RIP Maximum Hop Count Explained | Generated by AI
Question: What is the maximum hop count in RIP?
Answer:
The correct answer is A) 15.
In Routing Information Protocol (RIP), the maximum hop count is 15. This means that any destination more than 15 hops away is considered unreachable, and RIP assigns a metric of 16 to such routes, marking them as infinite or invalid. This limitation was designed to prevent routing loops in smaller networks and to keep the protocol simple, as RIP is a distance-vector routing protocol.
- Option B) 16 is incorrect because 16 represents infinity (unreachable), not the maximum allowable hop count.
- Option C) 255 is the maximum hop count in Interior Gateway Routing Protocol (IGRP).
- Option D) Unlimited applies to protocols like OSPF or BGP, which do not impose a strict hop count limit.
This hop count restriction is a key characteristic of RIP (both RIPv1 and RIPv2) and explains why it is primarily suited for small to medium-sized networks.
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