5.
Which of the following statements accurately reflects a key distinction between Distance Vector (DV) and Link State (LS) routing protocols as described in the passage?
Correct Answer: D
The passage states, 'LS protocols ... incur higher computational overhead and require more processing power and memory at each router to maintain the full topology database.' It also mentions that 'Using this map, each router independently computes the shortest path...' which implies running SPF calculations. This directly supports option D, highlighting the computational demands of LS protocols due to their need for a complete topology map and SPF calculations. Options A, B, and C present inverse or incorrect characteristics of DV and LS protocols as detailed in the passage (e.g., DV is prone to count-to-infinity, LS offers faster convergence).