Which type of route is the gateway of last resort and is a specific type of static route configured to act as a path when there is no known destination?

• A. default routes
• B. static routes
• C. dynamic routes
• D. gateway routes

Answer: (A)

The idea being tested is how a router handles destinations it hasn’t learned a specific path for. The gateway of last resort is a special static route that serves as a catch-all exit from a network. It’s configured with a destination of all addresses (0.0.0.0/0 for IPv4, or ::/0 for IPv6) and a next-hop or exit interface. When the router’s routing table has no more specific match for a destination, it uses this default route to forward the packet toward a next hop that can reach unknown networks, such as the internet or an upstream router.

That’s why this is the best answer: it embodies the concept of a default route, a predefined path used only when there’s no known destination route available, and it’s a specific type of static route chosen to handle all remaining traffic. Other static routes can be exact matches for particular networks, dynamic routes are learned through routing protocols, and “gateway routes” isn’t a standard term in this context.