What is the database on a router listing known networks and how to reach them called?

What is the database on a router listing known networks and how to reach them called?

• A. Routing Table
• B. ARP Table
• C. MAC Address Table
• D. Forwarding Table

Answer: (A)

A router’s routing table is a database of destination networks and how to reach them. Each entry specifies a network (with its subnet), the next-hop IP address or the exit interface to use, and often a metric that helps choose among multiple paths. When a packet arrives, the router looks up the destination IP, applies the longest-prefix match rule to find the most specific route, and then forwards the packet toward the next hop or directly out the selected interface. Routing tables are populated by dynamic routing protocols (like OSPF, EIGRP, BGP) or by static routes, and they typically include a default route for destinations not explicitly listed. ARP tables map IP addresses to MAC addresses on the local network, which is not about reachability to different networks. MAC address tables track which switch port a given MAC is reachable on, not routes to networks. A forwarding table describes the actual paths used to push packets through the device, often in hardware, but the map of known networks and how to reach them is provided by the routing table.

A router’s routing table is a database of destination networks and how to reach them. Each entry specifies a network (with its subnet), the next-hop IP address or the exit interface to use, and often a metric that helps choose among multiple paths. When a packet arrives, the router looks up the destination IP, applies the longest-prefix match rule to find the most specific route, and then forwards the packet toward the next hop or directly out the selected interface. Routing tables are populated by dynamic routing protocols (like OSPF, EIGRP, BGP) or by static routes, and they typically include a default route for destinations not explicitly listed.

ARP tables map IP addresses to MAC addresses on the local network, which is not about reachability to different networks. MAC address tables track which switch port a given MAC is reachable on, not routes to networks. A forwarding table describes the actual paths used to push packets through the device, often in hardware, but the map of known networks and how to reach them is provided by the routing table.