Routing protocols perform vital work in every communication network. In an IP network, the main function of routing protocols is to forward packets received from one network node to another. Routing in a communication network refers to the transmission of data from source to destination by skipping one or more hops. Routing protocols work by providing at least two services; selecting the best paths between the source and destination nodes and successfully transmitting the data to a specific destination. The routing protocol is a combination of processes, algorithms, and messages that allow routers to exchange routing information. Based on routing algorithms, routing protocols are capable of discovering available routes, building routing tables, making routing decisions, and exchanging information with each other. Routing algorithms use several metrics based on certain properties of a route that help determine the best path to reach a destination network. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay When dealing with larger communication networks, dynamic routing is preferred over static routing. Both static and dynamic routing are just two ways that routers can learn information about remote networks. In static routing, each network route must be entered into the routing table by the network administrator. In dynamic routing, similar routing protocols are configured on routers to allow them to discover remote networks. Both routing methods have advantages and disadvantages. In a smaller network, updating the routing tables will be easier for the network administrator. However, on a larger network, doing so will be very difficult and time consuming. Therefore it is necessary to use dynamic routing protocols. Using dynamic routing protocols on larger networks saves time but also consumes network resources. Dynamic routing protocols are also more scalable; something that allows them to automatically adapt to any changes in the network topology. For example, when a new network is added to the existing one, dynamic routing protocols can automatically discover the new network. Additionally, in the event of a node or path failure, they are able to determine alternate routes and retransmit traffic through these routes with minimal disruption. Scalability is not the same for all routing protocols. Some protocols are more scalable than others. Scalability of the routing protocol is essential when considering the current growth rate of the network. Therefore, when deciding which routing protocol to implement on a network, you need to consider the most scalable protocol. Routing protocols are grouped into two types. These are the Internal Gateway Protocols (IGP) and the External Gateway Protocols (EGP). Internal gateway protocols are used to allow routers to exchange routing information with each other in the same autonomous systems (AS). An AS consists of a group of networks managed exclusively by a single organization.