What is a Static Route?

A static route is a manually configured path to a destination network, specifying a fixed next hop rather than one learned by a routing protocol. On Versa Operating System (VOS) devices, a static route can carry a metric, a preference, a liveness monitor – ICMP, DNS, TCP, or BFD – and a discard, reject, or no-install data-plane action.

Key takeaways

• A static route uses a fixed, manually configured next hop, not a protocol.
• VOS devices can monitor a route’s liveness with ICMP, DNS, TCP, or BFD.
• Discard, reject, and no-install control how the data plane handles it.
• Static routes default to preference 1 – more trusted than any dynamic protocol.
• Floating static routes withdraw automatically when their monitor fails.

On this page: Why it matters · How it works · Types · Static Routes & Versa · FAQ

Why are static routes important?

Not every path needs a dynamic protocol computing it. A static route gives an administrator a deterministic path without the overhead of protocol convergence or adjacency maintenance – useful for stub networks, default gateways, and destinations whose path never changes. Because it’s explicit, it doubles as its own documentation of intent.

Static routes also provide reachability for infrastructure dynamic protocols don’t reach on their own, such as an HA-synchronization loopback or a TACACS+ server, and can enforce security intent by discarding or rejecting traffic rather than omitting a route. Paired with a liveness monitor, a static route becomes part of failover, disappearing the moment its target stops responding.

What is a static route?

Configuring a static route means specifying a destination network and an action: forward through a next-hop interface or IP address, or apply a discard, reject, or no-install verdict. Discard silently drops matching traffic; reject drops it and sends an ICMP unreachable message; no-install keeps the route in the control plane only, so a less specific or default route still forwards it. A metric ranks multiple static paths to the same destination; a preference (administrative distance) ranks the route against other protocols. VOS devices default static routes to preference 1, trusted above every dynamic protocol except connected interfaces.

The route can also be conditional: attaching an ICMP probe, a DNS or TCP monitor, or a BFD session to the next hop withdraws it the instant the target is reported down, and reinstates it once it recovers.

Types of static routes

VOS devices support several forms of static route, distinguished by traffic type and behavior rather than by protocol. Unicast static routes (IPv4 and IPv6) are the standard form, matching a destination network to a single next hop. Multicast static routes (IPv4 and IPv6) instead govern reverse-path forwarding for multicast traffic, matching a source or group. Floating static routes are backup paths with a higher, less-preferred value than a primary route; they activate only once the primary’s monitor reports it down. Route-leaking static routes resolve their next hop into a different routing instance than the one they’re configured in – for example, a LAN route whose next hop resolves through a WAN transport virtual router.

Static Routes & Versa

On VOS devices, static routes are configured per virtual router in Configure Virtual Routers, where each route gets a destination, a next-hop action, an optional metric and preference, and an optional ICMP, monitor-object, or BFD liveness check. The Consolidated SD-WAN Design Guide uses static routes for two patterns: floating routes with ICMP monitoring across a cross-connect link in HA pairs, so a failed peer withdraws the backup path automatically, and route leaking, so LAN traffic resolves its next hop through a transport virtual router.

Static routes are also load-bearing for high availability. Configure Stateful Interchassis HA relies on one to make the HA synchronization loopback address reachable, and on others for control-routing-instance and TACACS+ server reachability from the active-standby pair; split-brain quorum evaluation can itself be based on static-route monitors.

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between a static route and a dynamic route?

A static route is manually configured with a fixed next hop that never changes unless an administrator edits it or a liveness monitor withdraws it. A dynamic route is learned automatically from a protocol such as BGP or OSPF, which recalculates as topology changes.

What is a floating static route?

A floating static route is a backup path configured with a less-preferred (higher) preference than a primary route to the same destination. It stays out of the routing table until the primary route’s monitor reports the primary path down, at which point it becomes active.

What is the default preference of a static route on a VOS device?

VOS devices assign static routes a default preference of 1, just above directly connected interfaces (preference 0) and below every dynamic protocol – EBGP (20), OSPF internal (30), OSPF external (110), RIP (120), and IBGP (200). Lower preference values win.

Can a static route be monitored for liveness?

Yes. A VOS static route can attach an ICMP probe, a DNS or TCP monitor object, or a BFD session to its next hop. If any attached check fails, the route is withdrawn from the table; it is reinstated once the check recovers.

What is the difference between the discard, reject, and no-install actions on a static route?

Discard installs the route and silently drops matching traffic. Reject installs the route, drops the traffic, and sends the sender an ICMP unreachable message. No-install keeps the route in the control plane only, so the data plane falls back to a less specific or default route.

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