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Difficulty: MediumRouting Concepts and Dynamic Routing Protocols

A network administrator is reviewing dynamic routing protocol operational characteristics during an enterprise network redesign. Which of the following statements correctly compare link-state and distance-vector routing protocols? (Select TWO.)

  1. Link-state protocols maintain a full network topology map by exchanging link-state updates, whereas distance-vector protocols pass full or partial routing tables only to directly connected neighbors.Answer
  2. B
    Distance-vector protocols operate strictly at Layer 2 to evaluate physical frame delivery, whereas link-state protocols operate strictly at Layer 4 by mapping TCP port connections.
  3. Link-state protocols typically achieve faster network convergence than distance-vector protocols because each router independently computes optimal paths using Dijkstra's Shortest Path First algorithm.Answer
  4. D
    Distance-vector protocols require Port Address Translation (PAT) to multiplex routing update packets across single public IP addresses at every hop.

Answer

Link-state protocols maintain a full network topology map by exchanging link-state updates while distance-vector protocols pass routing information only to directly connected neighbors, and link-state protocols converge faster because routers independently run Dijkstra's algorithm.
Link-state protocols (e.g., OSPF) exchange link status information to build a comprehensive map of the entire network topology and run Dijkstra's algorithm to converge rapidly when link states change. Distance-vector protocols (e.g., RIP) exchange routing tables directly with connected neighbors and process updates sequentially, resulting in slower convergence.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze how topology awareness differs between protocol types.
Link-state protocols maintain a full topology map of the area (via LSAs), while distance-vector protocols rely on neighbor-provided routing tables (routing by rumor).
This is a fundamental architectural distinction between link-state and distance-vector protocol operation.
2
Analyze convergence mechanisms and calculation methods.
Link-state protocols react rapidly to state changes by recalculating paths using the Dijkstra Shortest Path First algorithm on local topology maps, achieving faster convergence.
Independent local calculation leads to significantly faster convergence than distance-vector hop-by-hop convergence mechanisms.
3
Evaluate OSI layer and NAT/PAT claims in the distractors.
Dynamic routing protocols evaluate Layer 3 logical network paths; they do not operate at Layer 2/Layer 4 frame/port headers or depend on Port Address Translation.
Routing protocols govern Layer 3 IP path selection.

Key Concept

Link-State vs. Distance-Vector Dynamic Routing Characteristics
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Topics

Routing Concepts and Dynamic Routing Protocols

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