What is the administrative distance (AD) of RIP?

The administrative distance (AD) for Routing Information Protocol (RIP) is 120. In the context of routing protocols, administrative distance is a measure used to rate the trustworthiness of the route sources. The lower the AD, the more trusted the route.

RIP, being a distance vector routing protocol, has a higher AD compared to more advanced and reliable protocols like OSPF and EIGRP, which have AD values of 110 and 90, respectively. The AD of 120 for RIP reflects its position as a less preferred routing option when multiple protocols are available. This value helps network devices decide which routing protocol to prefer when multiple paths to the same destination exist. Understanding this concept is crucial for effective network management and routing configurations in a Cisco environment.