What is the default route configuration format in networking?

The default route configuration format in networking is represented as 0.0.0.0/0. This notation indicates that any destination address (represented by 0.0.0.0) is included in the routing table, treating all IP addresses as valid paths to be routed. The '/0' signifies that there are no bits used for the network portion of the address, meaning it matches all addresses, effectively defaulting to any unknown route. This is essential in routing scenarios where a router needs to forward packets destined for networks that it does not have a specific route for, sending them to a configured gateway, which is often the next hop or the Internet.

The other options specify certain networks and subnet masks, but they do not represent the concept of a default route. 192.168.1.1/24 identifies a specific subnet instead of being a catch-all route. 255.255.255.0/0 is not a valid notation as it incorrectly applies a subnet mask to an invalid address. Similarly, 10.0.0.0/16 specifies a private subnet rather than a default path for unmatched destinations. In summary, 0.0.0.0/0 is the correct and universal format to