Administrative Distance Modification Use Cases

Administrative Distance (AD) values should typically remain at their default settings as they are optimized for most network scenarios. However, there are specific cases where modifying AD values becomes necessary:

  1. Route redistribution: When redistributing routes between different routing protocols, AD modification can help control route preference and path selection.

  2. Backup Routes: Creating backup paths using floating static routes requires AD manipulation to ensure the backup route has a higher (less preferred) AD value than the primary route.

  3. Routing Protocol Preference: In networks running multiple routing protocols, AD modification allows for custom prioritization of routes learned from different protocols.

These modifications should only be implemented in specialized scenarios and complex network deployments where the default AD values don't meet specific routing requirements.

https://networklessons.com/ip-routing/how-to-configure-administrative-distance