What is a key improvement of RIP version 2 over version 1?

• A. Supports classless addressing and multicast updates with subnet masks.
• B. Uses TCP instead of UDP.
• C. Operates without any updates.
• D. Requires manual routing updates.

Answer: (A)

RIP version 2’s key gain is the ability to carry subnet information in its updates, enabling classless routing. By including the subnet mask with each route, routers can distinguish subnets within a classful network, supporting CIDR and VLSM for more efficient address use. That improvement also comes with sending updates via multicast to 224.0.0.9, reducing unnecessary traffic compared with the broadcast method used by RIP v1. In short, classless addressing plus multicast updates with subnet masks lets RIP v2 handle modern subnetting more accurately and efficiently. The other options aren’t accurate: updates still use UDP, not TCP; RIP remains a dynamic routing protocol with periodic updates, not “no updates” or “manual” updates.