Chapter 3 of 6 · Cisco CCNA 200-301
IP Connectivity
The routing table, forwarding decisions, static routing, single-area OSPF and gateway redundancy.
- 5topics
- 30 minfast track
- 5diagrams and exhibits
- 25%of the exam
Topics in this chapter
Take them in order, or jump to the one you need.
- 1Components of the Routing TableLearn to read a Cisco routing table entry: route code, prefix, mask, next hop, administrative distance, metric and the gateway of…6 min
- 2How a Router Makes a Forwarding DecisionLearn the order a router uses to pick a route: longest prefix match first, then administrative distance, then metric, and how…6 min
- 3IPv4 and IPv6 Static RoutingConfigure and verify IPv4 and IPv6 static routes, including network routes, host routes, default routes and floating static…Diagram6 min
- 4Single-Area OSPFv2Learn how single-area OSPFv2 forms neighbour adjacencies, elects a DR and BDR, chooses a router ID, and how to configure and…Diagram6 min
- 5First Hop Redundancy ProtocolsLearn why first hop redundancy protocols exist and how HSRP, VRRP and GLBP share a virtual gateway address so hosts keep working…Diagram6 min
About this chapter
What this chapter covers
IP Connectivity is about how routers move packets between networks.
It explains how a router stores what it knows, how it picks a path, how you can tell it the paths by hand, how it can learn them automatically, and how hosts keep a working gateway when a router fails.
The chapter follows domain 3.0 of the Cisco CCNA 200-301 version 1.1 exam topics. It has five published objectives, and each gets its own page.
Weight in the exam
Domain 3.0 carries about 25 percent of the published exam objectives.
That makes it the largest single domain, so it is worth giving the most study time. The objectives are fewer than in some other domains, but each one goes deep, and the ideas build on each other.
The ideas here chain together. Read a table, pick a route, then explain why that route won.
How the topics fit together
The pages build on each other, so read them in order.
The pages in short:
- The routing table teaches you to read a route: its code, prefix, next hop, administrative distance and metric. Everything else refers back to those parts.
- The forwarding decision explains how a router chooses between several matching routes. The order is longest prefix match, then administrative distance, then metric.
- Static routing means you enter routes by hand, including default routes and floating backup routes, for both IPv4 and IPv6.
- Single-area OSPFv2 lets routers discover each other and learn routes dynamically. It covers neighbours, router IDs and the election of a designated router.
- First hop redundancy deals with a different risk: a host depends on one default gateway. FHRPs let two routers share a virtual gateway so that a single failure does not cut the hosts off.
How to use these pages
Each topic page has the same shape, so you can skim for what you need.
- What it is: the topic in plain words.
- How it works: the mechanism, with diagrams and example commands.
- What to remember for the exam: the facts to memorise.
- Common mistakes: the classic traps.
- Check yourself: three prompts to test your understanding.
Routing is best learned by doing, so build small labs in a simulator and run the show commands described on each page.
Ready for more practice?
The full Cisco CCNA 200-301 question bank has 1,206 questions, with timed practice exams and an explanation for every answer.
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