Routing

Routing is meant when a computer exists that passes messages from your computer to the Internet. On the Internet between you and your friend a series of routers can exist that shuffle your message on to its destination.

Routers have to be aware of certain protocols that allow them to make the decision where to hand off the packet. Say a link is severed out the one link and the router needs to make the decision to channel the packets out the backup link. A status on the link tells the router that a link is down, sometimes they have to run a heartbeat such as a simple ping packet to the other end to make out a downed host.