Static Routing is a manual method of defining routes in a router’s routing table. Unlike dynamic routing protocols, static routes don’t change unless manually updated by the network administrator.
Key Features of Static Routing
✅ Manually Configured → Requires manual input of destination network, subnet mask, and next-hop IP.
✅ Fixed Paths → Ideal for simple or small networks with predictable routes.
✅ Fast and Efficient → Less overhead compared to dynamic routing.
✅ No Automatic Failover → Requires additional configuration for redundancy.
Administrative Distance (AD)
The Administrative Distance (AD) is a value that ranks the trustworthiness of different routing sources. Lower AD values are preferred.
| Route Type | AD Value |
|---|---|
| Connected Route | 0 |
| Static Route | 1 |
| EIGRP (Internal) | 90 |
| OSPF | 110 |
| RIP | 120 |
| Unknown Route | 255 (Unreachable) |
Example: If a router has both a static route (AD=1) and an OSPF route (AD=110) for the same destination, the static route is chosen because of its lower AD.
Floating Static Route
A Floating Static Route is a backup route with a higher AD value than the primary route. It remains inactive unless the primary route fails.
- Example:
- Primary Route: Static Route with AD = 1
- Backup Route: Floating Static Route with AD = 200
If the primary route fails, the router activates the floating static route as a fallback.
Static Route Configuration (Cisco Router Example)
Command Syntax:
Router(config)# ip route <destination_network> <subnet_mask> <next_hop_ip> [administrative_distance]
Example 1: Basic Static Route
Scenario: Route traffic to network 192.168.2.0/24 via next-hop 10.0.0.2.
Router(config)# ip route 192.168.2.0 255.255.255.0 10.0.0.2
Example 2: Floating Static Route
Scenario: Primary route uses 10.0.0.2 (AD = 1).
Backup route (floating static) uses 10.0.0.3 (AD = 200).
Router(config)# ip route 192.168.2.0 255.255.255.0 10.0.0.2
Router(config)# ip route 192.168.2.0 255.255.255.0 10.0.0.3 200
➡️ The router will prioritize the route through 10.0.0.2 unless it fails, in which case it switches to 10.0.0.3.
Example 3: Static Route to Exit Interface
Instead of specifying a next-hop IP, you can specify the exit interface:
Router(config)# ip route 192.168.3.0 255.255.255.0 Serial0/0
Verifying Routes
To check routing configurations and active routes:
✅ show ip route — Displays the routing table.
✅ show running-config — Displays configured static routes.
Best Practices for Static Routing
✔️ Use static routes for small networks or stable paths.
✔️ Combine static routes with dynamic protocols for optimal performance.
✔️ Implement floating static routes for backup paths.
✔️ Regularly review and update routes to avoid stale paths.
The Lazy Networker 
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