Question

Why is a default static route able to match all packets?

MCQ Options:
a. It has a higher administrative distance
b. It has a lower administrative distance
c. It has a higher metric
d. It has a lower metric

Answer 1

A default static route matches all packets because it is set with the lowest metric, serving as a catch-all path when no other specific routes are found in the routing table.

Step-by-step explanation:

The reason a default static route is able to match all packets is because it has a lower metric. In the context of IP routing, a metric is a value used by routing protocols to determine the best path to a destination network. The default static route, which is typically set with a destination of 0.0.0.0/0 (or ::/0 for IPv6), is considered a last resort and matches any IP address not matched by a more specific route. Since it is meant to be a catch-all, it is assigned the lowest possible metric, so that all more specific routes take precedence. Only when no other route is found in the routing table, the default route is used, enabling it to match all packets.