Introduction to Routing

So far, you have learned a lot about switches and switching packet technology. It is time for you to learn about routers and packet forwarding technology. This chapter is designed to provide you with an introduction to routing. It beings with a discussion of routing concepts. Then, it continues with explanations of switching packets, sending packets, and path determinations. We then ask the big question: what is a router? After answering the question, it is time to turn the router on. Obviously, POST and bootloader will occupy the stage. No matter what, understanding Routing Tables will be the most interesting part of the chapter. The chapter ends with a section on understanding routing types, in which static routing is compared to its counterpart, dynamic routing. The same section provides a brief explanation of dynamic routing protocols, like RIP, OSPF...