Get Appointment

BGP vs. EIGRP: What's the difference?

BGP vs. EIGRP: What's the difference?

Two essential protocols for the internet’s routing are the Border Gateway Protocol, also known as BGP, and the Enhanced Interior Gateway Routing Protocol, also known as EIGRP.

BGP provides connectivity between various autonomous systems (ASes), which is another way to characterise a network, whereas EIGRP provides connectivity among networks that are contained within an AS. This is the most straightforward method to separate the two protocols from one another. An organisation that possesses many independent networks that, in order to access the internet, need to be connected to one another and form an AS is one example of an AS. EIGRP is responsible for the routing of data inside the organisation, whereas BGP is the protocol that establishes connections to other networks, most notably the internet.

The EIGRP protocol is used to route data inside the company’s networks, while the BGP protocol is used for connections with external ASes and the internet.

BGP stands for Border Gateway Protocol

BGP is a protocol that has been around for a long time and is used extensively. It communicates with other routers using the TCP port 179, and networks are often set up in a mesh topology, so that all entities connect to each other.

When selecting how to connect with specific IP ranges inside an AS, each autonomous network, also known as an AS, exchanges routing data with another network.

BGP is an outer gateway protocol, as opposed to an interior gateway protocol like EIGRP, which means that it is used for routing among independent networks and there is no administrative control over it. In addition to being the routing protocol that the internet employs, BGP also serves as the medium that connects an autonomous system (AS) to an internet service provider (ISP), which in turn offers access to the internet.

What is BGP (Border Gateway Protocol)?

The fact that BGP is a dynamic routing protocol is one of its most essential characteristics. This indicates that it is capable of supporting numerous internet connections, including capabilities for failover in the event of an emergency, as well as load balancing across the many internet links. The failover feature is vital for disaster recovery since the loss of a principal Internet service provider (ISP) link immediately prompts failover to an alternate link. This is done to ensure that the best available path to the internet is maintained.

In actual use, computer systems that wish to communicate must first establish a link using the transport protocol. Following this, the systems begin to communicate with one another by exchanging and validating messages that define the parameters of the relationship. They communicate with one another through the use of messages to open and validate the connection parameters using a BGP routing table.

The EIGRP protocol is used for data routing within the internal networks, whereas the BGP protocol is used for connections with external ASes and the internet. After the connection has been made, BGP will strive to preserve the link in spite of any changes that may occur to the routing table. The entirety of the BGP routing table is utilised by the initial data flow. When there is a modification to the routing tables, incremental updates are sent out. Error messages are dispatched if an abnormal circumstance manifests itself. Connections made using BGP to networks outside of an AS are known as external links, whereas connections made via BGP within an AS are known as internal links.

The Internet Engineering Task Force has officially designated BGP as a standard protocol (IETF). Since the early 1990s, it has been put into practise and has since undergone revisions that resulted in the creation of additional versions, such as BGP-3 and BGP-4.

Protocol for Enhanced Interior Gateways and Networks EIGRP was first developed by Cisco in the 1990s, and at first its implementation was limited to Cisco’s own hardware and software. In the vicinity of 2013, Cisco put up EIGRP to the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) as a draught protocol for the organisation to examine and, ultimately, approve as an official standard. To this day, it is still being discussed as a draught inside the IETF.

EIGRP is an interior gateway protocol, which differs from BGP in that it routes data traffic dynamically across a network that is entirely managed by an organisation, such as for business or for the government. Because it incorporates characteristics of multiple different kinds of protocols, EIGRP is classified as a hybrid protocol.

Enhanced Interior Gateway Routing Protocol

EIGRP was first developed by Cisco in the 1990s, and at first its implementation was limited to Cisco’s own hardware and software. In the vicinity of 2013, Cisco put up EIGRP to the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) as a draught protocol for the organisation to examine and, ultimately, approve as an official standard. To this day, it is still being discussed as a draught inside the IETF.

EIGRP is an interior gateway protocol, which differs from BGP in that it routes data traffic dynamically across a network that is entirely managed by an organisation, such as for business or for the government. Because it incorporates characteristics of multiple different kinds of protocols, EIGRP is classified as a hybrid protocol.

distance vector routing, whereby routers regularly broadcast signals to nearby routers informing them of any changes to the network structure; and With link-state routing, routers communicate with one another via messages to learn about one another’s network structure.

EIGRP is frequently selected by network managers for use in campus network routing with a variety of applications, both large and small. EIGRP is also widely used in private networks due to the fact that it strikes a compromise between the requirements of speed, throughput, flexibility and scalability, and ease of use.

EIGRP makes use of the diffusing update algorithm, which is responsible for the following operations:

  • Regardless of how the network’s architecture changes, ensures that no two links will ever create a loop.

  • Builds the foundation for proactive linkages to other network destinations that can be reached for the least amount of money.

  • Ensures that every router that is impacted by the shifting topology creates a new, ideal route in order to protect the loop’s integrity.

Summary

BGP and EIGRP are capable of providing cost-effective, rapid, and efficient data routing when used with the appropriate applications. EIGRP is best suited for smaller network infrastructures that connect to bigger networks using BGP, whereas BGP is best suited for larger networks that connect to other large networks.

Author

Adrevia Editor Team

A team of editors and writers who are passionate about writing and editing articles. The team is mainly responsible for creating engaging articles for our users and providing more information on how businesses can be improved with writing.

10 Web 3.0 Examples: Is It the Future of the Internet?
26 Nov 2022
People wonder what is metaverse thing all about
28 Nov 2022

Let's Design Your New Website

Do you want to have a website that stands out and impresses your clients? Then we are ready to help! Click the button below to contact us and discuss your ideas.