What is the difference between a static and a dynamic routing protocol?

• A. Static routing requires manual configuration; dynamic routing adapts automatically to topology changes using protocols like RIP or OSPF.
• B. Static routing adapts automatically to topology changes; dynamic routing is manual.
• C. Static routing uses RIP; dynamic uses OSPF.
• D. Static routing and dynamic routing are identical.

Answer: (A)

The difference is in how routes are learned and kept up to date: static routing is manually configured and fixed, while dynamic routing uses protocols to automatically adapt to topology changes.

Static routing requires an administrator to set up the routes by hand, assigning exact paths to reach destinations. If a link goes down or the network topology changes, those static routes don’t automatically adjust; you’d need to modify them manually. Dynamic routing, on the other hand, uses protocols such as RIP or OSPF to learn the network topology and continuously update routes, so paths can change automatically in response to failures or new links.

That’s why the correct description fits best: static routing needs manual configuration, and dynamic routing automatically adapts to topology changes using routing protocols like RIP or OSPF. Other options blur or reverse these roles (dynamic routing isn’t manual; static routing isn’t tied to a protocol like RIP or OSPF), or claim the two are identical, which they aren’t.