What is static routing and what are its characteristics?

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Accepted Answer

Static routing means routes are configured by hand and must be manually updated when the topology changes — best for small, non-redundant networks and for default routes.
Static Routing:
Routes manually configured by the network administrator.
Static Route Characteristics:

Characteristic
Description

Manual configuration
Must be entered by administrator

Manual updates
Must be adjusted when topology changes

Best for
Small, non-redundant networks

Common use
Configuring default routes alongside dynamic routing

Static route command syntax:
Router(config)# ip route [network] [mask] [next-hop-IP]

Example:
R1(config)# ip route 10.1.1.0 255.255.255.0 209.165.200.226

This tells R1: "To reach the 10.1.1.0/24 network, forward packets to 209.165.200.226"
Limitation: If a path fails, the static route does NOT automatically adjust. A new static route via an alternate path must be manually configured.
Go deeper:

Wikipedia — Static routing — configuration, advantages, and the no-failover limitation.

Characteristic	Description
Manual configuration	Must be entered by administrator
Manual updates	Must be adjusted when topology changes
Best for	Small, non-redundant networks
Common use	Configuring default routes alongside dynamic routing