Route is used to view or modify the route table. Route print displays a list of current routes known by IP for the host, including routes that Windows NT creates by default and routes learned by running RIP. Sample output is shown in the IP section of this chapter. Route add is used to add routes to the table, and route delete is used to delete routes from the table. Note that routes added to the table are not made permanent unless the -p switch is specified. Non-persistent routes last only until the computer is restarted.
In order for two hosts to exchange IP datagrams, they must both have a route to each other, or use default gateways that know of a route. Normally, routers exchange information with each other using a protocol such as RIP.