NOTE
EIGRP is not explicitly listed in the latest 200-301 version of the CCNA exam topics (whereas OSPF is) but you can still be tested on it in the exam.
EIGRP is not explicitly listed in the latest 200-301 version of the CCNA exam topics (whereas OSPF is) but you can still be tested on it in the exam.
EIGRP doesn’t send messages with UDP or TCP; instead, a Cisco’s protocol called Reliable Transport Protocol (RTP) is used for communication between EIGRP-speaking routers. As the name implies, reliability is a key feature of this protocol, and it is designed to enable quick delivery of updates and tracking of data reception.
Five different packets types are used by EIGRP:
- Update – contains route information. When routing updates are sent in response to the metric or topology changes, reliable multicasts are used. In the event that only one router needs an update, for example when a new neighbor is discovered, unicasts are used.
- Query – a request for specific routes that always uses the reliable multicast method. Routers send queries when they realize they’ve lost the path to a particular network and are looking for alternative paths.
- Reply – sent in response to a query via the unicast method. Replies can include a specific route to the queried destination or declare that there is no known route.
- Hello – used to discover EIGRP neighbors. It is sent via unreliable multicast and no acknowledgment is required.
- Acknowledgment (ACK) – sent in response to an update and is always unicast. ACKs are not sent reliably.
NOTE
The acronym RTP is also used for a different protocol – Real-time Transport Protocol (RTP), used for VoIP communication.
The acronym RTP is also used for a different protocol – Real-time Transport Protocol (RTP), used for VoIP communication.
Download our Free CCNA Study Guide PDF for complete notes on all the CCNA 200-301 exam topics in one book.
We recommend the Cisco CCNA Gold Bootcamp as your main CCNA training course. It’s the highest rated Cisco course online with an average rating of 4.8 from over 30,000 public reviews and is the gold standard in CCNA training:
