Which of the following routing protocols uses hop count as its metric?

The routing protocol that uses hop count as its metric is Routing Information Protocol (RIP). RIP employs a straightforward method to determine the best path to a destination by counting the number of hops, or routers, data must pass through to reach the target. A hop is defined as passing through one router, and the maximum number of hops allowed in RIP is 15. If a route exceeds this hop count, it is considered unreachable.

This simplicity in using hop count allows for easy configuration and understanding, which makes RIP suitable for small to medium-sized networks. However, it does have limitations, such as not accounting for factors like bandwidth or latency, which can affect the overall performance and efficiency of the routing decision.

Other routing protocols, like OSPF, IS-IS, and EIGRP, use more complex metrics that take into account factors such as link cost, bandwidth, and delay, making them more suitable for larger and more scalable networks.