Routing Information Protocol (RIP) | 443
Summarize Routes
Routes in the RIPv2 routing table are summarized by default, thus reducing the size of the routing table 
and improving routing efficiency in large networks. By default, the 
autosummary command in ROUTER 
RIP mode is enabled and summarizes RIP routes up to the classful network boundary.
If you must perform routing between discontiguous subnets, disable automatic summarization. With 
automatic route summarization disabled, subnets are advertised.
The 
autosummary command requires no other configuration commands. To disable automatic route 
summarization, use the 
no autosummary command in ROUTER RIP mode. 
Control Route Metrics
As a distance-vector protocol, RIP uses hop counts to determine the best route, but sometimes the shortest 
hop count is a route over the lowest-speed link. To manipulate RIP routes so that the routing protocol 
prefers a different route, you must manipulate the route by using the 
offset command.
Exercise caution when applying an 
offset command to routers on a broadcast network, as the router using 
the 
offset command is modifying RIP advertisements before sending out those advertisements.
The 
distance command also allows you to manipulate route metrics. Use the command to assign different 
weights to routes so that the ones with the lower weight or administrative distance assigned are preferred. 
To set route metrics, use either of the following commands in ROUTER RIP mode: 
Note: If you enable the ip split-horizon command on an interface, the system does not advertise the 
summarized address.
Command Syntax Command Mode Purpose
distance weight [ip-address mask 
[access-list-name]]
ROUTER RIP Apply a weight to all routes or a specific route and 
ACL. Configure the following parameters:
• weight range: 1 to 255 (default is 120)
• ip-address mask: the IP address in dotted 
decimal format (A.B.C.D), and the mask in 
slash format (/x).
• access-list-name: name of a configured IP 
ACL.
offset-list access-list-name {in | out} offset 
[interface]
ROUTER RIP Apply an additional number to the incoming or 
outgoing route metrics. Configure the following 
parameters:
• prefix-list-name: the name of an established 
prefix list to determine which incoming routes 
will be modified
• offset range: 0 to 16.
• interface: the type, slot, and number of an 
interface.