In a network, which factor is used by a single routing protocol to determine the best path for data packet traversal when multiple paths to the same destination exist?
The metric is a quantitative value used by routing protocols to determine the most efficient path to route a packet to a destination. Metrics are important as they help dynamic routing protocols like OSPF or EIGRP decide the best path from multiple options learned via that same protocol. Metrics can be calculated using various factors like bandwidth, delay, hop count, or cost. For instance, OSPF uses a 'cost' based on bandwidth, while RIP uses hop count. "Administrative distance" is incorrect because it is used by a router to select the best path when routes to the same destination are learned from different routing protocols, not within a single protocol. "Bandwidth" is a component used to calculate the metric in some protocols (like OSPF) but is not the metric value itself. "Diverting traffic" describes an action or outcome of routing, not the selection criteria.
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What are routing protocols and how do they function?
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What are some common metrics used in routing protocols?
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How does the metric affect packet routing in OSPF?