What is a typical characteristic of Distance Vector Routing protocols?

Distance Vector Routing protocols are primarily characterized by their method of exchanging routing information only with directly connected neighbors. This means that each router in a distance vector protocol shares its routing table with its immediate neighbors, enabling them to update their own routing information based solely on data received from those neighboring routers.

This approach significantly simplifies the process of routing updates compared to other protocols, such as Link State Routing protocols, which require routers to maintain a complete view of the network topology. In contrast, Distance Vector protocols focus on the direction (vector) and distance (metric) to reach various network destinations rather than the entire architecture of the network.

Additionally, the simplicity of Distance Vector protocols comes with some limitations, such as slower convergence times and the potential for routing loops, which are less of an issue in more complex routing algorithms that use a complete topology for path determination.