IP addresses and routing
All computers connected to a network, such as the Internet, require an IP address. Without an IP address, a computer on the Internet or an intranet cannot be located. IP addresses consist of four segments, separated by a period. Each segment has a range of 0-255. An example of an IP address is 120.52.17.13.
Note
You can use the Ifconfig command in Corel LINUX to determine the IP address of your computer. You must be the root user to use this command. For information about the root account, see the Corel LINUX User Guide.
Data routing
Routing refers to the most efficient path used to send data packets. The shortest path is usually the most desirable because it reduces the time it takes for a data packet to reach its destination. On smaller networks, the route is usually fixed, meaning that a fixed number of computers are involved in sending data packets. On larger networks, data packets are sent from one computer to another, until the destination is reached.
Routing tables are used when data packets are sent across the network. A routing table is a file that keeps track of the path that the data packet takes. The routing table is maintained by routing protocols. The routing table is comprised of the following five fields:
Destinationcontains the IP address of each computer the data packet encounters. Every time a data packet is sent to a computer, the IP address of the computer is added to this field.
Distancecontains information about the distance from the source to destination. The distance is measured by the number of hops the data packet has to take. A hop is defined as a data packet moving from one computer to another computer.
Flagscontains information, used by TCP/IP, about the route status
Next router{bmc emdash.bmp}contains the IP address of the next computer the data packet will be sent to
Interfacescontains information on how to transmit the data packet to the next computer on the network