The Routing Information Protocol (RIP) is a distance-vector routing protocol used in local area networks (LANs) and wide area networks (WANs). It helps routers communicate with each other to determine the best path for data packets. RIP uses hop count as its metric, where each hop represents a router the data must pass through, with a maximum limit of 15 hops. RIP operates by sending updates at regular intervals, allowing routers to share their routing tables. This ensures that all routers have consistent information about the network's topology. While simple and easy to configure, RIP is less efficient than more advanced protocols like Open Shortest Path First (OSPF) or Border Gateway Protocol (BGP).