What does a routing table contain?

A routing table is a crucial component in networking that holds information about the routes to specific network destinations. It essentially enables routers and other network devices to determine where to forward packets of data based on the destination IP address. Each entry in a routing table specifies a destination network, the associated next hop address, and possibly a metric that indicates the cost or preference associated with that route.

In practice, routing tables are dynamically populated and updated using routing protocols, which help ensure that data can be efficiently delivered across potentially complex networks. This operational capacity is fundamental for maintaining effective communication within and between networked devices.

The other options, while they involve networking concepts, do not accurately reflect the function or content of a routing table. Application protocols are related to how data is structured, secure transmission methods pertain to encryption and secure connections, and data formatting guidelines concern how data is organized for application-level interactions, none of which directly pertain to the routing of packets across networks.