This chapter examines the routing capabilities of the Internet Protocol (IP), the principles by which Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol (TCP/IP) systems route packets to their destinations, and the methods by which computers gather, compile, and share routing information.
This chapter requires an understanding of the Open Systems Interconnection (OSI) reference model, as described in Chapter 1, "Networking Basics"; the functions of the IP, as covered in Chapter 6, "Network Layer Protocols"; and the basics of router hardware, as discussed in Chapter 3, "Network Connections."