<P> In computer networking a routing table, or routing information base (RIB), is a data table stored in a router or a networked computer that lists the routes to particular network destinations, and in some cases, metrics (distances) associated with those routes . The routing table contains information about the topology of the network immediately around it . The construction of routing tables is the primary goal of routing protocols . Static routes are entries made in a routing table by non-automatic means and which are fixed rather than being the result of some network topology "discovery" procedure . </P> <P> A routing table uses the same idea that one does when using a map in package delivery . Whenever a node needs to send data to another node on a network, it must first know where to send it . If the node cannot directly connect to the destination node, it has to send it via other nodes along a proper route to the destination node . Most nodes do not try to figure out which route (s) might work; instead, a node will send an IP packet to a gateway in the LAN, which then decides how to route the "package" of data to the correct destination . Each gateway will need to keep track of which way to deliver various packages of data, and for this it uses a Routing Table . A routing table is a database which keeps track of paths, like a map, and allows the gateway to provide this information to the node requesting the information . </P>

Where is routing information stored in most routers