RIP Overview

In a Routing Information Protocol (RIP) network, each router's forwarding table is distributed among the nodes through the flooding of routing table information. Because topology changes are flooded throughout the network, every node maintains the same list of destinations. Packets are then routed to these destinations based on path-cost calculations done at each node in the network.

J-series routers also support RIPng. For an overview, see RIPng Overview. For configuration instructions, see the JUNOS Routing Protocols Configuration Guide.

This overview contains the following topics:

• Distance-Vector Routing Protocols
• Maximizing Hop Count
• RIP Packets
• Split Horizon and Poison Reverse Efficiency Techniques
• Limitations of Unidirectional Connectivity

Note: The J-series Services Router supports both RIP version 1 and RIP version 2. In general, in this guide, the term RIP refers to both versions of the protocol.