Default route

Encyclopedia : D : DE : DEF : Default route

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A default route is the network route used by a router or a server when no other known route works for a given IP packet's destination address. All the packets for destinations not known by the server or router's routing table are sent to the default route. A router determines which route is valid to reach an IP address by finding the "most specific match": the network with the longest subnet mask that matches the IP address wins.

The default route in IPv4 (in CIDR notation) is 0.0.0.0/0. Since the subnet mask given is /0, it effectively specifies no network, and is the "shortest" match possible. A route lookup that doesn't match anything will naturally fall back onto this route. Similarly, in IPv6 the default address is given by ::/0.

Hosts and routers in an organization generally point the default route towards the router that has a connection to a network service provider. This way, packets destined towards the Internet will be sent towards the router with the Internet connection.

 

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