Routing Information Protocol (RIP)

Routing Information Protocol (RIP) is a basic method used in computer networks to determine the best paths for data to travel. It helps routers share information about available routes to different destinations. RIP works by counting the number of "hops" (or steps) it takes to reach a destination; fewer hops are preferred. If a route becomes unavailable, routers will update each other, helping the network find new paths. While effective for small networks, RIP has limitations in larger environments due to its slow updating process and maximum hop count of 15, beyond which destinations are considered unreachable.