The answer is that the static route is not active because the next-hop address 10.0.0.1 is unreachable. On Junos, a static route will only be installed as an active route in the forwarding table if its next-hop is reachable through a directly connected interface or another active route; if the next-hop is not resolvable via ARP or an existing route, Junos marks the static route as hidden or inactive. This concept directly tests your understanding of Junos route resolution logic on the JNCIA-Junos exam, where a common trap is assuming a static route becomes active simply by being configured—it must have a valid, reachable next-hop. A frequent exam scenario presents a static route present in the configuration but missing from the active route table, and the correct diagnosis is always to check next-hop reachability. Memory tip: think “No hop, no go”—if the next-hop isn’t reachable, the route stays hidden.
JNCIA-JUNOS Routing Fundamentals Practice Question
This JNCIA-JUNOS practice question tests your understanding of routing fundamentals. This is a configuration task: choose the command set that satisfies every stated requirement. Small differences — like 'secret' vs 'password' or 'transport input ssh' vs 'all' — change whether the answer is correct. 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 administrator configures a static route on a Juniper device: `set routing-options static route 192.168.100.0/24 next-hop 10.0.0.1`. The administrator verifies the route is present in the routing table but notices it is not active. What is the most likely cause?
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.
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
The next-hop address 10.0.0.1 is not reachable.
A static route becomes active only if the next-hop address is reachable via a directly connected or active route in the routing table. Since the administrator verified the route is present but not active, the most likely cause is that the next-hop 10.0.0.1 is not reachable (e.g., no ARP resolution or no interface with that subnet). Junos marks such routes as hidden or inactive until the next hop is reachable.
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 route is not committed.
Why it's wrong here
If the route were not committed, it would not appear in the routing table.
✓
The next-hop address 10.0.0.1 is not reachable.
Why this is correct
If the next-hop is not in the routing table, the static route is not active.
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 preference of the static route is higher than 15.
Why it's wrong here
Static routes default preference is 5; a higher preference number makes it less preferred, but it does not cause inactivity by itself.
✗
The destination prefix is already learned via OSPF with a lower metric.
Why it's wrong here
OSPFmetric is not compared across protocols; route preference determines active route.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates often assume a static route is always active once configured and committed, overlooking Junos's requirement that the next-hop must be reachable via an active directly connected route for the route to be installed as active.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
In Junos, a static route's next-hop must be resolvable through an active directly connected route or a configured interface; otherwise, the route is placed in the routing table but marked as 'hidden' or 'inactive' (shown with a '#' flag in show route). This behavior is controlled by the 'resolve' option—without it, the next-hop must be on a directly connected subnet. In real-world scenarios, misconfigured static routes to remote next-hops without proper recursive resolution are a common cause of traffic blackholing.
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.
Routing Fundamentals — This question tests Routing Fundamentals — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: The next-hop address 10.0.0.1 is not reachable. — A static route becomes active only if the next-hop address is reachable via a directly connected or active route in the routing table. Since the administrator verified the route is present but not active, the most likely cause is that the next-hop 10.0.0.1 is not reachable (e.g., no ARP resolution or no interface with that subnet). Junos marks such routes as hidden or inactive until the next hop is reachable.
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.
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.
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. A network administrator configured a static route to 10.0.0.0/24 with next-hop 192.168.1.1. The route is not appearing in the active routing table. What is the most likely reason?
hard
✓ A.The next-hop address is not reachable.
B.The route is a reject route.
C.The route is being overridden by an OSPF route with lower preference.
D.The static route preference is too high.
Why A: The exhibit shows the route's next-hop type as 'Unreachable', indicating that 192.168.1.1 is not reachable. Option B is correct. Option A is incorrect because the preference of 5 is low, and a higher preference would make it less preferred, but the route is not active due to next-hop unreachability. Option C is incorrect: if an OSPF route with lower preference (higher priority) existed, it would be active, but the static route would still be present as a backup; the exhibit shows the route is not active because the next-hop is unreachable. Option D is incorrect: a reject route would show a next-hop of 'Reject' or 'Discard'.
Variation 2. An administrator configures a static route to 192.168.2.0/24 with next-hop 10.0.0.1. The route does not appear in the routing table. What is the most likely cause?
easy
✓ A.The next-hop 10.0.0.1 is not reachable.
B.The static route has a higher preference than an existing dynamic route.
C.The configuration was not committed.
D.The prefix 192.168.2.0/24 already exists in the forwarding table.
Why A: The correct answer is B. A static route requires a reachable next-hop to be installed. If the next-hop is not reachable (e.g., no active route to 10.0.0.1), the route is hidden. Option A is incorrect because static routes have a low preference (5) and would override dynamic routes. Option C is incorrect because a commit would show an error if the configuration failed. Option D is incorrect because the route would be hidden, not in the forwarding table.
Variation 3. A network administrator configures the following: `set routing-options static route 0.0.0.0/0 next-hop 192.168.1.1`. After committing, the administrator notices that the default route is not active. What could be the reason?
medium
A.The route preference is set to 170.
B.The route is not exported into the forwarding table.
✓ C.The next-hop 192.168.1.1 is not reachable.
D.The router already has a default route learned via DHCP.
Why C: Option D is correct because the next-hop address may not be reachable. Option A is wrong because if a DHCP default route existed, the static route would be preferred due to lower preference. Option B is wrong since a higher preference number makes a route less preferred, but the route would still be active if it's the only route. Option C is wrong because static routes are automatically placed in the forwarding table if active.
Variation 4. A static route is configured with next-hop 10.0.0.1, but the route does not appear in the routing table. The interface ge-0/0/0 has IP 192.168.1.2/24 and is up. What is the most likely reason?
medium
A.The static route has a preference of 5.
B.The route is hidden due to an import policy.
C.The static route is configured with the 'discard' option.
✓ D.The next-hop IP is not on a directly connected subnet.
Why D: The next-hop 10.0.0.1 is not on a directly connected subnet (192.168.1.0/24). For a static route to be installed, the next-hop must be reachable via a directly connected interface unless the 'resolve' option is used. Option A is not a problem. Option C is unlikely. Option D would not prevent route installation if next-hop is reachable.
Last reviewed: Jun 24, 2026
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