In the spring of 2013, Cisco announced major updates to their Cisco Certified Network Associate (CCNA) curricula, including a new version of the CCNA Routing and Switching exam (200-120 CCNA). This ...
Routing got the early lead on switching thanks to Cisco, then the two technologies melded and evolved. It was the debate that separated Cisco from the pack and forever changed the enterprise network ...
Routing determines the path IP packets follow from source to destination. It is used in packet-switched networks like the Internet. Different routing methods are used to optimize speed, reliability, and performance.
Routing is the process of selecting a path for traffic in a network or between or across multiple networks. Broadly, routing is performed in many types of networks, including circuit-switched networks, such as the public switched telephone network (PSTN), and computer networks, such as the Internet.
Routing in networking uses rules to enable network-connected devices to communicate with one another without talking over one another.
What is routing? Learn how IP routing works, the definition of 'router,' what routing protocols are used on the Internet, and more.
Routers examine destination addresses, consult their routing tables, and forward packets hop by hop until they reach the right network. Understanding how this process works – and which protocols automate it – is foundational knowledge for anyone managing networks.
To provide connectivity between networks, routers must learn all network paths, select a single best path to each destination, and add the chosen path to the routing table. You can manually configure these paths on all routers or use a routing protocol.