Routing

Path selection in any network nodes and paths

Minimizes network failures by managing data traffic

Router - Connects computing devices to other networks

Functions

1. Path determination - Analyzes delay, capacity and speed
2. Data forwarding - Forwards data to next device and router may be on the same network or different network.
3. Load balancing - Send copies of same data packet by using multiple different paths to reduce errors due to data losses, create redudancy and manage traffic volume.

How it works

Types of routing

1. Static - Network admin uses static tables to manually configure and select network routes Flexibility and adaptability limits network performance
2. Dynamic - Routers create and updates tables based on actual network conditions. It adopts to network conditions i.e traffic volume, bandwith and network failure