Routing Information Protocol next generation

Updated: September 8, 2026

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Explains how RIPng extends RIP to IPv6 by supporting IPv6 route exchange, FF02::9 multicast updates, route filtering, default origination, and IPv6 routing behavior similar to IPv4 RIP.

Routing Information Protocol next generation (RIPng) is the IPv6 implementation of RIP that

supports IPv6 addresses and prefixes for route exchange
uses the all-RIP-devices multicast group address FF02::9 for RIP update messages, and
provides IPv6 routing behavior that is functionally similar to RIP for IPv4.

Feature History Table


Feature Name	Release Information	Feature Description
Routing Information Protocol next generation (RIPng)	Release 7.5.2	This feature enables RIP enhancements for IPv6 that include support for IPv6 addresses and prefixes, and the use of the all-RIP-devices multicast group address FF02::9 as the destination address for RIP update messages. This feature functions the same and offers the same benefits as RIP in IPv4.

How RIPng stores routes

Based on RFC 2080, each RIPng process maintains a local routing table called the Routing Information Database (RIB).

The RIPng RIB contains the best-cost IPv6 RIP routes learned from neighboring devices. When RIPng learns the same route from different neighbors with different costs, it keeps only the lowest-cost route in the local RIB.

The RIPng RIB also stores expired routes that the RIP process continues to advertise to neighboring devices that run RIPng.

RIPng attempts to install every nonexpired route from its local RIB into the primary IPv6 RIB. If the router learns the same route from another routing protocol with a better administrative distance, the RIPng route is not added to the primary IPv6 RIB. The route remains in the RIPng RIB.

RIPng functional capabilities

Route filtering on IPv6 RIP interfaces and VRFs by using route policies
Default-information origination and generation for IPv6 RIP
Poison-reverse and split-horizon for IPv6 RIP
Configuration of administrative distance

Configure RIPng on an interface in a VRF

Use this task to enable RIPng on an interface in a VRF and verify that the RIPng process is active for IPv6 routing updates.

This task configures RIPng under a VRF by enabling the IPv6 address family and associating an interface with the RIP process.

Before you begin

Ensure that the VRF is configured on the router.
Ensure that IPv6 is enabled on the interface that you want to use for RIPng.

Procedure

Enter RIP configuration mode and select the VRF.

Example:

Router(config)# router rip
Router(config-rip)# vrf vrf1

Enable the IPv6 address family for the VRF.
Example:
```
Router(config-rip-vrf)# address-family ipv6
```
Associate the interface with RIPng.
Example:
```
Router(config-rip-vrf-af)# interface GigabitEthernet 0/0/0/0
Router(config-rip-vrf-af)# commit
```
RIPng is enabled for IPv6 on the specified interface in the selected VRF.

Verify RIPng IPv6 VRF interface information.

Example:

Router# show rip ipv6 vrf vrf1 interface
Fri Dec  9 17:39:05.855 IST

GigabitEthernet0/0/0/0
Rip enabled?:               Yes
Out-of-memory state:        Normal
Accept Metric 0:            No
Interface state:            Up
IP address:                 10:10:10::2/64
Metric Cost:                0
Split horizon:              Enabled
Poison Reverse:             Disabled
Socket set options:
    Joined multicast group:    Yes
    LPTS filter set:           Yes

  Total packets received: 0

Verify RIPng IPv6 process-level, VRF, Routing Descriptor Block (RDB), and interface information.

Example:

Router# show rip ipv6 vrf vrf1 internal

Fri Dec  9 17:45:02.219 IST

RIP process level information
-----------------------------
Socket descriptor                       63
UDP connected:                         Yes
OOM state:                              1
OOM Severe state time:                  60 seconds
OOM Severer state timer running:       No
Number of routes alloced:               1
Number of paths alloced:                1
Garbage collection time:                300 seconds
RIB Batch buffer: Max buf length:       1434700
                  Max msg length:       524256
                  Max data length:      0
                  Msg length:           0
Number of RIB transit routes:           0
RIB RDB Q size:                         0

RIP VRF information
-------------------
Name:                                   vrf1
ID:                                     0x60000002
NSF:                                    No
NSF Lifetime:                           0
Distance:                               120
DistanceIP Q size:                      0
Active:                                 Yes
Added to socket:                        Yes
PSL Send Q size:                        0
OOM Flags:                              0x0
Number of routes alloced:               1
Number of paths alloced:                1

RIP RDB information
-------------------
Table ID:                               0xe0800011
Q flags:                                0x0
Active:                                 Yes
Handle:                                 0x2
Old Handle:                             0xffff
Connected Handle:                       0x0
BGP Handle:                             0xffff
Table Ready:                            Yes
Default Info originate:                 No
RedInfo Q size:                         0
RIB Update Q size:                      0
RIB Delete pending:                     No
Triggered Update Q size:                0
Triggered Update batch count:           0
Garbage Q size:                         0
Converged:                              Yes
Convergence timer expired:              Yes
Convergence timer running:              No
Ageout timer running:                   Yes
Garbage timer running:                  Yes (231 seconds left)
OM Triggered Update timer running:      No
WorkQueue Request Q size:               0

RIP Interface information
-------------------------
Cumulative Peer Q size:                 0

Verify RIPng IPv6 statistics.

Example:

Router# show rip ipv6 vrf vrf1 statistics
Fri Dec  9 17:45:12.223 IST

RIPv6 statistics:
Total messages sent:        1
Message send failures:      0
Regular updates sent:       0
Queries responsed to:       0
RIB updates:                0
Total packets received:     0
Discarded packets:          0
Discarded routes:           0
Packet received at standby: 0
Number of routes allocated: 1
Number of paths allocated:  1
Route malloc failures:      0
Path malloc failures:       0

Verify the RIPng IPv6 database and interface information

Example:

Router# show rip ipv6 vrf vrf1 database
Fri Dec  9 17:44:14.868 IST

Routes held in RIP's topology database:
10:10:10::/64
    [0]    directly connected, GigabitEthernet0/0/0/0

Example:

RP/0/0/CPU0:PE2# show rip ipv6 vrf vrf1 interface
Fri Dec  9 17:44:20.547 IST

GigabitEthernet0/0/0/0
Rip enabled?:               Yes
Out-of-memory state:        Normal
Accept Metric 0:            No
Interface state:            Up
IP address:                 10:10:10::2/64
Metric Cost:                0
Split horizon:              Enabled
Poison Reverse:             Disabled
Socket set options:
    Joined multicast group:    Yes
    LPTS filter set:           Yes

  Total packets received: 0

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