This really depends on what software the router is using and how optimized it is You can easily have thousands of loopback (or other virtual interfaces) on a PC router running a free OS. The performance you will get depends on how the OS handles routing tables and interfaces in the kernel!!! As far as max next-hop gateways, this should only be limited by the limits of the routing table. On Mon, 10 Apr 2000, Andrew Brown wrote: | | while arguing routing with a friend of mine, we got to the point where | the number of interfaces on a router was a point of contention. now | certainly routing depends not only on the number of interfaces a | router has, but also on the number of next-hop gateways it need to | keep track of. | | that said, i'd like to just ask: what's the largest number of | interfaces anyone has on any of their routers? i was arguing that | high end routes would probably have maybe a few hundred. my friend | was arguing in terms of theoretical limits and thought it was more | like tens of thousands. | | max interfaces? max next-hop gateways? | | thanks. | | -- | |-----< "CODE WARRIOR" >-----| | codewarrior@daemon.org * "ah! i see you have the internet | twofsonet@graffiti.com (Andrew Brown) that goes *ping*!" | andrew@crossbar.com * "information is power -- share the wealth." | | --- Reverend Chris Cappuccio http://www.dqc.org/~chris/