The static route configured on router R1 uses an indirect next-hop, which is10.10.10.3 (R3). While the echo request from R1 reaches the server through the IGP, the problem lies in the return path for the echo response.

The route10.4.100.0/24is reachable throughR3, but there is no reciprocal route inR3's routing table that allows the response to flow back towardsR1. This results in a failure to return the echo response to R1, causing the ping to fail.

Based on theIPv6 route tableoutput forR3andR4, we can see that the routers have remote routes listed as"Remote ISIS", indicating that the route is being advertised from a different area (area 49.01 or 49.02). This is a sign ofroute leaking, where routes from one area are being shared across areas.

TheroutesfromR3(level-1 router) are being advertised toR4(level-1 router), and vice versa, withISISas the protocol. This implies that there is route leaking configured to allow information to pass between areas.

When a router performs the SPF (Shortest Path First) calculation, it uses itself as the root of the shortest path tree (SPT). This router computes the shortest paths to all other routers in the network, treating itself as the origin and calculating the paths based on its view of the network.

Thedata plane(or forwarding plane) is responsible for actually forwarding the data packets. It uses the information stored in the forwarding table to determine how to move packets from one interface to another toward their destination.

From R1 to R7: The path will be R1 → R2 → R4 → R6 → R7 because this path has the least cumulative metric of 10 + 10 + 10 + 10 = 40.

From R7 to R1: The reverse path will follow R7 → R6 → R4 → R2 → R1 because it is the shortest return path with the same metrics.

IS-IS routers use different types of Hello messages depending on whether the interface is configured as a broadcast (LAN) or point-to-point (P2P) link.

On a broadcast network (e.g., Ethernet), IS-IS routers use LAN Hello packets to establish adjacencies.

On a point-to-point link, IS-IS uses point-to-point Hello packets.

If one router is configured for a broadcast interface and the other for point-to-point, they will exchange incompatible Hello packets, and as a result, neither router will accept the other's Hello messages, preventing the adjacency from being established.

Router R4 is in Area 49.0001 and R6 is in Area 49.0002. Both routers are Level 2 (L2), meaning that they can communicate across areas using Level 2 IS-IS routing.

Since R2 is the L1/L2 router that connects both Area 49.0001 and Area 49.0002, it will be the next-hop for router R4 to reach R6’s system IP address.

The IS-IS protocol will ensure that R4 will have a route to R6’s system IP address via R2 as the next-hop.

In both broadcast and point-to-point interfaces, IS-IS routers identify neighbors using system IDs, not interface MAC addresses. The system ID is a unique identifier assigned to each router, and it is used to identify neighbors in both types of interfaces.

In IS-IS, routers are actually associated withinterfacesrather than the entire router being associated with a single area. A router can have interfaces in multiple areas, and it is the interface's configuration that determines which area it belongs to.