Dictionary · Networking Fundamentals
Routing
Forwarding · Beginner
Forwarding packets between networks by consulting a route table and choosing a next hop. Routers rewrite the link-layer frame as they forward the packet.
This process decides the next step toward a distant network. The Internet address stays the destination, while each hop builds a new local frame for the next link.
Example: A branch router has a default route to the headquarters firewall and a more specific route to the finance subnet.
Common misconception
- Choosing a path is not the same as switching frames inside one subnet.