Routing Information Protocol is a dynamic vector routing protocol. It uses hop counts to measure the distance between networks. Hop means router, each router between the source and destination is given value, and entries are added and updated in the routing table.

ARouting information protocol used to minimize the loops by limiting route hops. RIP uses IGP to send routing updates to other routers if the network topology changes. Disadvantage of RIP is it has a maximum hop count of only 15.

IGRP allows network devices to exchange improtant data regarding the advertisements of routes. Routers using igrp to send the routing updates to other routers every 90 secs and are not burdened by the hop-count limitations set by tip.

IGRP providing the following features :

• It provides scalability
• It updates the network during network topology changes.
• also supports multiple paths between source and destination.
• And it displays the calculations based on bandwidth, delay,loading,reliability, and MTU factors.
• Also provides poison reverse, split horizon, holddowns and flash updates.

A number between 0 and 255 that expresses the level of trustworthiness of a routing information source. The lower the number, the higher integrity rating.