Interfaces and Hardware Component Configuration Guide for Cisco 8000 Series Routers, Cisco IOS XR Releases

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Interfaces and Hardware Component Configuration Guide for Cisco 8000 Series Routers, Cisco IOS XR Releases

Configure BVI

Updated: September 8, 2026

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This topic describes how to configure a Bridge-Group Virtual Interface (BVI) by creating the interface, assigning IP addresses, and optionally setting ARP timers, bandwidth, MAC address, and MTU for the interface.

To configure a BVI, complete the following steps.

Consider the following guidelines when configuring the BVI:

  • The BVI must be assigned to an IPv4 or IPv6 address that is in the same subnet as the hosts in the bridged segments.

  • If the bridged network has multiple IP networks, then the BVI must be assigned secondary IP addresses for each network.

Procedure

  1. Run the configure command to enter the global configuration mode.

    Example:

    Router#configure

  2. Run the interface bvi identifier command to specify and create a BVI, where identifier is a number from 1–65535.

    Example:

    Router(config)#interface bvi 1

  3. Specify a primary or secondary IPv4 address or an IPv6 address for the interface.

    Example:

    Router(config-if)#ipv4 address 10.10.0.4 255.255.255.0

  4. (Optional) Specify the amount of time (in seconds) to delay purging of Address Resolution Protocol (ARP) table entries when the interface goes down.

    Example:

    
Router(config-if)#arp purge-delay 120

    The range is 1–65535. By default, purge delay is not configured.

  5. (Optional) Run the arp timeout seconds command to configure the duration that the dynamic entries learned on the interface remain in the ARP cache.

    Example:

    
Router(config-if)#arp timeout 12200

    The range is 30–2144448000 seconds. The default value is 14,400 seconds (4 hours).

  6. (Optional) Specify the amount of bandwidth (in kilobits per second) to be allocated on the interface.

    Example:

    
Router(config-if)#bandwidth 1000000

    This bandwidth number is used as the cost metric in routing protocols for the BVI. The range is 0–4294967295. The default value is 10000000 (10 Gbps).

  7. (Optional) Specify the 48-bit MAC address for the BVI as three dotted-hexadecimal values, which override the use of the default MAC address.

    Example:

    Router(config-if)#mac-address 1111.2222.3333

    The range for each value is 0000 to ffff. A MAC address of all 0s is not supported.

  8. (Optional) Run the mtu bytes command to configure the maximum transmission unit (MTU) size for packets on the interface.

    Example:

    
Router(config-if)# mtu 2000

    The range is 64–65535. The default value is 1514.

  9. Run the end or commit commands to save the configuration changes.

    Example:

    Router(config-if)#end

    or

    
Router(config-if)#commit

    • When you issue the end command, the system prompts you to commit changes:

      
Uncommitted changes found, commit them before exiting(yes/no/cancel)?
[cancel]:

      Entering yes saves configuration changes to the running configuration file, exits the configuration session, and returns the router to EXEC mode.

      Entering no exits the configuration session and returns the router to EXEC mode without committing the configuration changes.

      Entering cancel leaves the router in the current configuration session without exiting or committing the configuration changes.

    • Use the commit command to save the configuration changes to the running configuration file and remain within the configuration session.