Use static and recursive routes

Three Cisco routers connect two loopbacks, with router two in the middle.

The return path is ready, but router one has no route to the remote loopback yet.

Add a static route through router two’s directly connected address.

A ping from router one’s loopback confirms that traffic can go there and back.

Replace the route with one that points to router two’s loopback as an indirect next hop.

Add a route to that loopback so the destination route can enter the routing table.

The forwarding table resolves the indirect next hop to router two’s connected address.

Ping again to verify that the recursive route carries traffic.

Remove the route that resolves the next hop and watch remote reachability fail.

The directly connected neighbor still replies, so the local link still works.

Restore the resolving route and confirm that the remote loopback replies again.