Networking & Internet
Hop
Definition
In networking, a hop is one portion of the path between a source and destination. When data is passed from one network segment to the next, such as from one router to another, it is considered a hop.
Why It Matters
The number of hops can affect network latency. Each router that a packet passes through must process it, which adds a small delay. A higher hop count generally means higher latency.
Contextual Example
A `traceroute` command shows the sequence of hops a packet takes to reach its destination. Each line in the traceroute output represents one hop.
Common Misunderstandings
- The "hop count" is the number of routers a packet passes through.
- The "Time to Live" (TTL) field in an IP packet is used to limit its lifetime and prevent it from looping forever. Each hop decrements the TTL, and the packet is discarded if the TTL reaches zero.