Hello, and happy Wednesday!
In my last Tech Talk post about computer networking I wrote a bit about flow control, and this week I’m going to be talking about what routing is. Some definitions in here are explained in more detail in my previous posts, so if you want to catch up with the rest of the posts in the Computer Networking series, click here!
What is Routing?
Routing is the process of finding a path over which to send data from a source to a destination network.
Let’s elaborate on that…
Routing works by using routing protocols to determine the best path for a data packet to take. These protocols use a variety of metrics to determine the best path, such as the number of hops (the number of devices a packet must pass through to reach its destination), the speed of the network, and the reliability of the network.
Routing is like sending a letter
When you send a letter, you would write the address of the recipient on the envelope, along with your return address. The postal service then uses a series of routing protocols to determine the best path for the letter to take to reach its destination.
Just as the postal service uses routing protocols to determine the best path for a letter to take, computer networks use routing protocols to determine the best path for a data packet to take.
Without routing, data packets would not be able to reach their destination, and computer networks would not be able to function. Routing is an essential part of computer networking, and it allows us to communicate and share information with others around the world.
If you want to check out the rest of the posts in my Tech Talk series, click here. Thank you for reading, and have a wonderful day!
Aloma Writes 