Floating Static Route: Wrong Administrative Distance
A backup WAN path is carrying live traffic instead of standing by. Diagnose the administrative distance and fix it yourself, live, right below.
Symptom
A backup path is load-sharing with the primary because both static routes have the same distance. Make the backup float until it is needed.
Your mission
Prove the cause, then fix it
Format
Guided CLI investigation
Investigate before you configure.
Use the CLI evidence to isolate the fault, make the smallest safe correction, then verify the network state changed.
Observe the symptom and link state.
Diagnose by comparing the protocol evidence.
Verify the expected device state and confirm the original symptom is resolved.
Console access: R1
This workspace stacks for portrait phones. Rotate to landscape for the full split-screen console.
Need a hint?
Reveal the root cause when you're ready.
Try the investigation first, then use this as your escape hatch, not a dead end.
Lab debrief
Turn the session into a repeatable troubleshooting pattern.
Use this reference after your attempt: first explain the symptom, then verify the evidence, then confirm the repair.
The problem
R1 should use its fast transit link for 192.168.50.0/24 and retain a slower WAN path as backup. Instead, the routing table installs both next hops and traffic appears on both links.
What you'll practice
- Interpret route source, distance, metric and next hop
- Recognise equal-cost static routes in the routing table
- Explain how administrative distance makes a static route float
- Replace a static route without disturbing the primary path
- Verify that only the intended path is installed while healthy
The topology
R1 has two next hops toward the same destination network: a primary transit router at 10.0.12.2 and a backup WAN router at 203.0.113.1.
Commands to run yourself
The real diagnostic commands for this lab, copy-paste ready. Run these in the same order to reproduce the investigation on your own session.
show ip route staticshow ip route 192.168.50.0Topology diagram
Frequently asked
Why is the backup route installed before the primary fails?
Both routes use the default static administrative distance of 1, so IOS treats them as equal and installs both. The backup must have a higher distance than the primary.
Does the distance appear as a metric?
In the bracketed route value, the first number is administrative distance and the second is metric. Static routes normally display [1/0]; the corrected backup uses distance 200.
Ready to run this lab yourself?
No setup, no image sourcing. Book a session or ask for a live demo.