What is the primary purpose of a router's routing table?

• A. To determine the best next hop for packet destinations.
• B. To store user credentials
• C. To encrypt data
• D. To monitor network latency

Answer: (D)

Packets are forwarded by consulting a router’s routing table, which maps destination networks to the next hop (the next router’s IP address or a local exit interface) to reach them. When a packet arrives, the router looks up the destination IP, finds the most specific route that matches, and forwards the packet toward that next hop. This is the core purpose: choosing the best next hop to move the packet closer to its destination, potentially using a default route if no exact match exists. Storing user credentials, encrypting data, or monitoring latency are handled by othersystems and tools, not by the routing table.