Cisco Enterprise Network Core Technologies (ENCOR) Practice Exam

The maximum OSPF metric value is 65535. OSPF (Open Shortest Path First) uses cost as its metric for path selection, with the cost being calculated based on various factors, including interface speed. The default maximum cost that OSPF can assign to any route is 65535. This value is based on a 16-bit field in the OSPF header, clearly defining the upper limit for metric values.

It is also significant to note that a cost greater than this maximum value would not have any practical use in OSPF, as it would be considered invalid. Values like 32767, 100000, and 4294967295 exceed the constraints set by the OSPF protocol, making them non-viable choices in the context of maximum OSPF metrics. Therefore, understanding that OSPF leverages a 16-bit metric field is crucial to grasping why 65535 is the correct maximum metric value.