Cisco Certified Network Professional Practice Test

In the context of routing protocols, what does convergence time refer to?

1. The time taken to establish a connection

2. The duration it takes for all routers to agree on the network topology

3. The speed of data transfer across the network

4. The latency of the network under load

The correct answer is: The duration it takes for all routers to agree on the network topology

Convergence time is a critical aspect of routing protocols, referring specifically to the duration it takes for all routers in a network to reach a consistent view of the network topology after a change occurs, such as a link failure or a new router being added. This process involves routers sharing information about their available paths and determining the best routes based on the updated information. A shorter convergence time is desirable because it means the network can adapt more quickly to changes, minimizing downtime and packet loss during those transitions. Different routing protocols have varying convergence times, which can significantly impact the performance and reliability of a network. The other aspects of the choices provided, such as establishing a connection, data transfer speed, and network latency, do not accurately describe convergence time and are related to different networking characteristics. Establishing a connection focuses on link establishment, data transfer speed is about how quickly data packets can traverse the network, and latency under load pertains to the delay experienced when the network is handling traffic. These factors are important for overall network performance but do not define the concept of convergence time.