3Com LANPLEX 6000 User Manual page 56

3-10 C 3: C
HAPTER ONFIGURING
M A
ANAGEMENT CCESS
Each routing table entry contains the following information:
Destination IP Address and Subnet Mask
These elements define the address of the destination network, subnet, or
host. A route matches a given IP address if the bits in the IP address
corresponding to the bits set in the route subnet mask match the route
destination address. When forwarding a packet, if the switching module
finds more than one routing table entry matching an address (for example,
a route to the destination network and a route to the specific subnet within
that network), it will use the most specific route (that is, the route with the
most bits set in its subnet mask).
Routing Metric
This metric specifies the number of networks or subnets that a packet must
pass through to reach its destination. The switching module includes the
metric in its RIP updates to allow other routers to compare routing
information received from different sources.
Gateway IP Address
This address tells the router how to forward packets whose destination
address matches the route's IP address and subnet mask. The switching
module forwards such packets to the indicated gateway.
Status
The status of the route provides the information described in Table 3-2.
Table 3-2 Route Status
Status Description
Direct Route to a directly connected network
Static Route was statically configured
Learned Route was learned using indicated protocol
Timing out Route was learned but is partially timed out
Timed out Route has timed out and is no longer valid
In addition to the routes to specific destinations, the routing table may
contain an additional entry called the default route. The switching module
uses the default route to forward packets that do not match any other
routing table entry. You may want to use a default route in place of routes
to numerous destinations all having the same gateway IP address.
T T S
O HE YSTEM