What is the default administrative distance for OSPF?

The default administrative distance for OSPF (Open Shortest Path First) is 110. Administrative distance is a value used by routers to determine the trustworthiness of a routing source; lower values are preferred over higher values. OSPF is a widely used interior gateway protocol (IGP) designed for scalability and efficiency within large enterprise networks.

In the context of routing protocols, OSPF's administrative distance of 110 indicates that it is regarded as a reliable and commonly used protocol, positioned higher than protocols like RIP, which has a distance of 120, but lower than others such as EIGRP, which has a distance of 90 for internal routes. This configuration helps network devices prioritize routes learned from OSPF over those learned from less preferred protocols. Understanding this concept is crucial for effective network management and troubleshooting, especially when multiple routing protocols are in use.