1st International Conference on Computer & Information Engineering, 26-27 November, 2015

Organizer: Dept. of CSE, Rajshahi University of Engineering & Technology, Rajshahi, Bangladesh

Performance Analysis and Redistribution among

RIPv2, EIGRP & OSPF Routing Protocol
Golap Kanti Dey, Md. Mobasher Ahmed, Kazi Tanvir Ahmmed
Department of Applied Physics, Electronics & Department of Applied Physics, Electronics &
Communication Engineering Communication Engineering
University of Chittagong, Chittagong-433I , Bangladesh University of Chittagong, Chittagong-433I , Bangladesh
Email: d.k.golap@gmail.com.md.mobasher@gmail.com Email: tanvir@cu.ac.bd

Abstract- In a network topology, it is very usual to use

various kinds of routing protocol for forwarding packets.
Dynamic Routing Protocol
A routing table is used in the memory of a router that
keeps the track of routes to particular network destination
and the most popular routing algorithms used to forward
packets are Routing Information Protocol (RIPv2),
Enhanced Interior Gateway Routing Protocol (EIGRP)
and Open Shortest Path First (OSPF). The ultimate
concentration of this research work is to depict the
performance analysis comparison of these three dynamic
routing protocols and redistribution among the protocols.
Eight Cisco routers and a switch are used in our simulated
network topology where four routers with different
protocols directly connected with the switch take the
responsibility for the redistribution algorithm.
Fig. l. Classification of Dynamic Routing Protocols
Keywords- RIPv2, EIGRP, OSPF, redistribution, dynamic routing
protocols etc. Since the early 1980s dynamic routing protocols have been
used. Sheela Ganesh Thorenoor [1] used OPNET modeler for
I. INTRODUCTION dynamic routing protocol implementation decision between
EIGRP, OSPF and RIP. Multipath routing algorithm based on
It is possible to exchange the routing information between
OSPF routing protocol [2] have been developed. Alex Hinds
routers through the routing protocols. Routing protocols allow
[3] did the evaluation for (OSPFv3) and (EIGRPv6) and
routers to share information about remote networks
compare the changes these protocols have undergone to
dynamically and add this information to their routing tables
support IPv6. Reference [4] worked on link recovery
automatically.
comparison between OSPF and EIGRP. Besides RIPv2
To recognize the best path to each network routing routing protocol authentication, discussed by Li Xiaohua [5] ,
protocols are used and added to the routing table. The which can effectively prevent the router from receiving
fundamental advantage of using dynamic routing protocol is unauthorized or malicious routing updates, thereby improving
that whenever there is topology change routers exchange network safety. Several investigation and research works are
routing information which permits routers to certainly learn also conducting now-a-days by laureate researchers.
about new networks as well as to find alternate paths if there is
In our research work we will investigate comparative
a linl<- failure to a running network.
performance analysis of selected interior gateway dynamic
In comparison with static routing, less administrative routing protocols such as RIPv2, EIGRP and OSPF. Packet
overhead is required in dynamic routing protocols. However, tracer simulation software is used here to show how to
the expense of using dynamic routing protocols is dedicating transmit data among different networks running different
part of a router's resources for protocol operation including routing protocols by using route redistribution systems. Each
CPU time and network link bandwidth. Besides, to meet the of these dynamic routing protocols has different strengths and
demands of changing network requirements dynamic routing weaknesses- one protocol may have fast convergence, while
protocols have evolved over several years. Though several another may be very reliable. In general dynamic routing has
organizations have shifted towards more recent routing better scalability, robustness, and convergence. However, the
protocols such as Enhanced Interior Gateway Routing cost of these added benefits include more complexity and
Protocol (EIGRP) and Open Shortest Path First (OSPF), many some overhead -bandwidth that is used by the routing protocol
of the earlier routing protocols, such as Routing Information for its own administration and route redistribution allows
Protocol (RIP), are still in use today.Figure-1 shows the routes from one routing protocol to be advertised into another
classification of dynamic routing protocols. routing protocol.

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978-1-4673-8343-1/15/$31.00 © 20151EEE
 II. PERFORMANCE ANALYSIS
A. Metrics
Routing protocols use metric value to decide which route
is the best path. When a routing protocol learns of more than
one route to reach the same destination a metric is a value
which is used by routing protocols to identify costs to reach
distant networks. To determine which path is most preferable
when there are multiple paths to the same remote network the
metric is used. Each of the routing protocol computes it's
3) OSPF: Cost
Best path is chosen by the route with the lowest cost. The
Cisco implementation of OSPF uses bandwidth to determine
the cost. The path cost of an interface in OSPF is called metric
that indicates standard value such as speed. The cost of an
interface is calculated on the basis of bandwidth. Cost is
inversely proportional to the bandwidth. Higher bandwidth is
attained with a lower cost [7] .
Cost= -------­

metric in a different way. For example, hop count is used in Bandwidth in bps
RIP, combination of bandwidth and delay are used in EIGRP,
and the OSPF uses bandwidth. Where the value of 108 is 100000000 m bps IS called
reference bandwidth based on by default.
1) RIPv2 - Hop count
For the metric value in RIPv2 protocol the Hop count is B. Convergence
used. The hop count refers to the number of routers a packet
When the routing tables of all routers are at a state of
must cross to reach the destination network. Best path is
consistency it is called convergence. The network is said to be
chosen by the route with the lowest hop count.
converged when all routers have complete and accurate
information about the network. Total time requires by the
routers to calculate best paths, update their routing tables and
to share information is known as convergence time. To make a
network perfectly operable the network must be converged.
Convergence is both collaborative and independent. The speed
of propagation of routing information and the calculation of
optimal paths are included in convergence properties. The
faster the convergence, the better the routing protocol.
Path A(Hop count -1) Generally, RIP is slow to converge, whereas EIGRP, OSPF
are faster to converge.

C. Network Throughput
Fig. 2. Metric value for the RIPv2 protocol
In small and condensed networks RIPv2 has better
performance than others. For medium-sized and scattered
To exchange the data from router Rl to R3 in the figure-2,
networks OSPF and EIGRP [8] show excellent execution.
there are two paths path A and path B. In the path A hop count
Overall in both small and relatively large networks EIGRP is
is one and for path B hop count is zero. So path B is best path
more stable and balanced.
between Rl and R2.
Traffic throughput of a network is regulated by the routing
2) EIGRP: Bandwidth, delay, reliability, and load protocol in activities, and the hardware of routers, which is a
EIGRP uses the following values in its composite metric to key point for many network administrators. EIGRP utilizes the
calculate the preferred path to a network: Bandwidth, Delay, limited network bandwidth better than the OSPF. Based on the
Reliability, Load. Best path is chosen by the route with the estimation of protocols performance [9], it can be said that
smallest composite metric value calculated from these EIGRP could function both as a distance vector and link state
multiple parameters. By default, only bandwidth and delay are protocol. In comparison to OSPF through the intelligent use of
used. The EIGRP routing[6] update takes the hop count into metrics within the DUAL algorithm EIGRP performed better
account though EIGRP does not include hop count as a CPU utilization and bandwidth control. However the
component of composite metrics. The total delay and the throughput of the protocols is comparable with simulation
minimum bandwidth metrics can be achieved from values results [10] from finding OSPF providing greater network
which are put together on interfaces and the formula used to throughput than EIGRP, these results may differ due to the
compute the metric is followed by: different network topology used in testing.

Complete Composite Formula EIGRP have 5 composite to

D. Preventing Routing Loops
calculate: K1 = Bandwidth, K2 = Load, K3 = Delay, K4 =
Routing loops, which may be a short-lived, can be
Reliability, K5 = MTU(Maximum Transmission Unit)
extremely harmful for the performance of a network. Hold­
The weighting is as follows: Kl=K3=1 and K2=K4=K5=0, down timers and split horizon are used in RIPv2 to prevent
Then substitutes all K parameters into the equation as follows: routing loops. The key way that EIGRP check routing loops
by using DUAL algorithm.
Metric = 256*[Kl*bandwidth + (K2*bandwidth) / (256 -
load) + K3*delay] * [K5 / (K4 + reliability)] On the other hand OSPF doesn't have any special feature to
avoid loops but its architecture is modeled in the way that it
Default Metric Calculation: Metric= 256*(BW + Delay).
occupies instinctive loop prevention mechanism.

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E. Authentication F. When to use
The possibility of accepting invalid routing updates is a 1) RlPv2
security concern of any routing protocol. An attacker could be Routing Information Protocol version 2 supports subnet mask
the source of this invalid traffic malevolently trying to disturb and reduces broadcast load. It is validated for updates as well
the network or attempting to get packets by misleading the as used for multivendor environment.
router into sending its updates to the wrong destination. A
2) EIGRP
misconfigured router could be another source of invalid
Enhanced Interior Gateway Routing Protocol is used in very
updates. Or may be a host is attached to the network and
large and complex networks as well as for fast convergence.It
unknown to its user - the host is running the routing protocol
supports VLSM, multiprotocol.
of the local network. It is necessary to authenticate routing
3) OSPF
information transmitted between routers. To authenticate
Open Shortest Path First protocol is preferred for large
routing information, RIPv2, EIGRP, OSPF can be configured.
hierarchical networks, fast convergence, complex networks,
This practice provide routers will only accept routing
Multivendor and VLSM.
information from other routers that have been configured with
the right password or authentication information.

III. SIMULATION WORK

----.-,� ,.
PC-PT
PCl
,.
PC-PT
PC14

pc-�"" ............
..
PC-PT
PC7 PC12
..........

---
1841 ,. ..
Router1 PC-PT
pe10
PC-PT
PC13
PC. ,.
1841 PC-PT
Network address-192.168.3.0
RouterS pco

PCB
Fig.3. Simulated topology

In our simulated work we have used total eight routers common for a number of reasons, such as company mergers,
where router 0, router 3, router 6, router 7 were directly multiple departments managed by different network
connected with a switch. administrators and multi-vendor environments though running
a single routing protocol throughout your entire IP
The network A consists of router 0, router 1, router 2 with
internetwork is desirable. Running multiple routing protocols
network address 192.168.1.0 performing EIGRP routing
is often part of a network design. Redistribution is required for
protocol. Network B and Network C containing network
the environment of having multiple protocols.Through the
address 192.168.2.0 and 192.168.3.0 respectively performing
router redistribution [12] , routes from one routing protocol
RIPv2 routing protocol where Network D consists of router
will be revealed into another routing protocol. Received
3,router 4,router 5 containing network addressI 92.168.4.0
redistributed routes are marked as external in the routing
respectively performing OSPF routing protocol . Within each
protocol. Logically-originated routes are usually more
individual network every end user can communicate with one
preferred than external routes.
another. But end users of two different networks can not
transmit data among them. As for example- PC4 and PC6 of A. Redistributing into RIP
network A can ping each other but PC4 of network A cannot
Following command shows how a RIP router 6 in figure-3
ping PC12 of network D. Now for successful communication
redistributing EIGRP and OSPF.
between end users of different network s, running different
networking protocols, route redistribution is used among router rip
router 0, router 3, router 6, and router 7. network 192.168.2.0
redistribute eigrp 1
IV. REDISTRIBUTION
redistribute ospf 1
The adaptation of a routing protocol to announce routes default-metric I
that are accomplished by some other means, for instance by We are using same of the above commands for
another routing protocol, static routes, or directly connected redistributing EIGRP and OSPF into RIP router 7 except
routes, is called redistribution[ll]. Multi-protocol routing is changing the network address 192.168.3.0. The RIP metric is

23
composed of hop count, and the maximum valid metric for V.CONCLUSION
RIPv2 is 15. By defming a metric of 1, we can enable a route
Performance analysis of selected interior gateway dynamic
to travel the highest number of hops in the domain of a RIP.
routing protocols such as RIPv2, EIGRP and OSPF and their
Though doing this raise the possibility of routing loops if there
different performance issues have been investigated in this
are several redistribution points and a router acquire
article. We have also presented a simulated work and the
knowledge about the network with a preferable metric from
performance of redistribution command to establish
the redistribution point than from the original source. Hence it
communication between end users of different networks with
is necessary that the metric is neither too high, restraining it
different routing protocol. Route redistribution technology
from being advertised to all the routers, or too low, guiding to
between diverse routing protocols has significant importance.
routing loops when multiple redistribution points are
Route redistribution is certainly easily realized and cost
presented.
effective technique. Through using it we can also settle
B. Redistributing into EIGRP Tactical Internet Communication. Besides, comparative
analysis among several routing protocol shows that the EIGRP
EIGRP is a hybrid routing protocol that, by default, uses a
protocol is better than the OSPF and RIPv2 routing protocol.
composite of bandwidth and delay as its distance metric.
But sometime EIGRP is held back by its proprietary features
EIGRP can additionally consider Reliability, Load, and MTU
and costs. OSPF is better than other in large networks where
for its metric. An EIGRP router 0 in the figure-3 redistributing
its hierarchical nature increases scalability. And RIPv2 is
Open Shortest Path First (OSPF) and RIP through the
useful in local and small area network. The redistribution
commands-
command shows the way to communicate with different
router eigrp 1 routing protocols.
network 192.168.l.0
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redistribute ospf 1
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=
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