junos allows a discard next-hop to act as a null route with a default preference of 5. Remember, the default preference of 5 means static routes are trusted second only to directly connected routes (preference 0), which is a key distinction from other vendors. Memory tip: think of "discard" as a digital trash can—traffic goes in and never comes out.
JNCIA-JUNOS Networking Fundamentals Practice Question
This JNCIA-JUNOS practice question tests your understanding of networking fundamentals. Read the scenario carefully and evaluate each option against the stated constraints before committing to an answer. 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.
Which TWO statements about Juniper's implementation of static routes are correct? (Choose two.)
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
The default preference for static routes is 5.
Option A is correct because in Juniper's Junos OS, the default preference (administrative distance) for static routes is 5. This value indicates that static routes are highly trusted, only surpassed by directly connected routes (preference 0). This is a Juniper-specific default, differing from Cisco's default of 1 for static routes.
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 default preference for static routes is 5.
Why this is correct
Junos assigns a default preference of 5 to static routes.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
Static routes always have a metric of 1.
Why it's wrong here
Static routes do not have a metric by default; metric is used by dynamic protocols.
✗
Static routes are automatically redistributed into OSPF.
The 'discard' next-hop (null0) is a valid next-hop for static routes to drop traffic.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
The default preference for static routes is 170.
Why it's wrong here
170 is the default preference for OSPF external routes, not static routes.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates familiar with Cisco's IOS, where static routes have a default administrative distance of 1, may incorrectly assume Juniper uses the same value, or they may confuse the Juniper static route preference (5) with BGP's preference (170) listed in Option E.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Junos uses a route preference table to select the best route when multiple protocols provide a route to the same destination. Static routes with preference 5 are preferred over routes from OSPF (preference 10) or RIP (preference 100). The 'discard' next-hop (Option D) is a special static route that silently drops traffic destined to that prefix, useful for creating blackhole routes to prevent routing loops or for summarization with a null route.
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 network engineer at a university connects two campus buildings via a fibre link. Both routers run OSPF, but no adjacency forms — even though both routers can ping each other. The engineer finds one router is in area 0 and the other in area 1. OSPF adjacency requires matching area numbers, hello/dead timers, and network type. IP reachability alone is not enough.
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.
Networking Fundamentals — This question tests Networking Fundamentals — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: The default preference for static routes is 5. — Option A is correct because in Juniper's Junos OS, the default preference (administrative distance) for static routes is 5. This value indicates that static routes are highly trusted, only surpassed by directly connected routes (preference 0). This is a Juniper-specific default, differing from Cisco's default of 1 for static routes.
What should I do if I get this JNCIA-JUNOS question wrong?
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
About these practice questions
Courseiva creates original exam-style practice questions with explanations and wrong-answer analysis. It does not publish real exam questions, exam dumps, or protected exam content. Learn why practice questions differ from exam dumps →
These questions test the same concept from different angles. Work through them to make sure you can recognise it however the exam phrases it.
Variation 1. Refer to the exhibit. An engineer adds a new static route to 10.10.10.0/24 via next-hop 172.16.1.2. The new route does not appear in the route table. What is the most likely reason?
hard
A.The route requires an export policy to be installed.
B.The route has a different AS path.
✓ C.The next-hop 172.16.1.2 is not directly reachable.
D.Static routes cannot have the same preference as an existing route.
Why C: Option C is correct because in Junos, a static route's next-hop must be directly reachable (i.e., on a connected subnet) for the route to be installed in the inet.0 route table. If the next-hop 172.16.1.2 is not directly connected, the route remains hidden (inactive) and does not appear in the forwarding table. Junos does not perform recursive next-hop resolution for static routes by default unless configured with 'resolve'.
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This JNCIA-JUNOS 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 JNCIA-JUNOS exam.
Question Discussion
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