Which static routing parameter will silently drop the packet if it is set as the next hop?

In Junos OS, the discard option for a static route's next hop installs a route that silently drops any matching packets. When a packet's destination matches this route, the Packet Forwarding Engine (PFE) drops the packet without generating or sending an ICMP "destination unreachable" message back to the source. This action is commonly used for null routing, which is a technique to block unwanted traffic to specific destinations efficiently and without generating backscatter traffic.

A. The reject option drops the packet but also generates and sends an ICMP "destination unreachable" message, so the drop is not silent.

B. The resolve option is a parameter used to enable the resolution of indirect next hops through another routing table, not for dropping packets.

C. Readvertise is a policy-related action to control the advertisement of routes and is not a next-hop forwarding action.

1. Juniper Networks TechLibrary. (2024). Junos OS Routing Protocols Library for Routing Devices. "Static Routing Feature Guide

" Section: "Configuring Static

Aggregate

and Generated Routes". The documentation explicitly states for the discard option: "Silently discard the packets. Do not send an ICMP (or ICMPv6) destination or protocol unreachable message."

2. Juniper Networks TechLibrary. (2024). CLI User Guide. Under the configuration hierarchy [edit routing-options static route destination-prefix]

the discard next-hop option is defined as dropping packets without notification.