A stormwater bureau sees an intra-area OSPF path and an external path to the same prefix; the external appears “shorter” by raw bandwidth. Which path preference should expert operators expect OSPF to apply first?
Select an answer to reveal the explanation.
Short Explanation
OSPF ranks the kind of path before it argues about bandwidth stickers—intra-area beats inter-area beats externals in the usual preference order. A flashy external doesn’t dethrone a solid intra-area route just because a link looks faster. Know the path-type ladder.
Full Explanation
OSPF path selection prefers intra-area routes over inter-area, and those over external paths, rather than naively comparing unlike path types by interface bandwidth alone. External E2 routes are not automatically best, and BGP AD is a RIB-source concern outside comparing entries inside OSPF’s own preference rules. Expert EI troubleshooting starts with path type, then cost nuances within a type.