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Cisco administrative distance

Used to pick between two routes with the same prefixes.

Think of it like protocol preference.

Prefix

  • The network and masking bits for a route

Same subnet length

10.0.0.0/24 via 192.168.0.1 - OSPF
10.0.0.0/24 via 192.168.0.2 - EIGRP

EIGRP wins because \( 90 < 110 \).

Most specific prefix

Which route is selected for the destination 10.0.0.1?

10.0.0.0/25 via 192.168.0.1 - OSPF
10.0.0.0/24 via 192.168.0.2 - EIGRP

OSPF wins because /25 is a more specific path.

Table

ProtocolAdministrative Distance
Connected0
Static1
EIGRP Summary5
eBGP20
EIGRP Internal90
OSPF110
IS-IS115
RIP120
ODR160
EIGRP External170
iBGP200
Unknown/Infinite255

References

Describe Administrative Distance - Cisco

Troubleshooting TechNotes - What is Administrative Distance? - Cisco

Last Modified • Wednesday, July 1, 2026. 11:51 pm UTC+00:00 • Commit: 37da309