Alamein University Computer Networks
Faculty of Computer Course Code: CSE261
science & Engineering
Lab 6
1. Routing Protocols:
- Routing = how a router decides the path for data packets.
- Routers look at the destination IP and forward accordingly.
- Example:
If you want to go from Cairo to Alexandria — you check the map
and pick the best road.
- Types of Routing:
Type Who decides the Symbol in Example
path? Routing
Table
Static Admin manually S ip route 192.168.2.0
sets the route 255.255.255.0
192.168.1.2
Dynamic Routers learn Depends on RIP, OSPF, EIGRP
automatically protocol
- Routing Protocol Types:
• IGP(Interior Gateway Protocols):
o Used inside one organization (one AS).
o Examples: RIP, OSPF, EIGRP.
• EGP(Exterior Gateway Protocols)
o Used between organizations (different AS).
o Example: BGP (used on the Internet).
- Autonomous System:
• Each organization control its own network as one system.
• All routers inside the same organization use the same protocol.
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Alamein University Computer Networks
Faculty of Computer Course Code: CSE261
science & Engineering
- Routing Concepts
Term Meaning Example
Administrative Trust level of route (0–255). RIP=120,
Distance Lower = more trusted. OSPF=110,
EIGRP=90
Static =1
Direct=0
Unreachable=255
Metric Quality of route (lower = better). e.g. shortest
distance
Convergence Time routers take to agree after Like everyone
change. updating their map
after a road closure.
- Administrative Distance(AD):
• Trust level of routing source.
• When a router learns a route from different protocols (say, RIP
and OSPF), it must choose which to trust more.
• The lower the AD, the more trusted the source.
- Metric:
• How good or fast a route is inside one routing protocol.
• Each routing protocol uses its own way to measure the “cost” of a
route.
Protocol Metric used Meaning
RIP Hop Count Fewer routers = better
OSPF Cost (10⁸ / Bandwidth) Higher bandwidth = better
EIGRP Bandwidth + Delay Lower delay = better
• Example (real-world analogy):
o Imagine 3 roads to reach your friend’s house:
o Road A: 5 km but 10 traffic lights
o Road B: 8 km but no traffic
o Road C: 3 km but rough and slow
o Even if Road C is shorter, you’d pick the best route (lowest
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Alamein University Computer Networks
Faculty of Computer Course Code: CSE261
science & Engineering
cost).
That’s what Metric does — it finds the “best” route.
o “Lower metric = better path”
Routing Protocols
1. RIP (Routing Information Protocol)
RIP is one of the oldest dynamic routing protocols. It sends the full routing table every 30 seconds and
uses hop count as its metric.
Feature Value
Type Distance Vector
Algorithm Bellman-Ford
Metric Hop Count
Max Hop Count 15
Administrative Distance (AD) 120
Update Interval 30 seconds
Update Address Broadcast (v1) / Multicast (v2)
Convergence Slow
Scalability Low
2. EIGRP (Enhanced Interior Gateway Routing Protocol)
EIGRP is a hybrid routing protocol that combines the advantages of distance vector and link state. It
uses the DUAL algorithm and updates only when network changes occur.
Feature Value
Type Hybrid / Advanced Distance Vector
Algorithm DUAL (Diffusing Update Algorithm)
Metric Bandwidth + Delay
Administrative Distance (AD) 90
Update Method Partial and Triggered
Convergence Very Fast
Scalability Medium to Large
Vendor Cisco Proprietary
3. OSPF (Open Shortest Path First)
OSPF is a link-state protocol that builds a full map of the network topology using the Dijkstra SPF
algorithm. It is scalable and suitable for large enterprise networks.
Feature Value
Type Link State
Algorithm Dijkstra (SPF)
Metric Cost = 10^8 / Bandwidth
Administrative Distance (AD) 110
Update Method Triggered LSAs
Convergence Fast
Scalability Excellent
Vendor Open Standard
3
Alamein University Computer Networks
Faculty of Computer Course Code: CSE261
science & Engineering
