Which Part of the Route Answers It?

About this interactive

What you'll learn

• Identify the parts of a routing table entry (network address, next hop, exit interface, administrative distance, metric and timestamp) by what each tells the router
• Explain that each router keeps its own routes, so the same network points to a different next hop on each router

Aligned to

Key terms

Routing Table

A database stored in a router that lists known network destinations, the metric (cost) to reach them, and the next-hop address or outgoing interface to forward packets toward those destinations. Routers consult this table for every packet they forward.

Next Hop

The IP address of the immediately adjacent router that a packet is forwarded to on the way toward its final destination. A router's routing table entry for each network destination includes the next-hop address so the router knows where to send the packet.

Exit Interface

The physical or logical router interface through which a packet is forwarded toward its destination.

Administrative Distance

A value assigned to a route that indicates its trustworthiness or preference; lower values are preferred when multiple routes to the same destination exist.

Metric

A value used by a router to determine the preferred path to a destination when multiple routes exist; lower values typically indicate a more preferred route.

Host Route

A route that specifies a single specific host, identified by a /32 prefix in IPv4 or /128 in IPv6, rather than an entire network.

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