200-301 Question 288
Single answerA network administrator is troubleshooting a routing issue within an OSPF-enabled network. After reviewing the routing table, they notice that one route is preferred over another despite both routes having the same administrative distance (AD). What could be the reason for this behavior?
- A
The route with the lower OSPF metric is preferred.
- B
The route with the higher bandwidth interface is preferred.
- C
The route with the higher OSPF metric is preferred.
- D
The route with the longer subnet mask is preferred.
Show answer and explanation
Correct answer: A
Explanation
OSPF determines the best path to a destination using its cost metric, which is calculated based on the bandwidth of the links along the path. If two routes have the same administrative distance, OSPF will prefer the route with the lower metric. This ensures that the most efficient path is selected for data transmission.
- A. Correct.
Correct. OSPF uses metrics based on path cost (derived from bandwidth) to determine the most optimal route. The route with the lower metric is preferred.
- B. Incorrect.
Incorrect. While bandwidth influences the OSPF metric calculation, OSPF does not directly compare the bandwidth of interfaces. It uses the overall metric value.
- C. Incorrect.
Incorrect. OSPF prefers routes with a lower metric, not a higher one.
- D. Incorrect.
Incorrect. OSPF does not inherently prefer routes based on subnet mask length; it relies on metrics and administrative distance for route selection.