Unit V Routing Protocols
1. Forwarding
• Definition: Forwarding ek local router operation hai jisme incoming packet
ko appropriate output interface se forward kiya jaata hai.
• Steps in Forwarding:
1. Packet arrive hota hai router ke input port par.
2. Router destination IP address ko analyze karta hai.
3. Routing table se next hop decide kiya jaata hai.
4. Packet ko output interface se forward kiya jaata hai.
• Key Note:
o Forwarding = Local operation
o Routing = Network-wide path selection
2. Structure of a Router
Routers ka basic structure kuch is tarah hota hai:
1. Input Ports:
o Incoming packets ko receive aur buffer karta hai.
o Packet header analyze karke switching fabric ko forward karta hai.
2. Switching Fabric:
o Input port se output port tak data ka path provide karta hai.
o Types: Shared memory, bus, crossbar switch
3. Output Ports:
o Packet ko transmit karta hai aur queue manage karta hai.
4. Routing Processor:
o Routing algorithms run karta hai aur routing tables maintain karta hai.
o Network topology aur routing decisions ka main control center hai.
Diagram Concept:
Incoming Packet → [Input Port] → [Switching Fabric] → [Output Port] → Next Router
↑
[Routing Processor]
3. Routing Tables
• Definition: Routing table ek lookup table hai jo router ko batata hai ki
destination network ke liye next hop kaunsa hai.
• Fields: Destination, Next-hop IP, Metric (Distance, Cost, Hop count),
Interface
• Example Table:
Destination Next Hop Metric Interface
[Link] [Link] 1 Fa0/0
[Link] [Link] 2 Fa0/1
• Dynamic Updates: Routing tables can be updated dynamically using
dynamic routing protocols.
4. Intra-Domain vs Inter-Domain Routing
1. Intra-Domain Routing:
o Ek hi Autonomous System (AS) ke andar hota hai.
o Protocols: RIP, OSPF
o Features: Fast convergence, suitable for enterprise networks
2. Inter-Domain Routing:
o Multiple AS ke beech hota hai.
o Protocols: BGP
o Features: Policy-based routing, scalable for Internet backbone
5. Static Routing
• Definition: Manually configured routes by network administrator.
• Advantages: Simple, predictable, no routing algorithm needed, no
bandwidth usage
• Disadvantages: Not scalable, no automatic adaptation to network failures
• Example Command (Cisco):
Router(config)# ip route [Link] [Link] [Link]
• Use Cases: Small networks, backup routes
6. Dynamic Routing
Dynamic routing uses algorithms to calculate best path automatically and updates
routing tables dynamically.
6.1 Distance Vector Routing
• Definition: Router periodically sends distance vector to its neighbors
(distance + path info).
• Algorithm: Bellman-Ford
• Metric: Hop count, delay, cost
• Advantages: Simple, easy to implement
• Disadvantages: Slow convergence, routing loops (count-to-infinity problem)
• Examples: RIP
6.2 Link State Routing
• Definition: Router maintains complete map of network topology and
calculates shortest path to every network.
• Algorithm: Dijkstra’s Shortest Path First (SPF)
• Advantages: Fast convergence, scalable
• Examples: OSPF
7. RIP (Routing Information Protocol)
• Type: Distance Vector
• Metric: Hop count (Max 15 hops)
• Update Interval: Every 30 seconds
• Characteristics:
o Easy to configure
o Periodic updates
o Suitable for small networks
• Problems: Count-to-infinity, limited scalability
• Command Example:
Router(config)# router rip
Router(config-router)# network [Link]
8. OSPF (Open Shortest Path First)
• Type: Link-State Protocol
• Algorithm: Dijkstra SPF
• Metric: Cost (based on bandwidth)
• Features:
o Fast convergence
o Supports hierarchical design with areas (Area 0 = backbone)
o Efficient for large networks
• Updates: Only on topology change
9. BGP (Border Gateway Protocol)
• Type: Path Vector Protocol
• Used For: Inter-domain routing (between autonomous systems)
• Metric: AS-path, policy-based metrics
• Features:
o Scalable for Internet
o Policy-based routing
o Reliable (TCP port 179)
10. Multicast Routing
• Definition: Ek single packet ko efficiently multiple destinations tak bhejna
• Protocols:
o DVMRP (Distance Vector Multicast Routing Protocol)
o PIM (Protocol Independent Multicast)
o MOSPF (Multicast OSPF)
• Applications: IPTV, Live streaming, Video conferencing
Summary Table of Routing Protocols
Protocol Type Metric Usage
Static Routing Manual Admin configured Small networks, backup routes
RIP Distance Vector Hop count Small intra-domain networks
OSPF Link State Cost (Bandwidth) Large intra-domain networks
BGP Path Vector AS-path Inter-domain / Internet
Multicast Specialized Varies One-to-many communication