Computer and Communication Networks

Chapter 7. Routing and Internetworking

This chapter focuses on the networking structure of larger networks. One of the most important functions in computer networking, especially in wide area networks, is routing packets. In packet-switched networks, this function includes procedures through which a packet uses certain algorithms to find all the necessary paths from its source to its destination. In this chapter, we look at routing algorithms and protocols both within one WAN (intradomain networking, or intranetworking) and beyond it (interdomain networking, or internetworking). This chapter covers the following main topics:

• Network-layer routing

• Classification of routing algorithms:

– least-cost-path algorithms

– non-least-cost-path routing ...