Difference Between HSRP and VRRP

HSRP (Hot Standby Router Protocol) and VRRP (Virtual Router Redundancy Protocol) are both protocols used in networks to offer redundancy and high availability by allowing many routers to operate together to appear as a single virtual router.

HSRP is vendor-specific and uses a simpler priority-based metric, whereas VRRP is an open standard protocol and uses a more sophisticated metric that allows for greater configuration flexibility.

Read this article to find out more about HSRP and VRRP and how they are different from each other.

What is HSRP?

HSRP is a Cisco proprietary protocol that offers IP network redundancy. It allows multiple routers to share the same virtual IP address, which may then be used as the default gateway for hosts on a subnet. The routers work together to provide a redundant, fault-tolerant gateway, so that if one router fails, another can take over without interrupting network traffic.

Here is how HSRP works −

• Each HSRP group router has a priority value, and the router with the highest priority value becomes the active router. In the case of a tie, the router with the highest IP address is designated as the active router.

• The HSRP routers communicate with one another using multicast hello packets sent to the reserved multicast address 224.0.0.2. Hello packets are used to determine the status of the other routers in the group, such as their priority and whether they are active or standby routers.

• The active router sends free ARP (Address Resolution Protocol) messages to other network devices to inform them of the virtual IP address and its associated MAC address. This makes sure the other devices have up-to-date information on the default gateway.

• If the active router fails, the standby router takes control and begins forwarding packets sent to the virtual IP address. This occurs automatically without interfering with network traffic.

HSRP is a simple and effective method of providing redundancy for IP networks. It's extensively used in enterprise networks to ensure that network traffic keeps flowing even if one of the routers fails. HSRP helps increase network service availability and reliability by providing a redundant gateway.

What is VRRP?

VRRP is a standard protocol that offers IP network redundancy. It allows multiple routers to share the same virtual IP address, which may then be used as the default gateway for hosts on a subnet. The routers work together to provide a redundant, fault-tolerant gateway, so that if one router fails, another can take over without disrupting network traffic.

Here is how VRRP works −

• One router is designated as the master router, and another as the backup router. The master router is responsible for forwarding packets submitted to the virtual IP address, while the backup router monitors the master router and takes over if it fails.

• Each VRRP group router has a priority value, and the router with the highest priority value becomes the master router. In the case of a tie, the router with the highest IP address is designated as the master router.

• The VRRP routers communicate with one another using multicast hello packets sent to the reserved multicast address 224.0.0.18. Hello packets are used to determine the status of the other routers in the group, such as their priority and whether they are master or backup routers.

• The master router sends free ARP (Address Resolution Protocol) messages to other network devices to inform them of the virtual IP address and its associated MAC address. This makes sure the other devices have up-to-date information on the default gateway.

• If the master router fails, the backup router takes control and begins forwarding packets to the virtual IP address. This happens automatically and without interfering with network traffic.

VRRP is a standard method of providing redundancy for IP networks. It is supported by a variety of vendors, making it more flexible than proprietary protocols such as HSRP.

VRRP is commonly used in enterprise networks to ensure that network traffic can continue to flow even if a router fails. VRRP helps increase network service availability and reliability by offering a redundant gateway.

Difference between HSRP and VRRP

The following table highlights the major differences between HSRP and VRRP −

Conclusion

In conclusion, HSRP and VRRP are both protocols used to provide network redundancy by allowing multiple routers to share a virtual IP address.

HSRP is a Cisco proprietary protocol that is primarily supported by Cisco devices, whereas VRRP is an open standard protocol that is supported by a variety of vendors. HSRP determines the active router based on priority, whereas VRRP uses both priority and IP address.

HSRP also sends hello packets every three seconds, whereas VRRP sends advertisement packets every one second. Finally, HSRP requires the establishment of a standby group, whereas VRRP requires the establishment of a virtual router ID.

Understanding the differences between HSRP and VRRP can help network managers make informed judgements about which protocol to utilise for redundancy in their networks based on their specific requirements and vendor preferences.

Md. Sajid

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Updated on: 14-Apr-2023

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