What is the maximum number of hops allowed by RIP?

RIP, or Routing Information Protocol, is a distance vector routing protocol that is commonly used in smaller networks. One of its key characteristics is that it has a limit on the number of hops that any route can have before it is considered unreachable. The maximum number of hops allowed by RIP is 15. Routes that are 16 hops away are treated as infinite and therefore considered unreachable. This hop limit is one of the reasons why RIP is not suitable for larger, more complex networks where the number of potential routing hops can exceed this limit.

Understanding this limit is essential for network design and routing decisions, especially when evaluating the suitability of RIP for a specific network size. Hence, the answer is correct in identifying that the maximum number of hops allowed by RIP is 15.