Understanding IP routing

Routers play an important role in how networks operate day to day. Without them, we wouldn't be able to connect to other networks or the internet. In this section, we will learn how Cisco routers connect remote and foreign networks, allowing us to access devices and applications located within a data center or even another location somewhere on the internet. We will consider the question How does a router make the decision to forward traffic to the right network?

In the previous chapters, we have spent a lot of time learning how to build an optimal local area network using a lot of technologies with Cisco IOS switches. One of the key things you may have noticed regarding Cisco IOS switches is that a new Cisco switch with default configurations will still allow you to connect end devices onto its physical interfaces and will forward traffic (frames) without you inserting any additional configurations on the device. However, this is not the case with...