How IPX Routing Works 5-7
segment responds to the RIP request. The router’s response includes its
network and node address in the IPX header. If the sending node is a router
rather than a workstation, the router can get this information from its
internal routing tables and need not send a RIP request.
Once the sending node knows the router’s node address, it can send
packets to the destination node.
Router’s Responsibility
When a router receives an IPX packet, it handles the packet in one of the
following methods:
■If the packet is destined for a network number that the router is directly
connected to, the router performs the following:
aIt places the destination node address from the IPX header in the
destination address field of the MAC header.
bIt places its own node address in the source address field of the MAC
header.
cIt increments the Transport Control field of the IPX header and transmits
the packet on the destination node segment.
■If the router is not directly connected to the segment that the final
destination node resides on, it sends the packet to the next router in the
path to the destination node as follows:
aThe router places the node address of the next router in the destination
address field of the MAC header. This information is obtained from the
Routing Information Table.
bIt places its own node address in the source address field of the MAC
header.
cIt increments the Transport Control field in the IPX header and sends the
packet to the next router.