| 7.2 |  | RIP |
| 7.2.10 |  | Integrating static routes with RIP |

| Static routes are user-defined routes that force packets moving between a source and a destination to take a specific path. Static routes become very important if the Cisco IOS software does not learn a route to a particular destination. They are also useful for specifying a “gateway of last resort”, commonly referred to as a default route. If a packet is destined for a subnet that is not explicitly listed in the routing table, the packet is forwarded to the default route. A router running RIP can receive a default route via an update from another router running RIP. Another option is for the router to generate the default route itself. The static routes can be removed using the no ip route global configuration command. The administrator can override a static route with dynamic routing information by adjusting the administrative distance values. Each dynamic routing protocol has a default administrative distance (AD). A static route can be defined as less desirable than a dynamically learned route, as long as the AD of the static route is higher than that of the dynamic route. Static routes that point out an interface will be advertised via the RIP router that owns the static route, and propagated throughout the internetwork. This is because static routes that point to an interface are considered in the routing table to be connected and thus lose their static nature in the update. If a static route is assigned to an interface that is not defined in the RIP process, via a network command, RIP will not advertise the route unless a redistribute static command is specified in the RIP process. When an interface goes down, all static routes pointing out that interface are removed from the IP routing table. Likewise, when the software can no longer find a valid next hop for the address specified in the static route, then the static route is removed from the IP routing table. In Figure a static route has been configured on the GAD router to take the place of the RIP route in the event that the RIP routing process fails. This is referred to as a floating static route. The floating static route was configured by defining an AD on the static route (130) greater than the default AD of RIP (120). The BHM router would also need to be configured with a default route. To configure a static route, use the Figure command in global configuration mode.
| Lab Activity e-Lab Activity: Integrating Static Routes with RIP In this lab, the students will enable RIP to propagate static routes.