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Understanding IP Routing Concept
Understanding IP Routing Concept Article covers the following CCNA/ICND1 Exam Topics:
Under Operation of IP Data Networks:
1. Recognize the purpose and functions of various network devices such as Routers, Switches, Bridges, and Hubs.
2. Select the components required to meet a given network specification.
3. Predict the data flow between two hosts across a network.
Under IP Routing Technologies:
1. Differentiate methods of routing and routing protocols such Static vs. Dynamic.
Recommended Study Plan:
1. Download the ICND1v2 Exam Topics Sheet from Cisco Website.
2. Follow the Steps and the Articles under IP Networks Fundamentals by order.
Average Time Required Studying this Article: 1 Hour
Packets Routing and Frame Forwarding Concept
Please Note: I have used the word Routing Packets with Layer 3 (which it does) and the word Forwarding Frames
with Layer 2 to distinguish between the 2 operations. In the end, Routing and Forwarding means the same thing, but
it doesnt make sense to use Routing at the Data-link Layer, therefore, I used Forwarding instead.
So what is IP Routing?
IP Routing is an umbrella term, it refers to a set of protocols to determine the best path that an IP Packet can follow in
order to travel across multiple networks from its source to its destination. The set of protocols run together at the
Network Layer to help hosts and routers route IP packets. IP Routing will involve too many network devices to
accomplish an IP Packets Routing. Switches, Firewall, and Routers all of them will be involved to Route the IP
Packet.
Network Layer deals with ONE major protocol to Route Packets
Network Layer defines set of functions based on One Major Logical Protocol. There are two versions of this logical
protocol where other layer 3 functions revolve. IPv4 and IPv6, both define network layer routing functions, but with
different details for each. This article focuses on IPv4. Internet Protocol (IPv4), and as a Layer 3 protocol, focuses on
Routing or guiding the IP packets that carry the Data from the upper Layers as source device to the destination
device using Dotted Decimal Notation known by Logical Addressing or IP Addressing System, then IPv4 Routing
handle the Packets to the Data-Link for Framing and finally Physical Layer for transmitting frames as Bit Stream.
What are the required components for IPv4 Routing to happen?
1. The Router itself the Hardware Piece
2. Router Operating System Internet Operating System (IOS)
3. IP Addressing System based on Dotted Decimal Notation
4. Routing Protocols such OSPF or EIGRP creates and maintains an Internet Road Map using IP Addressing
System as reference Points
Now, Routers can guide what is called IP Packet to reach its final destination using an Internet Road Map built by
OSPF or EIGRP using IPv4 Addressing System.
IP Routing vs. GPS Routing
If GPS Routing guide Human to drive from point A to point B, then IP Routing guide Routers to Route IP Packets from
point A to point B. If Human understand how to use GPS Road Map, then Routers running Routing Protocols such
OSPF or EIGRP understand how to use Internet Road Map.
Routing Protocols
Create, maintain, and present to the Router an Internet Road Map using IP Addressing System similar to GPS Map
Reference Points. Every Router loaded with the required components understand IP Routing Internet MAP. Routers
can be dedicated Hardware like Cisco or Software base running in Linux box using the same exact Routing Protocols
to create, maintain, and present Internet MAP for the Router to use.
A Road MAP system like GPS device wont really care which method you would use to reach point B, rather, it cares
how to represent the right and the closest path to reach point B; its up to you to choose which moving method to use,
you can walk, fly, ride a bus, car, or train, hence, different Layer! So, Network Layer uses a Universal logical Protocol
called either IPv4 or IPv6 to manage the IP Addressing System; Routing Protocols in the other hand such OSPF and
EIGRP Create and Maintain an Internet Road MAP using the IP Addressing System as Reference Points called:
Public IP Addresses.
IPv4 or IPv6 logical addresses are used to route packets from point A to point B across different types of networks
regardless of their physical structure type. Imagine that your job is to route people from point A to point B as tourist
guide, what will always concern you the most is your MAP accuracy and not how the people will be riding or walking
from point A to Point B. There will be another guy (A Data-Link Protocol) who would instruct the tourist to dress special
shoes maybe at certain areas and to ride a special car maybe (Physical Cabling) to tour around special Mountain
areas.
Finally IPv4 manage Logical Addressing or IP Addressing combined with Routing Protocols such OSPF or EIGRP is
similar to GPS System combined with Satellite geographical reference points, but it guides IP Packets instead of
Humans.
How Routers pick the Best Route from their IP Routing Table
Routers logic uses a database table called IP Routing Table, to route Packets from Public IP Address to another
Public IP Address, or from Network to Network; the routing table lists IP addresses as groups or blocks, called IP
Networks (referring to Classful Addressing) or IP Subnets (referring to Classless Addressing) and some of these
addresses were directly learned due to directly and physically connected Networks, and some were learned using
Dynamic and Multicasting Routing Protocols such OSPF or EIGRP.
IP Routing Table can be filled as follows:
1. Static Route Entries: Routing tables can be filled manually by the Network Engineer.
2. Directly Connected Route Entries: Physically connected links entries automatically get populated by the router
once you configure the IP address on the interface.
3. Dynamic Route Entries: Routing Protocol such OSPF or EIGRP is used to shout and inform all neighbors routers
about its directly connected routes
*One of the main and major jobs of the any Routing Protocol is: to dynamically shout and Multicast the physically
connected routes to other routers, so they can fill their Routing Table with Entries to build an Internet MAP.
When a router receives an IP packet at its Network Layer, it compares the packets destination IP address to the
entries on the Routing Table and makes a match. This matching entry also lists directions such the exit or via
interface to tell the router where to route the packet next.
How Routers Route IP Packets?
When the frame arrives, the router uses the following logic on the data link frame:
Step 1: Use the data link Frame Check Sequence (FCS) field to ensure that the frame had no error; of errors
occurred, discard the frame.
Step 2: If the frame was not discarded at Step 1, de-encapsulate the frame by striping and discarding its old data link
header and trailer, leaving the IP packet.
Step 3: Compares the IP packets destination IP address to the routing table, and find the route that best matches the
destination address. In addition, this route will identify its outgoing interface or exit at the router.
Step 4: Once routing decision is made, encapsulates the IP packet inside a new data link header and trailer (New
Frame), with source MAC address of the outgoing interface and a destination MAC address based on Address
Resolution Protocol (ARP) table, and forward the frame to the next-hop. The next-hop is the receiving router, and its
destination MAC address indicates its interface.
Note: keep in mind that routers sometimes uses WAN links with protocol either HDLC or PPP, in this case they dont
use source or destination MAC address, instead, they use different method then MAC address. Routers use MAC
addresses to route Packets when Ethernet Standards is used.
PC Routing the Packet
All network devices such Routers and PCs work together to perform IP routing. The hosts OS has software TCP/IP
stack, PCs use this software networking model to choose where to send IP packets, oftentimes to a nearby router if
the host they are trying to reach is located on different Subnet and Routers make choices of where to send the IP
packet next. Together, hosts and routers deliver the IP packet to the correct destination.
How a PC uses some simple routing logic when choosing where to send an IP Packet:
Step 1: If the destination IP address is in the same IP subnet as I am, forward the packet directly to the destination
host using MAC forwarding. No need for default gateway routing. Hint: IP is always needed in either case, so hosts
can learn MAC addresses from each other.
Step 2: Otherwise, route the IP packet to my default gateway as next-hop (using MAC forwarding) for further routing.
Address Resolution Protocol (ARP)
Any network device initially needs the help of Address Resolution Protocol (ARP) to be able to Route Packets either
internally or outside the Network. ARP as a Network Layer feature is used only for Ethernet network devices to learn
MAC addresses from each other. PCs and Routers must have some way to decide what MAC address to use while
building the frame on the downstream of TCP/IP stack. ARP dynamically learns the data link (MAC) addresses of
hosts/routers connected to LAN through broadcast address ffff.ffff.ffff. ARP cache guides the Data-Link Layer to
assign destination and source MAC addresses while building the frames.
PC1s ARP learning R3s MAC address for the first time Detailed Steps
In order to send to outside Networks such a web-server, PC1 knows that it has to send its packets through default
gateway (R3) to reach the web-server. Therefore, and for the first time, it will send out an ARP broadcast message
asking R3 for its MAC address. R3 receives the broadcast message and replies with its f1/0 interface MAC address.
Later, when PC1 wants to route packets to web-server through R3, it will include the IP address of web-server as
destination IP address at the Network Layer, and includes the MAC address of R3 as destination MAC address at the
Data-Link Layer.
Step1: PC1s Network Layer creates an IP packet with R3s destination IP address (192.168.1.1) and PC1s source
IP address (192.168.1.100) calling ARP for broadcasting mission
Step2: PC1 Data-Link receives, analyze, and encapsulates the IP packet as frame, adds a broadcast destination
MAC address (FFFF.FFFF.FFFF) as unknown receiver, adds the PC source MAC address as a sender, and finally
forwards the frame using PC1 NIC interface as outgoing interface through the physical layer heading to R3 as next-
hop.
Step3: SW2 receives the frame and floods any broadcast message from all ports except the incoming port, as a
result, R3 receives the ARP broadcast frame and replies back to PC1 by its MAC address (3001.2222.2222), PC1s
ARP saves R3s MAC address in its cache table and uses it for any outside routing from now on.
In the figure above, PC1 requests a web-page from the Web-server, PC1 does some analysis, and then chooses to
route the IP packet to the near router (R3) so that R3 will forward the packet to the next-hop. PC1 analyzes the
destination IP address of the web-server and realize that web-server address (172.16.10.20) is not on the same LAN
as PC1. So, PC1s TCP/IP logic tells the PC you must route the packet to a nearby router which located on the same
LAN called Default Gateway.
To route the IP packet through default gateway, PC1 forwards a data link frame across the medium to the nearby
router; this frame includes the packet in the data portion of the frame. That frame uses data link layer destination
MAC address of R3 as next-hop in the data link header to ensure that nearby router receives the frame for further
processing.
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About Imad Daou
He is the founder of CCNA HUB, a CCNA Training HUB to help CCNA students get certified. Imad has more than 10
years of IT experience as Field Service and Consulting Engineer. A+, Network+, Server+, Security+, Storage+, HP,
Dell, and IBM Hardware Certified. He's a Professional SMB IT Consultant.
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