root at last 
I think this box is easily my personal favourite.
No hints from me about root, just a bit of a friendly push in the right direction regarding the right things to read and learn from.
For routing knowledge I’d recommend CCNA level material regarding IP addresses, subnet masks, and how routing tables are maintained / what metrics are used to update a routing table. Then, some intro level material into a certain protocol and its metrics would be highly recommended.
study hard!