How does a router determine the best path for routing packets in a network?

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How does a router determine the best path for routing packets in a network?

Asked on Dec 09, 2025

Answer

Routers determine the best path for routing packets using routing protocols and algorithms that evaluate multiple paths based on metrics like hop count, bandwidth, delay, and cost. These protocols, such as OSPF, BGP, and EIGRP, dynamically update routing tables to ensure efficient and reliable packet delivery across networks.

Example Concept: Routers use routing algorithms like Dijkstra's algorithm for OSPF or the Bellman-Ford algorithm for RIP to calculate the shortest path to each destination. These algorithms consider various metrics to determine the optimal path, updating routing tables dynamically as network conditions change. BGP, used for inter-domain routing, selects paths based on policy and path attributes, allowing for complex routing decisions across the internet.

Additional Comment:

Routers maintain a routing table that lists all known paths to network destinations.
OSPF uses link-state information to build a complete map of the network topology.
BGP uses path vector protocol to manage paths between autonomous systems.
EIGRP uses a combination of distance vector and link-state features for efficient routing.
Metrics like bandwidth, delay, and reliability influence path selection.

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