Ben Paxton

Static routing is an essential aspect of network configuration, allowing administrators to manually define specific routes for data packets to traverse between networks. Unlike dynamic routing, where routers exchange routing information, static routes are manually configured and do not change automatically. In this blog post, we will explore how to configure and verify IPv4 and IPv6 static routing, focusing on default routes, network routes, host routes, and floating static routes.

Default Route:

A default route, also known as the gateway of last resort, is a static route used by routers to send packets to destinations outside their local networks. It serves as the “catch-all” route, forwarding packets to a default gateway when no specific route exists for a particular destination. The default route is typically configured on the edge router and points to the next-hop IP address of the ISP’s gateway.

IPv4 Default Route Configuration:

ip route 0.0.0.0 0.0.0.0 next-hop-ip

IPv6 Default Route Configuration:

ipv6 route ::/0 next-hop-ipv6

Network Route:

A network route is a static route that specifies the path to an entire network. It allows routers to forward packets to multiple hosts within that network based on the destination IP address. Network routes are useful when multiple hosts share the same destination network.

IPv4 Network Route Configuration:

ip route network-prefix subnet-mask next-hop-ip

IPv6 Network Route Configuration:

ipv6 route network-prefix/prefix-length next-hop-ipv6

Example:

Let’s say we have two routers, R1 and R2, connected via interface GigabitEthernet0/0. R1’s interface IP address is 192.168.1.1, and R2’s interface IP address is 192.168.1.2. We want to create a network route for the 10.0.0.0/24 network on R1.

IPv4 Network Route Configuration on R1:

ip route 10.0.0.0 255.255.255.0 192.168.1.2

Host Route:

A host route is a static route that specifies the path to a single host. It allows routers to forward packets to a specific destination host within a network based on its IP address.

IPv4 Host Route Configuration:

ip route destination-ip subnet-mask next-hop-ip

IPv6 Host Route Configuration:

ipv6 route destination-ipv6/prefix-length next-hop-ipv6

Example:

Let’s say we want to create a host route for the host with IP address 192.168.2.50 on R2.

IPv4 Host Route Configuration on R2:

ip route 192.168.2.50 255.255.255.255 GigabitEthernet0/0

Floating Static Route:

A floating static route is a backup route with a higher administrative distance than the primary route. It comes into effect only when the primary route fails. Floating static routes provide redundancy and are used as a backup in case of link failures.

IPv4 Floating Static Route Configuration:

ip route destination-ip subnet-mask next-hop-ip administrative-distance

IPv6 Floating Static Route Configuration:

ipv6 route destination-ipv6/prefix-length next-hop-ipv6 administrative-distance

Example:

Let’s say we have a primary route to the network 192.168.3.0/24 with a next-hop IP address of 192.168.1.3. We want to configure a floating static route to the same network with a higher administrative distance of 200.

IPv4 Floating Static Route Configuration on R1:

ip route 192.168.3.0 255.255.255.0 192.168.1.3 200

IPv4 and IPv6 static routing are fundamental concepts in network configuration. They allow network administrators to control the flow of traffic and provide redundancy in case of link failures. By understanding how to configure and verify default routes, network routes, host routes, and floating static routes, network administrators can design efficient and reliable networks that meet the specific needs of their organizations.