CompTIA Network+ Practice Test

What determines the specificity of a route in routing?

1. The route ID alone

2. The combination of subnet ID and prefix length

3. The name of the routing protocol

4. The administrative distance

The correct answer is: The combination of subnet ID and prefix length

The specificity of a route is determined by the combination of the subnet ID and the prefix length. In networking, the prefix length indicates how many bits of the address define the network portion, while the subnet ID refers to the actual address representing that specific network. A more specific route has a longer prefix length because it identifies a smaller subnet within a larger address space. For example, a route defined with a subnet ID of 192.168.1.0/24 is more specific than one defined as 192.168.0.0/16, because the former specifies a smaller address range, allowing for more precision in directing traffic. The other options do not determine route specificity in the same meaningful way. The route ID alone does not provide sufficient detail since it describes a route without regard to how narrowly it targets a specific network range. Similarly, the name of the routing protocol pertains to how routing information is exchanged but does not contribute to the specificity of individual routes. Administrative distance indicates the trustworthiness of a route but doesn't influence its specificity within the routing table. Therefore, the combination of subnet ID and prefix length is the correct aspect that determines how specific a route is.