NHRP, Next Hop Resolution Protocol

The Next Hop Resolution Protocol or NHRP, is a network standard used to transmit data. If the recipient computer resides in the same subnetwork, NHRP instructs the sending computer that the recipient is local and sends subsequent packets directly to it. If the recipient computer does not reside in the same subnetwork, this protocol instructs the sender of the most direct path so that subsequent packets can be forwarded to a specific router. In general, NHRP is a query and reply protocol. All points in which data passes through create a network knowledge table that is used for directing all subsequent traffic. This allows a computer to send subsequent data directly to a specific destination using an acquired IP address instead of a network address. NHRP offers two major benefits: it reduces the amount of hops a packet may endure within a subnetwork and it also allows packets to be forwarded faster by using an IP address.