Final answer:
When an interface is configured with an IP address and activated, directly connected routes are automatically created. These routes represent networks that are directly connected to the interface.
Step-by-step explanation:
When an interface is configured with an IP address and activated, directly connected routes are automatically created. These routes represent networks that are directly connected to the interface. For example, if you configure an interface with the IP address 192.168.1.1/24, a directly connected route for the network 192.168.1.0/24 will be created. These directly connected routes allow the device to know how to reach networks that are connected to it directly, without the need for any additional routing configurations. They serve as important building blocks for establishing connectivity within a network. In addition to directly connected routes, other types of routes such as static routes, default routes, and dynamic routes can be manually configured or dynamically learned through routing protocols.