Which device makes routing decisions based on IP addresses?

Which device makes routing decisions based on IP addresses?

• A. Switch
• B. Router
• C. Bridge
• D. Hub

Answer: (B)

Routing decisions are made at the network layer by examining IP addresses. A router looks at the destination IP in each packet and uses its routing table to decide the next hop and which interface to forward it out of. This lets traffic move between different IP networks, even across multiple hops. In contrast, a switch forwards frames based on MAC addresses to devices on the same local network, and a bridge does similar Layer 2 forwarding between segments. A hub simply broadcasts all incoming signals to every port without using address information.

Routing decisions are made at the network layer by examining IP addresses. A router looks at the destination IP in each packet and uses its routing table to decide the next hop and which interface to forward it out of. This lets traffic move between different IP networks, even across multiple hops. In contrast, a switch forwards frames based on MAC addresses to devices on the same local network, and a bridge does similar Layer 2 forwarding between segments. A hub simply broadcasts all incoming signals to every port without using address information.