How does EIGRP measure the metric of a network?

• A. Bandwidth, delay, load, and reliability
• B. Hop Count
• C. Cost
• D. Bandwidth only

Answer: (A)

EIGRP uses a composite metric that combines several link characteristics to decide the best route. The metric isn’t based on a single factor like speed or hop count alone; it incorporates bandwidth, delay, reliability, and load. Bandwidth reflects the usable capacity of the path (often through the inverse of the minimum link bandwidth along the route), while delay sums the delays across the path. Reliability and load are optional factors that can influence the metric based on how stable and busy the links are, depending on the configured K-values. This multi-parameter approach is why listing all four components is the correct description of how EIGRP measures metric. Hop count is associated with RIP, not EIGRP, and bandwidth-only or cost alone would miss the other influences on path quality that EIGRP considers.