Routers use what type of address?

• A. Logical
• B. Physical
• C. Broadcast
• D. Multicast

Answer: (A)

Routers use logical addresses to determine where to forward packets across networks. At the network layer, these addresses—like IP addresses—identify the exact network and the host on the far side, allowing the router to decide the next hop toward the destination. Physical addresses (MAC) are used only within a single local network to deliver frames between devices on the same segment; the router relies on the IP destination to choose the next hop and then uses the appropriate MAC address on the local link to forward the frame. The router doesn’t base its routing decisions on broadcasts, which are meant for all devices on one segment and aren’t scalable for moving data between networks. Multicast deals with delivering to a group, and while there are mechanisms to support multicast routing, the fundamental path selection in routing relies on logical IP addressing.