RIPv2 Next Hop Identification

The inclusion of a next hop identification field helps make RIPv2 more efficient than RIP. The next hop identification prevents unnecessary hops between end-points in a network. In a RIPv2-only network, the identification of the next hop does not add significant value; however, when RIPv2 is implemented with other (dissimilar) routing protocols, without the next hop identification, it is possible that some routes would never be discovered.