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Question 381. What does administrative distance compare?

1. VLAN priorities
2. Interface speeds
3. Routes from different protocols
4. WLAN channels

Correct Answer: 3. Routes from different protocols

Explanation:

Administrative distance helps a router choose between routes to the same destination when those routes come from different routing sources. For example, the switch may learn the same prefix through OSPF and another routing mechanism. The route source with the more preferred administrative distance can be selected for forwarding. Administrative distance is different from an OSPF metric, which compares paths learned within OSPF itself. HPE documents administrative distance as a route-selection criterion when multiple protocols offer the same route.

Question 382. Which administrative distance is preferred?

1. Lower value
2. Higher value
3. Longest number
4. Random value

Correct Answer: 1. Lower value

Explanation:

When routes to the same destination are learned from different routing sources, a lower administrative distance is considered more trustworthy and is normally preferred. Administrative distance should not be confused with longest-prefix matching. Prefix length determines which route best matches a destination address, while administrative distance helps distinguish competing routes to the same prefix from different protocols. Administrators can sometimes modify administrative distance to influence route selection, but such changes should be planned carefully to avoid unexpected forwarding behavior.

Question 383. What is the default OSPF administrative distance?

1. 1
2. 90
3. 120
4. 110

Correct Answer: 4. 110

Explanation:

HPE documents a default OSPF administrative distance of 110 on AOS-CX. This value is used when OSPF routes compete with routes learned through other routing sources. Administrators can modify the value with the OSPF distance command when a particular network design requires different route preference. Changing administrative distance does not alter the internal OSPF cost of a path; it changes how OSPF routes compare with routes from other protocols.

Question 384. How is a static route created?

1. Learned by DHCP
2. Configured manually
3. Learned by LLDP
4. Learned by STP

Correct Answer: 2. Configured manually

Explanation:

A static route is entered manually by an administrator rather than learned through a dynamic routing protocol. It specifies a destination network and a next hop, outgoing interface, reject action, or null route depending on the configuration. Static routes are useful in simple or predictable networks because they are easy to understand and impose little routing-protocol overhead. However, they require manual maintenance when network topology changes. HPE documents static routing as a manually configured routing method suitable for straightforward topologies.

Question 385. What is a static-route limitation?

1. It does not automatically adapt to topology changes
2. It cannot route IPv4
3. It requires WLAN
4. It cannot use next hops

Correct Answer: 1. It does not automatically adapt to topology changes

Explanation:

Static routes do not exchange topology information with neighboring routers. If a remote link or next-hop path changes, the switch cannot automatically discover a new path in the same way a dynamic routing protocol can. HPE specifically identifies this as a disadvantage of static routing: when the topology changes, an administrator may need to modify the route manually. Static routes are therefore most appropriate where paths are simple, stable, or intentionally controlled.

Question 386. What is the IPv4 default route?

1. 127.0.0.0/8
2. 224.0.0.0/4
3. 169.254.0.0/16
4. 0.0.0.0/0

Correct Answer: 4. 0.0.0.0/0

Explanation:

The IPv4 default route is 0.0.0.0/0. It matches any IPv4 destination that does not have a more-specific route in the routing table. Branch or edge switches often use a default route when most unknown destinations should be sent toward one upstream router. The routing process still follows longest-prefix matching, so a more-specific destination route is chosen before the default route. AOS-CX supports configuring default routes using the normal static-route command syntax.

Question 387. Which route wins longest-prefix matching?

1. Shortest prefix
2. Most specific prefix
3. Oldest route
4. Highest VLAN

Correct Answer: 2. Most specific prefix

Explanation:

IP forwarding uses longest-prefix matching to select the route that most specifically matches the destination address. For example, a /24 route is preferred over a /16 route for an address that matches both because /24 contains more matching network bits. Administrative distance becomes relevant when competing routes describe the same prefix and come from different routing sources. Longest-prefix matching therefore answers “which destination prefix matches best,” while administrative distance helps resolve another stage of route selection.

Question 388. What creates a connected route?

1. DNS resolution
2. LLDP discovery
3. An active Layer 3 interface
4. PoE negotiation

Correct Answer: 3. An active Layer 3 interface

Explanation:

A connected route represents a network directly attached to a Layer 3 interface on the switch. When a routed physical interface or SVI is operational and has an IP network configured, the corresponding directly connected prefix can appear in the routing table. Connected routes therefore do not need a remote routing protocol to be learned. AOS-CX route displays distinguish connected routes from local, static, OSPF, and other route types, which helps administrators identify how each destination was learned.

Question 389. What does a local route represent?

1. A remote OSPF network
2. A static default route
3. A multicast group
4. The switch’s own interface address

Correct Answer: 4. The switch’s own interface address

Explanation:

A local route represents an IP address assigned directly to the switch itself, typically as a host route. HPE route-table examples show a connected network prefix and a separate local /128 IPv6 route for the interface’s own address. The same general concept applies to IPv4 routing tables. Connected routes represent directly attached networks, while local routes identify addresses owned by the local device. Distinguishing the two is helpful when interpreting route tables during troubleshooting.

Question 390. What does a null route do?

1. Silently discards matching traffic
2. Sends an ICMP error
3. Forwards to DHCP
4. Floods the VLAN

Correct Answer: 1. Silently discards matching traffic

Explanation:

AOS-CX supports a static nullroute destination. Packets matching that route are silently discarded, and no ICMP error notification is returned to the sender. Null routes can be useful for intentionally blackholing unwanted traffic or supporting routing designs where a summary prefix must exist without forwarding unmatched traffic farther into the network. HPE distinguishes null routes from reject routes, which also discard traffic but return an ICMP error to the sender.

Question 391. What does a reject route do?

1. Forwards to the default gateway
2. Silently drops traffic
3. Drops traffic and sends ICMP error
4. Converts traffic to multicast

Correct Answer: 3. Drops traffic and sends ICMP error

Explanation:

A static reject route discards packets that match its destination prefix but, unlike a null route, sends an ICMP error notification back to the source. This can make the failure explicit to the sender rather than silently dropping the packet. HPE supports both reject and nullroute actions in AOS-CX static-route configuration. Understanding the difference is useful when deciding whether unwanted destinations should fail silently or provide immediate unreachable feedback.

Question 392. What does Proxy ARP do?

1. Creates VLAN tags
2. Answers ARP for another network
3. Creates OSPF neighbors
4. Assigns IP addresses

Correct Answer: 2. Answers ARP for another network

Explanation:

Proxy ARP allows a routing switch to answer an ARP request on behalf of another device located on a different network. The switch responds with its own MAC address, causing the requesting host to send traffic to the switch, which then routes the packets toward the actual destination. HPE supports Proxy ARP on Layer 3 physical interfaces and VLAN interfaces. It can be useful in specific legacy or transitional designs, but normal routed networks usually rely on correctly configured gateways and subnet masks instead.

Question 393. What does Local Proxy ARP support?

1. Same-subnet hosts separated at Layer 2
2. OSPF route redistribution
3. PoE endpoints
4. WLAN roaming

Correct Answer: 1. Same-subnet hosts separated at Layer 2

Explanation:

Local Proxy ARP allows a Layer 3 gateway to answer ARP requests for hosts that belong to the same IP subnet but are prevented from communicating directly at Layer 2. HPE specifically identifies private-VLAN-style isolation as a use case. The gateway answers ARP on behalf of the destination and then routes or forwards traffic appropriately between the isolated endpoints. This is different from ordinary Proxy ARP, which commonly operates on behalf of a destination located on another network.

Question 394. Is Proxy ARP enabled by default?

1. Yes
2. Only on trunks
3. No
4. Only with OSPF

Correct Answer: 3. No

Explanation:

HPE documents Proxy ARP as disabled by default on supported AOS-CX Layer 3 physical and VLAN interfaces. Routing must be enabled on the interface before Proxy ARP can be configured. This secure and predictable default prevents the switch from automatically answering ARP requests on behalf of remote hosts unless the administrator intentionally enables the behavior. Local Proxy ARP is also disabled by default and must be configured where its same-subnet isolation use case is required.

Question 395. What does an ICMP Redirect tell a host?

1. Change its MAC address
2. Join a new VLAN
3. Renew DHCP
4. Use a better next hop

Correct Answer: 4. Use a better next hop

Explanation:

An ICMP Redirect informs a source host that a more appropriate next-hop router exists for a destination. The host may have sent traffic to one router even though another router on the same network provides a more direct path. The router can send an ICMP redirect message so subsequent traffic uses the better next hop. AOS-CX supports ICMPv4 and ICMPv6 redirects, although some network designs disable them for security or architectural reasons.

Question 396. Are ICMP Redirects enabled by default?

1. Never
2. Yes
3. Only with VRRP
4. Only for IPv6

Correct Answer: 2. Yes

Explanation:

HPE documents ICMP redirect transmission as enabled by default on the supported AOS-CX platforms referenced in its command documentation. The no ip icmp redirect command disables both ICMPv4 and ICMPv6 redirect messages. Administrators may disable redirects in designs where hosts should rely only on their configured gateway and routing architecture. HPE also notes an interaction with VSX active forwarding, where ICMP redirect and active forwarding are mutually exclusive.

Question 397. What does vrf <name> on a static route do?

1. Changes VLAN ID
2. Changes MTU
3. Starts OSPF
4. Installs route in that VRF

Correct Answer: 4. Installs route in that VRF

Explanation:

Adding a VRF name to an AOS-CX static-route command installs the route in the specified routing instance rather than the default VRF. Each VRF has an independent routing table, so specifying the correct VRF is critical. HPE’s route syntax supports next-hop IP addresses, interfaces, reject routes, and null routes within a selected VRF. If the administrator checks the wrong routing table during troubleshooting, a valid route may appear to be missing.

Question 398. Where is a static route placed without a VRF?

1. Management VRF
2. Default VRF
3. All VRFs
4. No VRF

Correct Answer: 2. Default VRF

Explanation:

When no VRF name is specified, AOS-CX installs the IPv4 static route in the default VRF. HPE explicitly documents this behavior in the static-route command reference. A route does not automatically appear in every custom routing instance. This matters when a switch separates management, users, or tenants with multiple VRFs. Administrators should verify the routing context when a configured route does not appear where expected.

Question 399. Which command changes OSPF administrative distance?

1. distance
2. mtu
3. speed
4. vlan

Correct Answer: 1. distance

Explanation:

Within the OSPF router configuration context, the distance command changes the administrative distance assigned to OSPF routes. HPE documents a default OSPF administrative distance of 110 and gives an example of changing it to 100. Some platforms also allow separate values for intra-area, inter-area, and external OSPF routes. Changing administrative distance influences how OSPF competes with other routing sources; it does not change the interface’s OSPF cost or physical characteristics.

Question 400. Which design BEST fits a simple branch?

1. No routing table
2. Proxy ARP for everything
3. Specific routes plus a default route
4. One VLAN with no gateway

Correct Answer: 3. Specific routes plus a default route

Explanation:

A simple branch with predictable connectivity can often use a small number of static routes together with a default route toward its upstream network. More-specific routes handle known destinations, while the default route catches everything else according to longest-prefix matching. Static routing is easy to understand and appropriate where topology changes are infrequent, although administrators must update routes manually if paths change. This aligns with the routing knowledge included in the current HPE6-A85 exam objectives, which cover basic routing topologies and deployment.