Cisco Certified Network Professional 2025 – 400 Free Practice Questions to Pass the Exam

Distance Vector Protocols are characterized by their method of operation, which includes sending full routing tables at regular intervals to other routers on the network. This broadcasting of the entire routing table allows neighboring routers to understand the complete path information available. Unlike Link State Protocols, which only send updates about changes in network topology, Distance Vector Protocols maintain a simpler approach that is often easier to implement but can lead to slower convergence times.

In the context of networking, convergence refers to the process of all routers in a network agreeing on the best paths to all destinations. Therefore, while these protocols do indeed utilize interval-based updates, the method can lead to increased bandwidth consumption, especially in very large networks, as full routing information is transmitted periodically.

Understanding this characteristic is vital for network design, as it helps in determining the most suitable routing protocol for a particular scenario, taking into account factors such as network size, complexity, and convergence requirements.