Introduction to Routing and Switching

What is Routing?

Routing is the process of selecting the best path for data to travel
from a source network to a destination network.

A device called a router performs this task.

When data travels across the internet, it passes through many routers
before reaching its destination.

Example

If a computer in Kolkata sends data to a server in USA, the packet

Each router decides which next path the packet should take.

Router

A router is a networking device that:

 Connects multiple networks

 Determines the best path for data packets

 Uses IP addresses to forward packets

Functions of a Router

1. Path determination

2. Packet forwarding

3. Traffic management

4. Network segmentation

Routing Table

A routing table is a database inside a router that stores routes to

It contains:

 Destination network

 Subnet mask

 Next hop

 Interface

 Metric (cost of route)

Destination Subnet Mask Next Hop Interface

[Link] [Link] [Link] Eth0

[Link] [Link] [Link] Eth1

The router checks this table to decide where to send the packet next.

Types of Routing

1. Static Routing

Routes are manually configured by a network administrator.

Characteristics:

 Simple

 Secure

 No automatic updates

Disadvantages:

 Not suitable for large networks

 Requires manual maintenance

Example:

ip route => [Link] [Link] [Link]

2. Dynamic Routing

Routes are automatically updated using routing protocols.

Common protocols:

 RIP (Routing Information Protocol)

 OSPF (Open Shortest Path First)

 BGP (Border Gateway Protocol)

Advantages:

 Automatically adjusts routes

 Suitable for large networks

Disadvantages:
  More complex

 Uses more resources

Routing Information Protocol (RIP)

Definition:
RIP is a distance-vector routing protocol used to determine the best
path between networks.

Metric Used:
Hop Count (number of routers between source and destination)

Important Points

 Maximum 15 hops allowed

 Routers update routing tables every 30 seconds

 Simple and easy to configure

 Suitable for small networks

Limitation

 Not good for large networks because hop limit is small.

Open Shortest Path First (OSPF)

Definition:
OSPF is a link-state routing protocol that finds the shortest path
between networks.

Metric Used:
Cost (based on link bandwidth)

Important Points

 Uses Shortest Path First (SPF) algorithm

 Faster and more efficient than RIP

 Suitable for large enterprise networks

 Supports hierarchical network structure

Border Gateway Protocol (BGP)

Definition:
BGP is a path-vector routing protocol used to exchange routing
information between different networks on the Internet.
Important Points

 Used by Internet Service Providers (ISPs)

 Connects different Autonomous Systems (AS)

 Very scalable and stable

 Main protocol used for global internet routing

Switching

What is Switching?

Switching is the process of forwarding data within a local network

This is done using a network switch.

A switch uses MAC addresses to deliver data to the correct device.

Switch

A switch is a device that connects multiple devices in a Local Area

It operates mainly at Layer 2 (Data Link Layer) of the OSI model.

Functions of a Switch

 Forward frames

 Learn MAC addresses

 Reduce network collisions

 Improve network performance

MAC Address Table

A switch maintains a MAC address table.

This table stores:

 MAC address

 Port number

Example:

MAC Address Port

AA:BB:CC:DD:11 Port 1
 MAC Address Port

AA:BB:CC:DD:22 Port 2

When a frame arrives, the switch checks the MAC table and sends the
frame to the correct port.

Difference Between Router and Switch

Feature Router Switch

Works on Network Layer Data Link Layer

Uses IP Address MAC Address

Connects Different Networks Devices in same network

Main purpose Path selection Data forwarding

Packet Transmission

What is Packet Transmission?

Packet transmission is the process of sending data across a network

Instead of sending a large file at once, the data is divided into packets.

Each packet contains:

 Source address

 Destination address

 Sequence number

 Data

Packet Structure

A packet contains three main parts:

HEADER | PAYLOAD | TRAILER

Header

Contains:

 Source IP address

 Destination IP address
  Protocol information

Payload = Actual data being transmitted.

Trailer = Used for error detection.

Steps of Packet Transmission

1. Data is divided into packets.

2. Each packet receives an IP address.

3. Packets travel through routers.

4. Packets may take different routes.

5. At the destination, packets are reassembled.

Switching Techniques

Switching techniques are methods used to transfer data between

There are three main types:

1. Circuit Switching

2. Packet Switching

3. Message Switching

Circuit Switching

Circuit

switching establishes a dedicated communication path between

Example: Traditional telephone network

Steps

1. Connection establishment
 2. Data transfer

3. Connection termination

Characteristics

 Dedicated path

 Constant bandwidth

 No packet loss

Advantages

 Reliable

 Continuous transmission

Disadvantages

 Inefficient use of bandwidth

 Setup time required

4.2 Packet Switching

Packet switching divides data into small packets and sends them
independently across the network.

This is the method used in the Internet.

Characteristics

 No dedicated path

 Packets travel independently

 Efficient bandwidth usage

Advantages

 Efficient network utilization

 Flexible routing

 Reliable (packets can be retransmitted)

Disadvantages
  Possible delay

 Packet loss or disorder

Message Switching

Message switching sends the entire message as a single unit.

Each node stores the message temporarily before forwarding it.

This technique is also called store-and-forward switching.

Characteristics

 No dedicated path

 Entire message sent at once

 Stored at intermediate nodes

Advantages

 Efficient routing

 No need for connection setup

Disadvantages

 Large storage requirement

 High delay

Comparison of Switching Techniques

Feature Circuit Switching Packet Switching Message Switching

Path Dedicated No dedicated path No dedicated path

Data Unit Continuous signal Packets Whole message

Delay Low after setup Variable High

Efficiency Low High Moderate

Example Telephone network Internet Old telegraph systems