Verify the default route settings on R2 using the show ip route command, as shown in Figure 1.

Use the Syntax Checker in Figure 2 to verify that the default route has been propagated to R1 and R3. Notice that the route source is O*E2, signifying that it was learned using OSPF. The asterisk identifies this as a good candidate for the default route. The E2 designation identifies that it is an external route.

External routes are either external type 1 or external type 2. The difference between the two is in the way the cost (metric) of the route is being calculated. The cost of a type 2 route is always the external cost, regardless of the interior cost to reach that route. A type 1 cost is the addition of the external cost and the internal cost used to reach that route. A type 1 route is always preferred over a type 2 route for the same destination.