✅ What is RIP?

RIP (Routing Information Protocol) is one of the oldest dynamic routing protocols. It helps routers find the best path to send data by counting the number of “hops” (the number of routers data must pass through).

• Layer: Works at Layer 3 (Network Layer)
• Metric: Uses hop count as the deciding factor
• Max Hops: 15 hops (anything beyond 15 is considered unreachable)

🚀 How Does RIP Work?

1. Routers Share Information: Every 30 seconds, routers send updates to their neighbors with a list of known networks and how many hops it takes to reach them.
2. Choosing the Best Path: The router picks the path with the fewest hops.
3. Updating Routes: If the network changes (like a router goes down), RIP takes time to learn the new path (this is called slow convergence).

✅ RIP Example (Simple Network)

Imagine three routers connected in a line:

PC1 → Router A → Router B → Router C → PC2

• Router A to PC2: 2 hops (A → B → C)
• If Router B fails, RIP will remove that route after 180 seconds, and data can’t reach PC2 (since it’s beyond 15 hops).