Definition and Information about Routing Information Protocol (RIP)

What is Routing Information Protocol (RIP)?

The Routing Information Protocol (RIP) is a fundamental distance vector protocol utilizing the hop count as its primary metric. Initially designed for the Xerox PARC Universal Protocol, RIP, previously known as GWINFO, became a core element of the Xerox Network Systems protocol suite in 1981. Simplistic in its configuration and well-suited for smaller networks, RIP was officially defined in RFC 1058 in 1988.

In the world of enterprise networking, RIP has been largely supplanted by the more versatile Open Shortest Path First (OSPF) routing protocol. This transition has occurred primarily due to RIP’s limited scalability, making it unsuitable for large and intricate networks. Border Gateway Protocol (BGP), another notable distance vector protocol, has since taken the forefront in transferring routing information across autonomous systems on the internet.

The functionality of RIP revolves around a distance vector algorithm that guides the selection of the most suitable path for a packet to reach its destination. Every RIP router maintains a routing table comprising all the destinations it can reach. Routinely, each router broadcasts its complete routing table to its immediate neighbors every 30 seconds, allowing for the dissemination of routing information across the network. This iterative process, known as convergence, ensures that all RIP hosts within the network possess the same knowledge of routing paths.

Notably, RIP exists in various versions, including RIPv1, RIPv2, and RIPng. RIPv1, standardized in 1988, operates as a Classful Routing Protocol, lacking the transmission of subnet mask information in its routing updates. In contrast, RIPv2, standardized in 1998, functions as a Classless Routing Protocol, providing subnet mask information within its routing updates. Additionally, RIPv2 introduces multicast addressing to reduce network traffic, along with the inclusion of authentication for enhanced security—a feature absent in RIPv1. RIPng, an extension of RIPv2, was specifically developed to support IPv6.

In the event of a router failure or a severed network connection, RIP detects the disruption as the affected router halts the transmission of updates. If a particular route in the routing table remains unaltered across six consecutive update cycles, lasting 180 seconds, the RIP router eliminates the route and notifies the network of the issue through periodic updates.

While RIP continues to serve as a foundational protocol in networking, its limitations have paved the way for more advanced protocols, such as OSPF and BGP, to meet the demands of modern, complex networking environments.

RIP configuration

RIP, functioning within the application layer of the OSI model, features a straightforward configuration process. After assigning IP addresses to the relevant computers and router interfaces, administrators can initiate the router RIP command, instructing the router to activate RIP. Following this, the network command allows users to specify the networks they intend to work with, focusing solely on the networks directly linked to the router.

Furthermore, users have the flexibility to configure any port to perform specific actions, including:

1. Restricting the transmission and reception of RIP packets.
2. Receiving packets in diverse formats.
3. Transmitting packets tailored to the different versions of RIP to the RIPv1 broadcast address.

Features of RIP

RIP employs a customized hop count to gauge network distance, providing network engineers with the capability to assign varying costs to paths. By default, if a neighboring router can directly deliver packets to the target network without any intermediary routers, the route is classified as one hop, equating to a cost of one in network management parlance.

The protocol is designed to accommodate a maximum of 15 hops within a path. If a packet fails to reach its destination within 15 hops, the destination is considered unreachable. Enterprises have the option to manipulate the costs of paths, effectively simulating additional hops, to regulate or discourage their usage. This approach allows for the implementation of strategic routing decisions, such as assigning a satellite backup link a higher cost, like 10, to steer traffic through alternative routes whenever possible.

RIP timers

Timers play a pivotal role in regulating the performance of RIP, overseeing crucial aspects of the routing process. These timers include:

Update timer: This dictates the frequency of routing updates. Every 30 seconds, IP RIP transmits a complete snapshot of its routing table, considering the constraints of split horizon. (In the case of Internetwork Packet Exchange RIP, this occurs every 60 seconds.)

Invalid timer: This timer comes into play when the absence of refreshed information is detected in a routing update. RIP allows a waiting period of 180 seconds before marking a route as invalid, subsequently placing it into hold-down.

Hold-down timers and triggered updates: Designed to maintain route stability in a Cisco environment, hold-downs prevent regular update messages from triggering a routing loop. The router refrains from acting on non-superior new information for a specific duration, with RIP’s hold-down time set at 180 seconds.

Flush timer: Following the hold-down phase, RIP waits an additional 240 seconds before effectively removing the route from the routing table.

To reinforce stability and mitigate routing loops, RIP incorporates additional features such as poison reverse. This mechanism enables a gateway node to inform neighboring gateways about the disconnection of another gateway. It achieves this by setting the number of hops to the unconnected gateway to a value indicating infinity, effectively signifying an impassable route. As RIP supports a maximum of 15 hops to another gateway, setting the hop count to 16 is the equivalent of designating it as “infinite.”

Advantages of RIP:

1. Simple configuration: RIP boasts an easily manageable configuration process, making it convenient for network administrators to set up and deploy.
2. User-friendly nature: With its straightforward design, RIP is comprehensible even to those with limited networking expertise, contributing to its widespread usability.
3. Predominant loop prevention: The protocol is primarily loop-free, ensuring efficient data transmission without the risk of data packets circulating endlessly within the network.
4. Wide-ranging support: RIP is compatible with nearly all routers, providing a versatile solution that can be seamlessly integrated into various network environments.
5. Load balancing promotion: It facilitates the distribution of traffic across multiple paths, contributing to optimized network performance and resource utilization.

Furthermore, RIP is favored over static routes due to its minimalistic configuration requirements and the absence of the need for constant topology updates.

Disadvantages of RIP:

Despite its advantages, RIP comes with certain drawbacks, including:

1. Increased overhead: In comparison to static routing, RIP results in heightened network traffic and processing demands, potentially affecting overall network efficiency.
2. Limitations in load balancing: It supports only equal-cost load balancing, restricting the flexibility in managing diverse traffic loads across network paths.
3. Potential congestion issues: RIP may contribute to pinhole congestion, leading to inefficient data flow and potential bottlenecks within the network infrastructure.
4. Bandwidth inefficiency: The protocol’s reliance on periodic updates can consume significant bandwidth, leading to suboptimal resource utilization and network inefficiency.
5. Slow convergence in large networks: RIP’s operation within extensive networks can lead to sluggish convergence, impacting the responsiveness and agility of the network in adapting to changes.

Limitations of RIP:

In practical use, users may encounter several limitations when implementing RIP, including:

1. Network traffic escalation: RIP’s periodic checks and updates every 30 seconds can result in increased network traffic, potentially affecting overall network performance and efficiency.
2. Accessibility issues for remote routers: The enforced maximum hop count of 15 in RIP can impede access to remote routers within extensive networks, limiting the network’s reachability and connectivity.
3. Shortest path miscalculations: Due to its simplified routing mechanism, RIP may not consider various critical factors when calculating the shortest path, potentially leading to suboptimal routing decisions and inefficient data transmission.