RIP in Operation

Thu Sep 16 16:13:22 UTC 2004

> However, there is text in the RFC 2453 that states that RIP can use
> this message to request specific networks also. It also states that
> such a request can only be made by a diagonistic software and cannot
> be used for routing. My doubt is, how can a diagnostic software, use
> the services of RIP for doing that?

This allows a remote node to obtain the routing table information from
a remote router in a simple manner.

>
> I assume (please correct me if i am wrong) that the RIP requests are
> only then, used for requesting the entire routing tables, and nothing
> else. The 'diagnostics' story sounds too far fetched to me!
>

Sorry, no.  The thinking at the time was that this was a good way to 
debug
routing problems.  Of course, this was in the pre-traceroute days.

Tony