RIPRouter Config

version 2

Enables RIPv2 on the router, which supports classless routing, VLSM, and authentication, replacing the older RIPv1.

Syntax·Router Config

version 2

When to Use This Command

Migrating from RIPv1 to RIPv2 to support VLSM in a network with subnetted IP addresses.
Configuring RIPv2 in a multi-vendor environment where classless routing is required.
Enabling RIPv2 to use authentication for secure route updates between neighbors.
Setting up RIPv2 in a lab or production network to test or implement classless routing.

Command Examples

Basic RIPv2 Configuration

router rip
version 2
network 192.168.1.0
network 10.0.0.0

Router(config)# router rip
Router(config-router)# version 2
Router(config-router)# network 192.168.1.0
Router(config-router)# network 10.0.0.0
Router(config-router)# end
Router# show ip protocols
Routing Protocol is "rip"
  Outgoing update filter list for all interfaces is not set
  Incoming update filter list for all interfaces is not set
  Sending updates every 30 seconds, next due in 16 seconds
  Invalid after 180 seconds, hold down 180, flushed after 240
  Redistributing: rip
  Default version control: send version 2, receive version 2
  Interface             Send  Recv  Triggered RIP  Key-chain
  GigabitEthernet0/0    2     2
  GigabitEthernet0/1    2     2
  Automatic network summarization is in effect
  Maximum path: 4
  Routing for Networks:
    10.0.0.0
    192.168.1.0
  Routing Information Sources:
    Gateway         Distance      Last Update
    192.168.1.2          120      00:00:18
  Distance: (default is 120)

The 'router rip' command enters RIP configuration mode. 'version 2' sets RIP to version 2. 'network' commands advertise the specified networks. 'show ip protocols' confirms RIP is running version 2 on interfaces, with send/receive set to 2, and shows routing sources.

RIPv2 with Authentication

router rip
version 2
network 192.168.1.0
network 10.0.0.0
interface GigabitEthernet0/0
ip rip authentication key-chain RIPKEY
ip rip authentication mode md5

Router(config)# router rip
Router(config-router)# version 2
Router(config-router)# network 192.168.1.0
Router(config-router)# network 10.0.0.0
Router(config-router)# exit
Router(config)# interface GigabitEthernet0/0
Router(config-if)# ip rip authentication key-chain RIPKEY
Router(config-if)# ip rip authentication mode md5
Router(config-if)# end
Router# show ip rip database
10.0.0.0/8    auto-summary
10.0.0.0/24   directly connected, GigabitEthernet0/1
192.168.1.0/24 directly connected, GigabitEthernet0/0
    [1] via 192.168.1.2, 00:00:05, GigabitEthernet0/0
Router# show key chain RIPKEY
Key-chain RIPKEY:
    key 1 -- text "cisco123"
        accept lifetime (always valid) - (always valid) [valid now]
        send lifetime (always valid) - (always valid) [valid now]

After enabling RIPv2, authentication is configured on the interface. 'ip rip authentication key-chain' references a key chain with a password. 'ip rip authentication mode md5' sets MD5 authentication. 'show ip rip database' displays routes learned via RIP. 'show key chain' verifies the key chain details.

Understanding the Output

The 'show ip protocols' output confirms RIP version 2 is active. Key fields: 'Default version control' shows send/receive version (should be 2 for both). 'Interface' table lists each interface with Send/Recv version (2 for RIPv2). 'Routing for Networks' lists advertised networks. 'Routing Information Sources' shows RIP neighbors with last update time. Good values: version 2 on all interfaces, recent last update times (<30 seconds). Bad values: version 1 or mixed versions, missing networks, stale updates. 'show ip rip database' shows routes with metric and next hop. Watch for 'auto-summary' if summarization is enabled (default on).

CCNA Exam Tips

CCNA exam tip: RIPv2 is classless and supports VLSM; RIPv1 is classful and does not. The 'version 2' command is required to enable RIPv2; without it, the router runs RIPv1 by default.

CCNA exam tip: RIPv2 uses multicast 224.0.0.9 for updates, while RIPv1 uses broadcast 255.255.255.255. This is a common exam comparison.

CCNA exam tip: Automatic summarization is enabled by default in RIPv2; use 'no auto-summary' to disable it for discontiguous networks.

CCNA exam tip: RIPv2 supports authentication (plaintext or MD5) using key chains; this is a configuration topic in the exam.

Common Mistakes

Mistake 1: Forgetting to issue 'version 2' after 'router rip', leaving the router running RIPv1, which does not support VLSM and causes routing issues with subnets.

Mistake 2: Not disabling auto-summary with 'no auto-summary' when using discontiguous subnets, leading to incorrect route summarization.

Mistake 3: Misconfiguring authentication by not creating a key chain or mismatching key names/strings between neighbors, causing RIP updates to be rejected.

Related Commands

router rip

Enters RIP router configuration mode to enable and configure the Routing Information Protocol (RIP) on a Cisco router.

show ip protocols

Displays the current state of all IP routing protocols running on the router, including timers, filters, and network advertisements.

show ip route

Displays the current IP routing table on a Cisco router, used to verify routes, check next-hop addresses, and troubleshoot connectivity issues.

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