LPIC-1 Essential System Services and Networking Practice Question
Exhibit
default via 192.168.1.1 dev eth0
Refer to the exhibit. A system administrator runs 'ip route show default' and gets this output. What does it indicate?
⚠ Common exam trap
Many exam-takers confuse the default gateway with other network parameters like DNS server or the system's own IP address, leading candidates to incorrectly associate the gateway IP with those unrelated services.
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 default route points to gateway 192.168.1.1 on interface eth0.
The command 'ip route show default' displays the default route entry in the kernel routing table. The output shows that the default route (destination 0.0.0.0/0) is via gateway 192.168.1.1 and uses interface eth0, meaning all traffic not matching a more specific route is sent to that gateway on that interface.
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 DNS server is 192.168.1.1.
Why it's wrong here
The routing table lists destinations and gateways only; DNS resolver addresses come from /etc/resolv.conf or systemd-resolved, not 'ip route'. It tempts because 192.168.1.1 is a typical home-router address that frequently doubles as the DNS server, but the command shown never reports DNS.
- ✓
The default route points to gateway 192.168.1.1 on interface eth0.
Why this is correct
The default route entry specifies a gateway address of 192.168.1.1 reachable via the eth0 device. Any traffic lacking a more specific matching route is forwarded to that gateway, confirming eth0 as the egress interface for off-subnet destinations.
- ✗
The system has no internet access.
Why it's wrong here
A populated default route via a gateway indicates a configured path off-subnet, so the output does not demonstrate absent internet access; that would require failed reachability tests. It tempts because a missing default route genuinely does break off-subnet connectivity, which is the condition this output contradicts.
- ✗
The IP address of the system is 192.168.1.1.
Why it's wrong here
The default route entry names a gateway address, not the host's own address; a host's IP is shown by 'ip addr', not the routing table. It tempts because 192.168.1.1 commonly appears in home networks as the local machine's address, yet here it is the next hop.
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Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
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