A route to a network or subnet is known as what type of route?

A route to a network or subnet is classified as a network route. This type of route is used to direct data packets to a specific network or a subnet, allowing communication within that segment of an IP address space. In the context of IP routing, a network route is defined by the network portion of the destination IP address alongside the subnet mask.

Network routes serve as a critical component of routing tables and can be either static (manually configured) or dynamic (discovered through routing protocols). When routers determine the best path to a destination within the larger network, they rely on network routes to make decisions about packet forwarding.

Understanding this concept is essential because it distinguishes between the various types of routing information that a router uses to manage traffic effectively. Host routes, for instance, point to a specific device on the network, while gateway routes indicate a neighbor router that should be used to reach a particular network. Subnetwork routes might seem similar but refer more specifically to a subdivision of a network, which, while related, doesn't encompass the broader implication of navigating to any defined network range.