WAN Technologies and Routing Overview

A type of routing where the path between source and destination remains fixed, regardless of network changes.

A type of routing where the path between source and destination can change based on network conditions like congestion or link failure.

Involves sending data to all nodes in a network, like broadcasting a message to everyone in a room.

Static routing tables are simple to maintain, but they lack flexibility.

Dynamic routing tables can adapt to network changes, providing more efficient routes.

Dynamic routing involves complex algorithms and information sharing between network nodes to adjust routes in real-time.

A network where the connected devices are spread over a large geographical area, often using public communication channels.

Represents a network using a diagram with points (nodes) connected by lines (links), showing the relationship between devices.

Flooding sends a packet to every neighbor, like spreading news in a room. Each neighbor transmits it to all its neighbors except the source. This ensures the packet reaches all nodes, but creates many copies.

A central location stores the best routes for all nodes. When a node wants to send data, it queries the central location for the optimal path.

Each node maintains its own routing table. When a packet arrives, the node looks up the next hop in its table, deciding where to send it.

Nodes use only local information to create their own routing table. They observe incoming packets to learn about network conditions and update their paths.

Advantages: Improved network performance due to efficient routes, congestion control by avoiding overloaded paths. Disadvantages: Complex decision making, trade-off between network information quality and overhead, oscillations due to overreacting, and outdated information if too slow.

Advantages: Simple implementation, reliable packet delivery. Disadvantages: High network traffic, potential for loops and packet duplication.

Advantages: Efficient use of network resources, centralized control, easy to update routes. Disadvantages: Single point of failure, high communication overhead, limited scalability.

A method used by routers to calculate the most efficient path for data packets to travel between two points in a network. It involves each router finding the shortest path to every other router in the network and sharing this information with its neighbors.

A method used by routers to calculate the most efficient path for data packets to travel between two points in a network. It involves each router creating a map of the entire network and sharing it with all other routers.

A routing algorithm that uses a centralized approach to calculate the shortest path for data packets to travel between two points in a network. All routers have access to the complete network topology (map) and link cost information. Examples of these algorithms include Dijkstra's algorithm.

An algorithm that finds the shortest path from a single source node to all other nodes in a graph. Each edge has a weight, representing the cost of traversing that edge. The shortest path is calculated by summing the edge weights along the path. This algorithm is widely used in network routing, as it helps determine the most efficient path for data packets to travel between any two points in a network.

The information that a router uses to determine the next hop for a specific destination. It's a critical component in routing as it dictates the path a data packet will take from one router to the next towards its final destination.

A device that forwards data packets between computer networks.

A network layer protocol that defines the format of datagrams and addresses used for communication on the internet.

The process of determining the best path for data packets to travel from a source to a destination.

A set of routers that communicate with each other to establish and maintain network routes.

A type of routing where routes are fixed and do not change based on network conditions. It provides predictable performance, but might be less efficient in the face of network changes.

A type of routing where routes are dynamically adjusted based on network conditions, such as congestion or link failures. It prioritizes efficient traffic flow and adapts to changes in network topology.

A type of routing where a packet is sent to all neighboring routers, regardless of destination. It floods the network and can be inefficient but ensures packet delivery with high certainty.

The process of moving data packets from a router's input port to the appropriate output port.

The software component of a router that determines how datagrams are forwarded between routers along a network path.

The hardware component of a router that handles the actual transmission of data packets.

A network architecture where a centralized controller manages and programs the forwarding behavior of network devices. Offers centralized control and flexibility in routing.