Vision Infosystems (VIS)

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Chapter 10

Enhanced IGRP
Topics Covered
Basics of EIGRP
Configuration of EIGRP
Troubleshooting EIGRP

Copyright ® 2004-2005 VISION INFOSYSTEMS

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Enhanced IGRP
Enhanced IGRP is a classless balanced-hybrid routing protocol with combination features of link state
and distance vector routing protocol. EIGRP is another Cisco Proprietary routing protocol used as IGP.
EIGRP was designed to remove the drawbacks of IGRP and to introduced a routing protocol with
advance routing feature and suitability for large and dynamic network. EIGRP uses the same concept of
Autonomous System(AS), but the technology is different.

The various features of EIGRP is as under

• Hybrid routing protocol
• Used in large network
• Classless routing support / VLSM Support
• Auto summarization feature
• Support for IP, IPX and AppleTalk i.e. Protocol Independent Module
• Uses Diffusing Update Algorithm (DUAL) for best path selection
• Maintains 3 types of table
a) Neighbor table
b) Topology table
c) Routing table
• Uses Reliable Transport Protocol (RTP) for communication
• Hello packet for Neighbor discovery
• Administrative distance = 90

EIGRP structure Layer

Protocol
Independent Module
Neighbor
Discovery
(DUAL)
Diffuse Update Algorithm
(RTP)
Reliable Transport Protocol

Protocol Independent Module :

EIGRP support various type of routed protocols like IP, IPX and AppleTalk. Due to PIM feature EIGRP
has routing capabilities for multiple layer 3 protocols.

Neighbor Discovery :
EIGRP uses hello packet for neighbor discovery and maintains a neighbor table containing information
about neighboring Cisco routers. Neighbor is similar to CDP protocol.

RTP (Reliable Transport Protocol)

RTP is a layer 4 protocol like TCP, which is used by EIGRP for reliable connection oriented
communication.
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DUAL (Diffuse Update Algorithm)

DUAL is a algorithm used by EIGRP for creating loop free network routing and selecting the best path to
destination network.

How EIGRP (Enhanced IGRP) works

When configured EIGRP as a routing protocol, it uses hello packets to discover neighbors. EIGRP sends
hello packets to each neighbor at regular interval to find neighbor and create a neighbor table.

Hello packet timers

Ethernet, FastEthernet, FDDI = 5 seconds
Serial, Frame Relay, etc = 60 seconds

When a neighbor table is developed each EIGRP router sends information about is networks to each
neighbor using Update packet. Based on this update packet each other developed a table called as
topology table. The topology table contains information about all networks, its links and metric details.
When the topology table is fully developed. Each router based on this topology table creates its own
routing table. To making this routing decision EIGRP uses DUAL.

EIGRP like RIP and IGRP does not send routing table. Its only sends updated information about it
network to create topology table, which helps each other to make its own routing decision to create
routing table. Each EIGRP router has a successor and fesible successor for each route. Successor is the
preferred route and fesible successor route is next preferred route. The route which are active a called as
passive route and the route which are not active are called as active route.

When a EIGRP router does not find any route in its routing table i.e. if it does not get the fesible successor
it send Query packet to its neighbor to get the best route. If it does not get any reply then the route is said
to be stuck in active (SIA). If the neighbor has a route available then it will send the Reply packet to the
router with the best solution.

EIGRP configuration

Syntax

Router(config)# router eigrp <AS No.>

Router(config-router)# network x.x.x.x
Router(config-router)# network x.x.x.x

Sample configuration of IGRP

Router eigrp 200
Network 10.0.0.0
Network 20.0.0.0
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Sample output of show ip route

Mumbai#sh ip route

[Omitted output]
D 30.0.0.0 [90/1250] via 20.0.0.2
D 40.0.0.0 [0/1255] via 20.0.0.2
D 50.0.0.0 [90/2502] via 20.0.0.2
D 60.0.0.0 [90/35282] via 20.0.0.2
D 70.0.0.0 [100/435800] via 20.0.0.2
D 10.0.0.0 is directly connected, Serial 0
D 20.0.0.0 is directly connected, Ethernet 0

Mumbai#

You can see from the above routing table that D is added before the route, which means that the route is
learned via EIGRP. The [90/1250] represents = 1250 means metric (bandwidth x delay) and 100 means
administrative distance.

Other configuration parameters or commands for RIP

Commands Explanation

Passive-interface <interface> Sets the interface through which routing update

should not be propagated
No auto-summary To disable auto summarization of routes

Ip summary-address eigrp as xxx To set manual summarization

To view neighbor details
Show ip eigrp neighbors

Show ip eigrp topology To view eigrp topology details

Show ip protocols To view routing protocols details