Routing Protocols

Purpose of Routing Protocols

Routing protocols help a computer network's communication and data transmission by figuring out the optimum route for data packets to go from source to destination. They accomplish this via:

• Route discovery: It is the process of discovering potential routes and the metrics (such as cost or distance) that go along with them to get somewhere.
   
• Route maintenance: It is the process of continuously monitoring the network to adapt to modifications in the topology, connection status, or other aspects of the network.
   
• Route Selection: It is the choosing the most effective or efficient route based on routing data and policies.
   
• Load balancing: It involves dividing up network traffic evenly over several pathways in order to reduce congestion and maximize resource use.
   
• Fault Tolerance: To provide continuous connectivity, fault tolerance involves automatically rerouting traffic in the event of network outages.
   
• Scalability: Managing and scaling the routing tables effectively to support network expansion

Types of Routing Protocols

There are mainly three types of routing protocols follow:

Static Routing Protocols

This is a method of configuring the computer network manually by the network administrator means the administrator has to find the specific path of the data packets on the network. Static routing relies on predetermined paths as opposed to dynamic routing protocols like RIP, OSPF, or BGP, which automatically learn and adapt to network changes. Data packets should follow a path that administrators determine based on the IP addresses of their destinations. 

Advantages Of Static Routing

Some advantages of Static Routing are:-

• Simplicity: Static routes are appropriate for small networks or simple topologies when routing requirements are uncomplicated since they are simple to design and comprehend.
   
• Consistency: Network managers have complete control over routing decisions, ensuring that traffic follows preset paths, which might be important for security or compliance purposes.
   
• Low Overhead: Since there is no requirement for route discovery or maintenance procedures, static routing uses less network resources (CPU and memory) than dynamic routing protocols.
   
• Stability: Static routes offer a predictable and stable routing infrastructure in stable network environments, lowering the chance of routing loops or unexpected behavior.
   

Disadvantages Of Static Routing

Some disadvantages of Static Routing are:-

• Scalability Issues: As a network expands, managing static routes becomes more difficult. Configuring and maintaining large networks with various routes can be challenging.
   
• Inefficient Resource Utilization: Static routing does not adequately optimize network resources, which results in inefficient resource usage. Routes are fixed independent of changes in traffic patterns, which can result in less-than-ideal routing paths, more latency, and congestion.
   
• Risk of Routing Loops: If static routes are not set up properly, they may lead to routing loops, where packets are sent back and forth between routers indefinitely, clogging the network and making it unstable.
   
• Limited Redundancy: Static routing lacks means for automated failover. Manual intervention is required to reroute traffic in the event of a link or router failure, which could result in downtime.
   

Default Routing Protocols 

This is a method in which the configuration of sending data packets to the default destination when the destination is not known. Default Routing Protocols come into play when there is no routing information in the routing table available.

This method ensures that data packets can still reach external networks or the internet even when specific route information is missing, is frequently used in situations where a network needs a failover or backup route.

Advantages Of Default Routing

Some advantages of Default Routing are:-

• Simplicity: Simple method for data packet routing when there is no specific route information available is default routing since it is simple to set up and maintain.
   
• Efficiency: It makes sure that traffic is always routed to a default gateway or next-hop router, minimizing the need for complicated routing table entries and streamlining routing decisions.
   
• Default routing: It is a fallback option that can act as a failover or backup system. Default routing sends traffic to a designated default gateway when specific routes fail or become unavailable, helping to retain network connectivity.
   

Disadvantages Of Default Routing

Some disadvantages of Default Routing are:-

• Limited Granularity: Default routing does not allow for the precise specification of routes for various destinations. In larger or more complicated networks, this can result in inefficiencies and less-than-ideal routing paths.
   
• Potential Black Holes in the Traffic: If default routing is configured incorrectly, it may unintentionally send traffic to the wrong locations or produce black holes, where data packets are lost because there is no viable route.
   
• Security Concerns: Overreliance on default routing can be a security issue since it could provide outside networks illegal access or expose internal resources to dangers.
   
• Reduced Network control: It may be lessened as a result of default routing, making it more difficult to adopt certain routing regulations or optimize traffic flows.
   

Dynamic Routing Protocols

If the data is constantly changing network environments, it means the routing is dynamic. Network Administrator does not need to configure the network manually. Dynamic routing methods improve the efficiency, fault tolerance, and scalability of networks, making them essential in challenging and changing network settings. Examples of protocols with specialized use cases and network types are RIP, OSPF, EIGRP, and BGP.
 

Advantages Of Dynamic Routing Protocols

Some advantages of Dynamic Routing are:-

• Adaptability: By automatically adjusting to changes in network topology, dynamic routing technologies provide effective management of dynamic and developing network environments.
   
• Scalability: Due to routers' capacity to dynamically discover and adapt to new routes without manual configuration, they are well suited for big networks.
   
• Optimal Routing: Based on real-time parameters, dynamic protocols determine the best pathways for data packets, maximizing network efficiency and resource use.
   
• Redundancy: By rerouting traffic around network faults, they ensure continuous connectivity and offer built-in fault tolerance.
   

Disadvantages Of Dynamic Routing Protocols

Some disadvantages of Dynamic Routing are:-

• Complexity: Configuring and troubleshooting dynamic routing systems can be challenging and call for a thorough knowledge of routing algorithms and protocol-specific details.
   
• Resource Consumption: Due to the constant route updates and calculations, they use more network resources than static routing, including CPU and memory.
   
• Security Risks: Vulnerabilities or configuration errors in dynamic routing protocols may be used maliciously, raising security concerns.
   
• Propagation Delays: The amount of time it takes for routing information to spread across the network might cause delays in responding to changes in the network.
   

Types of Dynamic Routing Protocols

Mainly, There are three categories of dynamic routing protocols which include:

Distance Vector Routing Protocols

As It contains distance in its name, these protocols are used to find the best path based on the distance. Examples of distance vector routing protocols are Interior Gateway Routing Protocol (IGRP), Routing Information Protocol Next Generation (RIPng), and Border Gateway Protocol (BGP).

RIP (Routing Information Protocol) is a distance-vector routing protocol used in local area networks (LANs) and small-scale internetworks. RIP uses a hop count metric to determine the best path to a destination network and has a maximum hop count limit of 15. RIP is a simple and easy-to-implement protocol.

BGP (Border Gateway Protocol) is a path-vector protocol used between different autonomous systems (ASes) on the internet. BGP determines the best path to a destination network based on various attributes such as the number of AS hops, the network's policy, and the network's reachability.

Link State Routing Protocols

This type of routing protocol is used to build a detailed map of the network topology by exchanging information about individual links between nodes. Examples of link state routing protocols are Open Shortest Path First (OSPF), Intermediate System to Intermediate System (IS-IS), and Protocol Independent Multicast-Sparse Model (PIM-SM).

OSPF (Open Shortest Path First) is a link-state routing protocol that is used in large networks and uses a hierarchical network design to organize the routers in different areas, which leads to a reduction in traffic amount and processing. OSPF is more scalable than RIP.

Hybrid Routing Protocols

As the name suggests hybrid, This is the combination of distance vector and link state routing protocols. This type of protocol is used to have a balance between simplicity and efficiency. EIGRP is the hybrid routing protocol that combines the functionalities of distance vector and link state routing protocols.

Routing Protocols Security

Security is a very crucial aspect that comes under consideration when the data that is to be sent is personal that is not meant to be accessed by someone else. As we have discussed, routing protocols are used in communication in networks; It gets very important to maintain the security and privacy of data while communicating. The routing protocols are responsible for taking care of data leaks, instability, and downtime in networks.

Here are several points that should be included in routing protocols:

• Routing Protocols should include the mechanisms for authentication and authorization. So that an authorized user can not access the routing information or any data.
   
• Routing Protocols should detect and respond to security incidents, and a mechanism for monitoring and auditing the operations should be included.
   
• Routing Protocols should have a mechanism to handle attacks by hackers, cases like route injection, route poisoning, and man-in-the-middle attacks.

 

Frequently Asked Questions

What are 3 common routing protocols?

There are three categories of routing protocols follow:

Static Routing Protocols: This is a method of configuring the computer network manually by the network administrator.

Default Routing Protocols: This is a method in which the configuration of sending data packets to the default destination when the destination is not known.

Dynamic Routing Protocols: If the data is constantly changing network environments, it means the routing is dynamic.

What are the 2 types of routing protocols?

Routing protocols can be divided into two categories: interior gateway protocols (IGPs), which are used within a network, and exterior gateway protocols (EGPs), which are used for routing between various networks or autonomous systems, like BGP.

What are the routing protocols in TCP IP? 

Common routing protocols used in the TCP/IP protocol suite are RIP (Routing Information Protocol), OSPF (Open Shortest Path First), EIGRP (Enhanced Interior Gateway Routing Protocol), and BGP (Border Gateway Protocol), which work together to control the movement of data packets between networks.

What is the routing protocol process?

Routing protocols determine optimal data paths in computer networks. They discover routes, adapt to network changes, select efficient paths, balance traffic, ensure fault tolerance, and support network growth. These processes maintain reliable and efficient data transmission within complex networks.

Conclusion

Routing Protocols are a set of rules for how communication between computer networks should occur. In this article, we discussed what routing protocols are, the functions of routing protocols, and the types of routing protocols with examples. We also discussed routing protocol security.

Here are more articles to enhance your understanding of routing protocols in depth.

• Routing vs Routed Protocols
• Distance Vector Routing Algorithm
• Locked based protocol in DBMS
• Subnet mask

 

Happy Learning ;)