computer science

Route (command)

Route (command) is a computer science topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Route (command) rather than just read about it. In short: In computing, route is a command used to view and manipulate the IP routing table in Unix-like and Microsoft Windows operating systems and also in IBM OS/2 and ReactOS. Manual manipulation of the routing table is characteristic of static routing.

Key takeaways

Route (command) belongs to computer science; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect Route (command) to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Route (command) from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

In computing, route is a command used to view and manipulate the IP routing table in Unix-like and Microsoft Windows operating systems and also in IBM OS/2 and ReactOS. Manual manipulation of the routing table is characteristic of static routing.

Implementations

Unix and Unix-like The route command originated in 4.2BSD. It is not part of any UNIX standard, but the BSD interface is widely implemented. Linux contains a version of the route originally written by Fred N. van Kempen, later merged with netstat's codebase (another command originating in 4.2BSD). It implements an extended syntax compared to the BSD version. In Linux distributions based on 2.2.x Linux kernels, the ifconfig and route commands are operated together to connect a computer to a network, and to define routes between computer networks. Distributions based on later kernels have deprecated ifconfig and route, replacing them with iproute2. On macOS, the route utility is present but largely nonfunctional. Displaying the routing table is instead performed via netstat -nr.

Syntax The BSD syntax is:

The Linux syntax is:

In other words, the basic route add and route del commands are portable.

Example

Microsoft Windows The command is only available if the TCP/IP protocol is installed as a component in the properties of a network adapter.

Syntax The command-syntax is:

Parameters -f: Clears the routing table -p: The route is added to the Windows Registry and is used to initialize the IP routing table whenever the TCP/IP protocol is started (only when used with the add command) Command: The command to run (add, change, delete, print) -4: Force using IPv4 -6: Force using IPv6 Destination: Network destination of the route mask Netmask: The netmask (subnet mask) associated with the network destination Gateway: The forwarding or next hop IP address over which the set of addresses defined by the network destination and subnet mask are reachable metric Metric: Integer cost metric (ranging from 1 to 9999) for the route if Interface: The index of the interface over which the destination is reachable /?: Command help The -p parameter is only supported on Windows NT 4.0, Windows 2000, Windows Millennium Edition, and Windows XP. It is not supported on Windows 95 or Windows 98.

IBM OS/2

Syntax The command-syntax is:

Parameters -n: Bypasses translating IP addresses to symbolic host names -q: Suppresses all output -v: Verbose COMMAND: The command to run (add, delete, change, get, monitor, flush) -net: <dest> is a network address -host: <dest> is host name or address (default) -netmask: the mask of the route <dest>: IP address or host name of the destination <gateway>: IP address or host name of the next-hop router

ReactOS ReactOS is an open-source Windows clone. The route implementation will eventually cover all options supported by Windows, but the current (as of 2025) version does not. It instead implements a subset of the options, a "poor man's route":

Syntax Print the route table:

Add a route:

Delete a route:

See also Routing table Internet Protocol Suite iproute2 BusyBox

Further reading Stanek, William R. (2004). Microsoft Windows Command-Line Administrator's Pocket Consultant. ISBN 0-735-62038-5. John Paul Mueller (2007). Windows Administration at the Command Line for Windows Vista, Windows 2003, Windows XP, and Windows 2000. John Wiley & Sons. ISBN 978-0470165799.

References

External links

route(8) – 4.2BSD System Manager's Manual route(8) – Linux Administration and Privileged Commands Manual route(8) – FreeBSD System Manager's Manual route(8) – Solaris 11.4 System Administration Commands Reference Manual route - on technet.microsoft.com

Illustrations

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Route (command)

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Route (command) claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In computer science, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Route (command) before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Route (command) ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Route (command)

In research: Route (command) appears in computer science research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Route (command) in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Route (command) is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Internet Protocol based network software, OS/2 commands, Routing, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Route (command) outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study Route (command) in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Route (command) means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain Route (command) out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Route (command) in simple terms?

Why does Route (command) matter?

Because it connects several computer science ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Route (command)?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Route (command).