---
title: Routing Algorithms
description: Routing algorithms determine the optimal paths for data packets to travel across a network. Learners will understand how link-state, distance-vector, and path-vector algorithms function, including protocols like OSPF, RIP, and BGP.
category: programming-tech
subcategory: computer-networks
difficulty: beginner, intermediate, advanced
url: /subject/routing-algorithms
---

# Routing Algorithms

Routing algorithms determine the optimal paths for data packets to travel across a network. Learners will understand how link-state, distance-vector, and path-vector algorithms function, including protocols like OSPF, RIP, and BGP.

## Where to start

Start with Khan Academy - Internet Routing, free, beginner-level interactive lessons on how the internet routes data. If you only use one resource, make it Routing TCP/IP, Volume 1 by Jeff Doyle and Jennifer DeHaven Carroll, a book-length reference on TCP/IP routing. For the shortest-path algorithms underneath, take the Routing Algorithms course on Coursera, which covers algorithms on graphs.

## Available Resources

1 Books • 2 Courses • 1 Websites

## Websites

### 1. Khan Academy - Internet Routing

Short Khan Academy article explaining how routers forward packets across the internet: routing tables, hops, choosing paths between networks, and how routes adapt when links fail. Gives beginners a clear mental model of internet routing without math.

**Difficulty:** Beginner | **Price:** Free

**Link:** https://www.khanacademy.org/computing/computers-and-internet/xcae6f4a7ff015e7d:the-internet/xcae6f4a7ff015e7d:packets-and-routing/a/routing

**Tags:** internet-routing, computer-networks, packet-switching

## Courses

### 1. The Bits and Bytes of Computer Networking

Introductory course from Google's IT Support certificate on how computer networks work, covering the five-layer TCP/IP model, Ethernet, IP addressing and subnetting, TCP and UDP, DNS and DHCP, NAT, and troubleshooting tools. Learners can explain and diagnose everyday network connectivity problems.

**Difficulty:** Beginner | **Price:** Free

**Link:** https://www.coursera.org/learn/computer-networking

**Tags:** computer-networking, tcp-ip, ip-addressing, dns, dhcp, network-troubleshooting

### 2. Routing Algorithms

UC San Diego and HSE course on graph algorithms: graph representation, exploration and connectivity, topological sort, strongly connected components, shortest paths with BFS, Dijkstra, and Bellman-Ford, and minimum spanning trees. Learners implement each algorithm in programming assignments.

**Difficulty:** Intermediate | **Language:** English | **Price:** Free

**Link:** https://www.coursera.org/learn/algorithms-on-graphs

**Tags:** courses, technology-computer-science, computer-networks

## Books

### 1. Routing TCP/IP, Volume 1

**Author:** Jeff Doyle, Jennifer DeHaven Carroll

Cisco Press reference on interior routing protocols: IP addressing, static routing, RIP and RIPv2, EIGRP, OSPF, and IS-IS, plus route redistribution and filtering. Readers learn how distance-vector and link-state algorithms build and maintain routing tables.

**Difficulty:** Intermediate | **Language:** English | **Price:** Paid

**Link:** https://www.amazon.com/dp/1587052024?tag=edmonddante07-20

**Tags:** books, technology-computer-science, computer-networks

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