Next Hop

In networking, the "next hop" refers to the next router (sometimes called "node") in the path that data packets traverse toward their ultimate destination. For each route in a routing table, you'll find a next hop address.

By having only the next router in the path in the routing table instead of entire route, the routing table remains small which reduces complexity and improves processing speed.

You'll find detailed information about the (entire) path in routing protocols such as OSPF or BGP.