# Finding End-to-End Paths: Topology and Endpoints

DevFeed: [Finding End-to-End Paths: Topology and Endpoints](<https://devfeed.tech/articles/finding-end-to-end-paths-topology-and-endpoints-11198.md>)

Original publisher: [Read original article](<https://blog.ipspace.net/2025/06/finding-paths-across-network/>)

Published: 2025-06-06T05:51:00Z

Content type: tutorial

Language: en

Sources: [ipSpace.net blog](<https://devfeed.tech/sources/ipspace-net-blog.md>)

Topics: [networking](<https://devfeed.tech/topics/networking.md>), [Routing (disambiguation)](<https://devfeed.tech/topics/routing.md>), [Network design](<https://devfeed.tech/topics/network-design.md>)

Tags: [arp](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/arp.md>), [bridging](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/bridging.md>), [dhcp](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/dhcp.md>), [discovery](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/discovery.md>), [ipv4](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/ipv4.md>), [ipv6](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/ipv6.md>), [network](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/network.md>), [networking-fundamentals](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/networking-fundamentals.md>), [router](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/router.md>), [routing](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/routing.md>)

## AI overview

This article explains how networks discover topology and endpoints, build forwarding tables, and adapt end-to-end paths when links or nodes fail. It contrasts complete topology views in link-state protocols with local-neighbor knowledge in distance-vector protocols, and describes learning mechanisms including bridging, ARP, DHCP, and ICMPv6 Neighbor Discovery.

## Source excerpt

We know there are three main ways to move packets across a network. However, before we can start forwarding packets, someone has to populate the forwarding tables in the intermediate devices or build the sequence of nodes to traverse in source routing. Usually, whoever is responsible for the contents of the forwarding tables must first discover the network topology. Let's start there, using the following network diagram to illustrate the discussion. Read more ...