The number of nodes a router must pass through to reach a destination host or network. The system uses this value to choose the most efficient route. This is also known as the path length. Values include:

--Direct communications link or both source and destination have connections on the same local area network.
--Packets routed through one intermediary host before reading the destination.
--Packets routed through n-1 intermediary hosts before reading the destination hops. 
--The nodes a router must pass through to reach a destination host or network.