Quiz Entry - updated: 2026.07.14
What are the three types of routes in a router's routing table?
Directly connected (added automatically for active, addressed interfaces), remote (learned statically or dynamically), and the default route (used when nothing else matches).
* Directly connected routes are automatic; remote routes are learned statically or dynamically; the default route catches everything else. *
Three types of routes in a routing table:
| Route Type | Description | How Added |
|---|---|---|
| Directly Connected | Networks attached to the router's interfaces | Automatically added when interface is active with addressing |
| Remote | Networks NOT directly attached to the router | Learned manually (static) or dynamically (routing protocol) |
| Default Route | Used when NO other route matches | Forwards all unmatched traffic to a specific direction |
Remote routes can be learned:
- Statically - Administrator manually configures the route
- Dynamically - Routing protocols (OSPF, EIGRP, etc.) share information between routers
Default route:
- Often called the "gateway of last resort"
- Represented as 0.0.0.0/0 in IPv4
- Used when the destination doesn't match any specific route
Go deeper:
Wikipedia — Routing table — directly connected, static, dynamic, and default route entries.