👉 Forwarding, also known as forwarding tables or forwarding lists, is a crucial mechanism in computer networks that enhances the efficiency of data transmission. When a packet travels through a network, it may need to traverse multiple routers to reach its destination. Instead of every router examining the packet's destination IP address and forwarding it directly, forwarding tables store mappings between source IP addresses and the next hop router. When a packet arrives at a router, the router consults its forwarding table to determine which router should forward the packet based on the destination IP address. This process reduces unnecessary routing table lookups, minimizes latency, and optimizes network resource usage, thereby improving overall network performance and scalability.
