What does the letter L stand for in the routing table?

• A. Local route interfaces
• B. Local route entries
• C. Local router
• D. Local address

Answer: (A)

L marks a local route: it represents the host route to the IP address assigned to one of the router’s interfaces. This lets the router deliver packets destined to its own interface address directly on that interface, rather than trying to forward them somewhere else. For example, if an interface is configured with 192.168.1.1, there will be a local route for that exact address (a /32) labeled L so the stack can handle packets addressed to 192.168.1.1 locally. This concept is best captured by the option describing Local route interfaces, since it refers to the routes that point to the router’s own interface addresses.