When OSPF learns multiple paths to a destination, how does it choose the best route?
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Correct answer: It divides a reference bandwidth of 100 Mbps by the outgoing interface bandwidth to compute the route cost..
Why this is the answer
OSPF uses cost as its metric to determine the best path. The cost is calculated by dividing a reference bandwidth (default 100 Mbps) by the actual bandwidth of the outgoing interface. The path with the lowest cumulative cost is preferred. For example, a FastEthernet (100 Mbps) link has a cost of 1 (100/100), while a GigabitEthernet (1000 Mbps) link has a cost of 1 (100/1000, rounded up to 1). This ensures faster links are preferred. OSPF does not use hop count directly, nor does it sum interface metrics on the source router in the way described. K values are associated with EIGRP, not OSPF.
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