Dictionary · Linux and Windows Commands
route
Addressing · Intermediate
Shows or changes the table a host uses to choose the next hop. Windows can print that table directly. Linux more often asks the modern address utility for the same table.
The table tells the computer which gateway receives traffic for each destination. A missing default entry explains why local servers work and the Internet does not.
Example: route print on Windows, or ip route on Linux, shows the default gateway and the directly connected subnets.
Command
Platform: route print on Windows; ip route on Linux
route print
A destination of 0.0.0.0 with a mask of 0.0.0.0 is the Windows default route. Its gateway should be on the host's own subnet.
Common misconception
- Changing the table affects that host. It does not reconfigure the company's routers.