route
Developer(s)Fred N. van Kempen, Microsoft, IBM, ReactOS Contributors
Operating systemUnix-like, OS/2, Microsoft Windows, ReactOS
PlatformCross-platform
TypeCommand
LicenseOS/2, Windows: Proprietary commercial software
ReactOS: GPLv2

In computing, route is a command used to view and manipulate the IP routing table in Unix-like and Microsoft Windows[1] operating systems and also in IBM OS/2 and ReactOS.[2] Manual manipulation of the routing table is characteristic of static routing.

Implementations

Unix and Unix-like

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. Route for Linux was originally written by Fred N. van Kempen.[3]

Syntax

The command-syntax is:

route [-nNvee] [-FC] [<AF>]           List kernel routing tables
route [-v] [-FC] {add|del|flush} ...  Modify routing table for AF.
route {-h|--help} [<AF>]              Detailed usage syntax for specified AF.
route {-V|--version}                  Display version/author and exit.

Example

user@linux:~$ route -n
Kernel IP routing table
Destination     Gateway         Genmask         Flags Metric Ref    Use Iface
192.168.101.0   192.168.102.102 255.255.255.0   UG    0      0        0 eth0
192.168.102.0   0.0.0.0         255.255.255.0   U     0      0        0 eth0
192.168.103.0   192.168.102.102 255.255.255.0   UG    0      0        0 eth0
192.168.12.0    0.0.0.0         255.255.255.0   U     0      0        0 eth0
0.0.0.0         192.168.12.1    0.0.0.0         UG    0      0        0 eth0

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:

route [-f] [-p] [-4|-6] [Command [Destination] [mask Netmask] [Gateway] metric Metric if Interface

Parameters

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:

route [-nqv] [COMMAND] [[MODIFIERS] args]

Parameters

ReactOS

Syntax

Print the route table:

route print

Add a route:

route add <target> [mask <mask>] <gw> [metric <m>]

Delete a route:

route delete <target> <gw>

See also

Further reading

References