100-150 Question 175
Single answerA small business network uses a router to connect its internal LAN to the internet. The network administrator notices that devices on the LAN cannot reach certain external websites. Upon investigation, the administrator finds that the default route is missing from the router's configuration. What action should the administrator take to resolve the issue?
- A
Add a static route pointing to the destination websites' IP addresses.
- B
Enable dynamic routing protocols like OSPF on the router.
- C
Configure a default route pointing to the ISP's gateway.
- D
Replace the router with a more advanced one that supports automatic routing.
Show answer and explanation
Correct answer: C
Explanation
A default route is used to forward packets destined for unknown or external networks, such as the internet. When the default route is missing, the router has no instructions on where to send traffic it cannot match to a specific route in its routing table. Configuring a default route pointing to the ISP's gateway resolves this issue by directing all unmatched traffic to the ISP for further handling.
- A. Incorrect.
Adding a static route for each destination website is inefficient and impractical because websites can have multiple or dynamic IP addresses.
- B. Incorrect.
Enabling dynamic routing protocols like OSPF is unnecessary in this scenario since the issue pertains to a default route for internet traffic, not internal or inter-network routing.
- C. Correct.
Configuring a default route pointing to the ISP's gateway will ensure that all traffic destined for unknown networks (like external websites) is forwarded correctly through the ISP's network.
- D. Incorrect.
Replacing the router is not a solution to the missing default route problem because the issue is with configuration, not hardware capability.