RIP
also: Routing Information Protocol, RIPv1, RIPv2
RIP (Routing Information Protocol) is a distance-vector routing protocol that determines network paths by counting hops to a destination, with a maximum of 15 hops per route.
RIP is one of the oldest and simplest dynamic routing protocols, used by routers to exchange information about reachable networks. It selects routes based on the number of hops (intermediate routers) needed to reach a destination—the path with the fewest hops is preferred.
RIP comes in two versions: RIPv1 (classful, broadcasts updates) and RIPv2 (classless, multicasts updates with better efficiency). Both have a maximum hop count of 15, making them unsuitable for large networks.
Example: If two paths exist to a network—one through 3 routers and one through 5 routers—RIP chooses the 3-hop path. RIP routers exchange routing tables periodically (usually every 30 seconds) to maintain current network topology information.
Today, RIP is rarely used in production networks, having been replaced by more efficient protocols like OSPF and BGP, but it remains important for educational purposes and legacy systems.