Which of the following assertions is FALSE about the Internet Protocol (IP) ?

Answer: The false assertion is: The packet source cannot set the route of an outgoing packets; the route is determined only by the routing tables in the routers on the way

Explanation:

• It is possible for a computer to have multiple IP addresses — True. Hosts can have multiple network interfaces, virtual interfaces, or address aliases, and can hold both IPv4 and IPv6 addresses.

• IP packets from the same source to the same destination can take different routes — True. IP is connectionless and routers forward packets hop-by-hop; routes can change dynamically or be balanced across multiple paths.

• IP ensures that a packet is discarded if it is unable to reach its destination within a given number of hops — True. IPv4 uses the TTL field and IPv6 uses the Hop Limit; routers decrement this value and discard the packet when it reaches zero.

• The packet source cannot set the route of an outgoing packets; the route is determined only by the routing tables in the routers on the way — False. Although routers typically determine forwarding, IP includes source-routing mechanisms (e.g., IPv4 strict/loose source route options and IPv6 routing headers) that allow the sender to specify a route. These mechanisms are rarely used and often disabled for security, but they exist.

Conclusion: The statement claiming that the packet source cannot set the route is incorrect because source routing options exist in IP, so that assertion is the false one.