CCNA Labs - BGP Explained
BGP (Border Gateway Protocol) is a critical protocol used in the internet and large-scale networks to manage how data is routed between different autonomous systems (AS). It is classified as a path-vector routing protocol and is the backbone of the modern internet. Below is a detailed explanation of BGP, including its purpose, how it works, key features, and its importance. 1. What is BGP? Definition : BGP is a standardized exterior gateway protocol (EGP) designed to exchange routing and reachability information between autonomous systems (AS) on the internet. Purpose : BGP enables routers in different ASes to share information about the best paths to reach specific IP address ranges (prefixes). Version : The most widely used version is BGP-4 (defined in RFC 4271), which supports Classless Inter-Domain Routing (CIDR). 2. Key Concepts a. Autonomous System (AS) An AS is a collection of IP networks and routers under the control o...