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Q: What is the RIP (Routing Information Protocol) and how does it work?

A: RIP is a distance-vector routing protocol used to exchange routing information within a LAN or WAN. It is a relatively simple protocol and is commonly used in smaller networks.

How RIP works:

  1. The network is divided into segments, each with a unique identifier called a network number.
  2. Each router maintains a routing table, which records the distance and next-hop router for different networks.
  3. Routers periodically broadcast their entire routing tables to their immediate neighbours.
  4. When a router receives a neighbour's table, it compares it to its own. If the neighbour offers a shorter path to a network, the router updates its table and broadcasts this new information.
  5. This process continues until all routers in the network have a consistent and updated view of the topology.