EIGRP (Enhanced Interior Gateway Routing Protocol)
It is used to share the information from one router to the neighbor routers if they exist in the same region. It is also a complex protocol but can be configured and make it work easily in small and large networks. It is also a hybrid protocol because it uses the features of the both distance vector routing and link-state routing protocol.
Enhanced Interior Gateway Routing Protocol supports rapid convergence and reduces bandwidth usage.
OSPF (Open Shortest Path first)
This can be used and deployed in a variety of networks. This is a classless routing protocol which also assists variable-length subnet masking (VLSM) and discontiguos networks.
OSPF is an Interior Gateway Protocol (IGP), where routers connect networks using the Internet Protocol (IP). It is a router protocol which is used to find the best path for packets when they are passing through the set of connected networks simultaneously. The main disadvantage of OSPF is that it is difficult than other protocols.
Difference between EIGRP and OSPF:
S. No. | Comparison | EIGRP | OSPF |
|---|
| 1. | Stands for | Enhanced Interior Gateway Protocol. | Open Shortest Path First. |
| 2. | Protocol type | Hybrid. | Link State. |
| 3. | Administrative distance | 90 (Internal) 170 (External). | 110 |
| 4. | Algorithm | DUAL distance vector. | Dijkstra link state. |
| 5. | Standards-based on | Cisco Proprietary. | IETF Open Standard. |
| 6. | Routing metrics | Combination of bandwidth, reliability, load and delay. | Interface bandwidth. |
| 7. | CPU requirements | Lower CPU and memory needs. | Require high CPU and memory. |
| 8. | Ease of implementation | Easy but no provision of auto-summary. | Complicated. |
| 9. | Organized as | It lacks a hierarchical structure. | It is hierarchically organized. |
| 10. | Used by | It is primarily utilized by medium-sized to large-sized networks. | It primarily serves larger organizations in networks. |
| 11. | Denoted by | The symbol “D” is used to denote EIGRP in routing table. | The symbol “O” is used to denote OSPF in routing table. |
| 12. | Algorithm used | The DUAL (Diffusing Update Algorithm) algorithm is used by EIGRP. | The DIJKSTRA algorithm is used by OSPF. |
| 13. | Administrative boundary | Autonomous System (AS) no. is used to create a separate administrative boundary in a network. | Area no. is used to create a separate administrative boundary in a network. The route information is exchanged by the routers from the neighbor routers in the network that exists within the same area. |