Route (command) explained
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
The command originated in 4.2BSD. It is not part of any UNIX standard, but the BSD interface is widely implemented.
Linux contains a version of the originally written by Fred N. van Kempen, later merged with [[netstat]]'s codebase (another command originating in 4.2BSD). It implements an extended syntax compared to the BSD version. 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]].
On macOS, the route utility is present but largely nonfunctional. Displaying the routing table is instead performed via netstat -nr.
Syntax
The BSD syntax is:route [-dnqtv] modifiers args]
The Linux syntax is:route [-nNvee] [-FC] [<AF>] # List kernel routing tablesroute [-v] [-FC] ... # Modify routing table for AF.route [<AF>] # Detailed usage syntax for specified AF.route # Display version/author and exit.
In other words, the basic route add and route del commands are portable.
Example
user@linux:~$ route -nKernel IP routing tableDestination Gateway Genmask Flags Metric Ref Use Iface192.168.101.0 192.168.102.102 255.255.255.0 UG 0 0 0 eth0192.168.102.0 0.0.0.0 255.255.255.0 U 0 0 0 eth0192.168.103.0 192.168.102.102 255.255.255.0 UG 0 0 0 eth0192.168.12.0 0.0.0.0 255.255.255.0 U 0 0 0 eth00.0.0.0 192.168.12.1 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
- -f: Clears the routing table
- -p: The route is added to the Windows Registry and is used to initialize the IP routing table whenever the TCP/IP protocol is started (only when used with the add command)
- Command: The command to run (add, change, delete, print)
- -4: Force using IPv4
- -6: Force using IPv6
- Destination: Network destination of the route
- mask Netmask: The netmask (subnet mask) associated with the network destination
- Gateway: The forwarding or next hop IP address over which the set of addresses defined by the network destination and subnet mask are reachable
- metric Metric: Integer cost metric (ranging from 1 to 9999) for the route
- if Interface: The index of the interface over which the destination is reachable
- /?: Command help
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
- -n: Bypasses translating IP addresses to symbolic host names
- -q: Suppresses all output
- -v: Verbose
- COMMAND: The command to run (add, delete, change, get, monitor, flush)
- -net: is a network address
- -host: is host name or address (default)
- -netmask: the mask of the route
- : IP address or host name of the destination
- : IP address or host name of the next-hop router
ReactOS
ReactOS is an open-source Windows clone. The implementation will eventually cover all options supported by Windows, but the current (as of 2025) version does not. It instead implements a subset of the options, a "poor man's route":[2]
Syntax
Print the route table:route printAdd a route:route add [mask <mask>] [metric <m>]Delete a route:route delete
See also
Further reading
External links
Notes and References
- Web site: Adding a TCP/IP Route to the Windows Routing Table . 2016-11-13 . 2016-11-13 . https://web.archive.org/web/20161113120145/http://www.howtogeek.com/howto/windows/adding-a-tcpip-route-to-the-windows-routing-table/ . dead .
- Web site: Reactos/Reactos. GitHub. 4 November 2021.
