TCP/IP Network Administration, 3rd Edition

Chapter 7. Configuring Routing

Routing is the glue that binds the Internet together. Without it, TCP/IP traffic is limited to a single physical network. Routing allows traffic from your local network to reach its destination somewhere else in the world—perhaps after passing through many intermediate networks.

The important role of routing and the complex interconnection of Internet networks make the design of routing protocols a major challenge to network software developers. Consequently, most discussions of routing concern protocol design. Very little is written about the important task of properly configuring routing protocols. However, more day-to-day problems are caused by improperly configured routers than by improperly designed routing algorithms. As system administrators, we need to ensure that the routing on our systems is properly configured. This is the task we tackle in this chapter.

Common Routing Configurations

First, we must make a distinction between routing and routing protocols. All systems route data, but not all systems run routing protocols. Routing is the act of forwarding datagrams based on the information contained in the routing table. Routing protocols are programs that exchange the information used to build routing tables.

A network’s routing configuration does not always require a routing protocol. In situations where the routing information does not change—for example, when there is only one possible route—the system administrator usually builds the routing ...