What is the advantage of using CIDR in networking?

Using Classless Inter-Domain Routing (CIDR) offers a significant advantage in reducing the quantity of routing information that needs to be managed across the internet. This is achieved by allowing the aggregation of multiple IP addresses into a single routing entry. With traditional classful addressing, each network required a separate entry in a router’s routing table. This approach led to a rapid growth of routing tables which became cumbersome and inefficient.

CIDR addresses this issue by enabling a more flexible assignment of address blocks, allowing multiple smaller networks to be grouped into a larger address pool represented by a single prefix. This aggregation minimizes the size of routing tables, leading to more efficient routing and better utilization of available IP address space. As a result, routers can process routing information more effectively, improving overall network performance and stability.

While the other options mention aspects that may relate to networking or CIDR, they do not accurately capture the primary benefit of CIDR, which is the reduction of routing table size and complexity.