When two routes to the same destination have the same administrative distance from different sources, how is the final route typically chosen?

When two routes to the same destination have the same administrative distance from different sources, how is the final route typically chosen?

• A. The route with the more recently learned update
• B. The route with the higher metric value
• C. Tie-breakers such as path cost, origin, route age
• D. The route with the lower BGP local preference

Answer: (C)

When two routes to the same destination share the same administrative distance, the router uses tie-breakers to pick the best path. The first check is the path cost (the route metric): the route with the lower metric is preferred. If the path costs are equal, the router then considers the origin of the route, preferring routes learned from internal sources over external ones. If both routes still tie, the router looks at the route age, choosing the older route since it has been known longer and is usually more stable. This sequence of checks—path cost, origin, then age—explains why the chosen route is the one described by tie-breakers.

When two routes to the same destination share the same administrative distance, the router uses tie-breakers to pick the best path. The first check is the path cost (the route metric): the route with the lower metric is preferred. If the path costs are equal, the router then considers the origin of the route, preferring routes learned from internal sources over external ones. If both routes still tie, the router looks at the route age, choosing the older route since it has been known longer and is usually more stable. This sequence of checks—path cost, origin, then age—explains why the chosen route is the one described by tie-breakers.