Distance Vector Routing
Distance Vector Routing is a dynamic routing protocol in which routers determine the best
path to a destination based on hop count and periodic updates from their neighbors. It follows
the Bellman-Ford algorithm and is primarily used in small to medium-sized networks.
Key Characteristics
🔹 Routing by Rumor → Routers only know the distance and direction (vector) to a destination,
not the entire network topology.
🔹 Hop Count Metric → The shortest path is determined by the number of hops (routers) a
packet must pass through.
🔹 Periodic Updates → Each router periodically shares its routing table with its neighbors.
🔹 Slow Convergence → Changes in the network take time to propagate, which may cause
temporary routing loops.
🔹 Routing Loops → Mechanisms like split horizon, route poisoning, and hold-down timers help
prevent routing loops.
How It Works?
1️⃣ Initialization: Each router starts with a table containing only its directly connected networks.
2️⃣ Exchange of Information: Routers periodically send their routing tables to their neighbors.
3️⃣ Update Routing Table:
If a router receives a better path (shorter hop count), it updates its table.
If a route becomes unreachable, it is removed after a timeout.
4️⃣ Propagation: The updated routing information is passed along the network.
Example
Consider three routers: A, B, and C.
Router A knows it can reach Network X in 1 hop.
A shares this information with Router B.
B updates its table: "I can reach Network X via A in 2 hops."
B tells C, and C updates its table: "I can reach Network X via B in 3 hops."
If Router A fails, B will notice that it no longer receives updates from A, triggering an update
to remove A from its table.
Common Distance Vector Routing Protocols
1. RIP (Routing Information Protocol)
Uses hop count as the metric (max of 15 hops).
Sends updates every 30 seconds (causes slow convergence).
Uses split horizon and route poisoning to prevent loops.
2. IGRP (Interior Gateway Routing Protocol)
Cisco proprietary protocol.
Uses multiple metrics (bandwidth, delay, load, reliability).
Supports up to 255 hops, making it more scalable than RIP.
Advantages
✔ Simple and easy to configure.
✔ Works well in small networks.
✔ Automatic updates reduce administrative overhead.
Disadvantages
❌ Slow convergence, leading to routing loops.
❌ Not scalable for large networks.
❌ Count-to-infinity problem (loops can persist indefinitely without solutions like route
poisoning).