|  | 11.5 | Routing Protocols
| 11.5.1 | Examples of routing protocols

Routing protocols (Note: Do not confuse with routed protocols.) determine the paths that routed protocols follow to their destinations. Examples of routing protocols include the Routing Information Protocol (RIP), the Interior Gateway Routing Protocol (IGRP), the Enhanced Interior Gateway Routing Protocol (EIGRP), and Open Shortest Path First (OSPF).

Routing protocols enable routers that are connected to create a map, internally, of other routers in the network or on the Internet. This allows routing (i.e. selecting the best path, and switching) to occur. Such maps become part of each router's routing table.