An extensive introduction to static routing is given in this article. The definition and how static routing works are covered first, along with the steps involved in manually creating a network path. In order to help users comprehend their particular applications, the text then delves into the many kinds of static routes, including default, summary, and floating static routes. The essay concludes by discussing the main advantages and disadvantages of static routing, including its lack of scalability and fault tolerance as well as its advantages like simplicity and security. For anyone wishing to comprehend the principles, workings, and trade-offs of employing static routing in a network, this makes it a perfect resource.
What is static route?
Unlike dynamic routing, where protocols automatically find and update network paths, static routing involves a network administrator manually configuring routes on a router. Together with default and dynamic routing, it is one of the three main routing techniques.
How Static Routing Works
Manual Configuration: The route for particular destination networks is expressly defined by a network administrator. This entails defining the next-hop IP address or interface that the traffic should pass through, as well as the destination network address and subnet mask.
Fixed Routes: Unless the administrator modifies them manually, once configured, these routes don’t change. They don’t adjust to traffic congestion, link outages, or modifications in network topology.
Routing Table: These manually specified routes are kept in a routing table that is maintained by each router. The router uses the static entries in its routing table to find the optimal path when a packet arrives.
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Which is a characteristic of static routes?
- Manual Configuration: The administrator enters and defines the routes.
- Non-Adaptive/Fixed Paths: In the event of network conditions, link failures, or traffic congestion, routes do not automatically adjust. For updates, manual involvement is necessary.
- Administrative Control: Traffic flow is entirely within the administrators’ control.
- Less Resource Consumption: Since static routing eliminates the need for intricate algorithms, continuous route updates, and bandwidth for route exchanges, it consumes very little CPU and bandwidth. This may make it possible to employ less costly routers.
- Increased Security: It offers increased security by avoiding route flapping and lowering vulnerability to routing-based attacks by not promoting routes across the network. Additionally, administrators have the ability to conceal limited network partitions and expressly determine which networks are routable.
- Predictability and Stability: Because routes are fixed and do not alter suddenly, network behaviour is quite predictable.
Advantages and disadvantages of static routing
Advantages of Static Routing
- Less Overhead: Compared to dynamic routing protocols, static routing uses less router CPU and network bandwidth and produces no routing update traffic. This may make it possible to employ less costly routers.
- Security: By giving the administrator specific control over which networks are routable, it improves security by enabling them to conceal network partitions that are limited. Because it doesn’t broadcast or multicast routing updates, which could otherwise be intercepted or injected into a network, static routing is regarded as being incredibly secure.
- Simplicity in Small Networks: Static routing is easy to construct and administer in small networks with simple designs and predictable traffic patterns.
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Disadvantages of Static Routing
- Administrative Overhead: The administrator must possess a thorough and precise awareness of the complete topology of the internetwork, including the connections between each router.
- Lack of Scalability: Because it would take a lot of time to manually configure and maintain each new network or topology change, static routing is not practical for big or dynamic networks.
- Lack of Fault Tolerance: Static routes are unable to respond to link failures on their own. The administrator must manually change the routes if a configured path fails. Traffic will continue to be routed to the unavailable network unless dynamic intervention is implemented.
Applications of Static Routing
Static routing has several uses despite its shortcomings in big networks:
- Small Networks: Perfect for networks with a limited number of subnets and routers.
- Stub Networks: Because they eliminate the overhead of dynamic routing, stub networks are utilized when routing from a larger network to a network that can be reached by a single link.
- By setting a default route or “gateway of last resort” for all packets that don’t match a more specific route in the routing table, default routes can be usefully specified.
- Backup Routes (Floating Static Routes): These serve as a fallback way that only activates in the event that the primary dynamic route fails, and they can be set up with a higher (worse) administrative distance than dynamically learnt routes.
- Ad Hoc Routes: For rapidly establishing short-term or targeted routes.
Types of Static Routes (IPv4 and IPv6)
Static routes are broken down into four subtopics for both IPv4 and IPv6 in the CCNA exam topics:
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Network Routes
Establish a path to a Class A, B, or C network as a whole or to a particular subnet. These include forwarding instructions and a prefix/prefix-length in IPv6.
Default Routes
These are utilised when a router is unable to match a packet’s IP address with a more precise route. All packets are matched before being forwarded to a designated outgoing interface or next-hop. The subnet and mask for IPv4 are set to 0.0.0.0 by the command. ::/0 is used as the destination for IPv6.
Host Routes
Set up a route to a single IP address using host routes. These routes employ a /32 mask for IPv4 and a /128 mask for IPv6. In general, host routes are the least popular kind of static routes.
Floating Static Routes
As previously stated, floating static routes are static routes that are set up with a greater (worse) administrative distance than the main routes that are dynamically learnt. As a result, they can serve as backup routes that only activate in the event that the main route fails.
Configuration and Administrative Distance
Either an outgoing interface or a next-hop IP address can be used to establish static routes. To get around problems like using proxy ARP on the nearby router, it’s usually preferable to use a next-hop IP address. The Cisco commandip route 10.2.2.0 255.255.255.0 10.1.1.2 is an example of how to set up a static route. 10.2.2.0, where the next-hop IP address is 10.1.1.2, the subnet mask is 255.255.255.0.
