A Distance '''distance-vector routing protocol''' in [[data networks]] determines the best route for data packets based on distance. Distance-vector routing protocols measure the distance by the number of [[Router (computing)|routers]] a packet has to pass, one router counts as one hop. Some distance-vector protocols also take into account [[network latency]] and other factors that influence traffic on a given route. To determine the best route across a network, routers, on which a distance-vector protocol is implemented, exchange information with one another, usually [[routing tables]] plus hop counts for destination networks and possibly other traffic information. Distance-vector routing protocols also require that a router informs its neighbours of [[network topology]] changes periodically.
Distance-vector routing protocols use the [[Bellman–Ford algorithm]] and [[Ford–Fulkerson algorithm]] to calculate the best route. Another way of calculating the best route across a network is based on link cost, and is implemented through [[link-state routing protocol]]s.
