What is Floating Static Route? How it work?

Do you need a better way to manage traffic and network security? Floating static routes offer an effective solution for maintaining maximum control over the networking infrastructure. But with so many intricacies associated with this type of route, you may be hesitant to try it out.

Don't worry – in this blog post, we will explain everything there is to know about floating static routes, such as how they are implemented and managed, the benefits they provide, and all the other important information that can help make your transition from traditional routing methods more manageable.

Read on to learn more about how floating static routes can benefit your network!

What Is a Floating Static Route?

A floating static route is a type of static route used as a backup or failover option in a network. It is given a higher administrative distance than the dynamic routes typically used in the network, which means that the router will prefer to use the dynamic routes but will fall back to using the floating static route if the dynamic routes are unavailable.

Here's how they work:

1. The router receives a packet that needs to be forwarded to a destination network.
2. The router looks up the destination network in its routing table and checks the administrative distance of each route to determine which route to use.
3. If the router finds a dynamic route with a lower administrative distance, it will use that route to forward the packet.
4. If the router does not find a dynamic route, or if all of the dynamic routes are unavailable, it will fall back to using the floating static route.
   
   These routes are often used as a backup or failover option for critical network resources. For example, if a router is connected to multiple WAN links, a floating static route can be used to route traffic over a secondary WAN link if the primary link goes down.

Some Characteristics of Floating Static Routes

Here are some characteristics of floating static routes:

1. They are used as a backup or failover option in a network. They are typically configured as a secondary route to be used if the primary route becomes unavailable.
2. They are given a higher administrative distance than the dynamic routes that are typically used in a network. This means that the router will prefer to use the dynamic routes but will fall back to the floating static route if the dynamic routes are unavailable.
3. They are typically configured with a next hop and an administrative distance, but they do not have a metric like dynamic routes do.
4. They are often used to route traffic over a secondary network link if the primary link goes down or becomes unavailable.
5. They are configured manually rather than being learned dynamically, like dynamic routes.
6. They are typically used in enterprise networks to provide a backup or failover option for critical network resources.
7. They can be made persistent by using the "permanent" keyword when configuring the route. This means that the route will not be removed when the device is restarted.

How to Configure Floating Static Route on Cisco Devices?

To configure a floating static route on Cisco devices, you must specify the destination network, the next hop, and the administrative distance. The administrative distance should be set to a higher value than the dynamic routing protocol being used in the network, such as OSPF or BGP.

To configure a floating static route on a Cisco device, you must use the "ip route" command in global configuration mode. Here's the syntax for the command:

ip route destination-network next-hop-address [administrative-distance] [permanent]

Here's an example of how you might use the command to configure a floating static route:

ip route 10.0.0.0 255.0.0.0 192.168.1.1 200

This example will create a floating static route for the 10.0.0.0/8 network, with a next hop of 192.168.1.1 and an administrative distance of 200.

You can also specify the "permanent" keyword to make the route persistent, meaning it will not be removed when the device is restarted.

To apply the changes and activate the floating static route, you will need to save the configuration and then use the "clear ip route *" command to clear the routing table and force the router to recalculate the routes.

Here's an example of the entire process:

1. Enter global configuration mode by typing "configure terminal" and pressing Enter.
2. Type "ip route 10.0.0.0 255.0.0.0 192.168.1.1 200" and press Enter to configure the floating static route.
3. Type "end" and press Enter to exit global configuration mode.
4. Type "copy running-config startup-config" and press Enter to save the configuration.
5. Type "clear ip route *" and press Enter to clear the routing table and force the router to recalculate the routes.

After completing these steps, the floating static route should be configured and active on the Cisco device. You can verify the configuration by using the "show ip route" command to display the routing table.

Static routes are an essential part of every network administrator's toolbox. And while they may seem daunting at first, floating static routes are actually quite easy to understand and configure. By following the tips in this article, you should be able to set up a floating static route on your network with ease.