show ip rip database
Displays the RIP routing database, showing all learned RIP routes and their metrics, used to verify RIP routing updates and troubleshoot routing issues.
show ip rip databaseWhen to Use This Command
- Verify that RIP routes are being received from neighbors after configuring RIP on a router.
- Troubleshoot missing routes by checking if a specific network appears in the RIP database.
- Compare the RIP database with the routing table to identify routes that are not being installed.
- Monitor RIP updates after network changes to ensure convergence.
Command Examples
Viewing the RIP database with active routes
show ip rip database10.0.0.0/8 auto-summary
10.1.0.0/16 auto-summary
10.1.1.0/24 directly connected, Serial0/0/0
10.1.2.0/24
[1] via 10.1.1.2, 00:00:15, Serial0/0/0
192.168.1.0/24 auto-summary
192.168.1.0/24
[2] via 10.1.1.2, 00:00:15, Serial0/0/0The output shows each network in the RIP database. 'auto-summary' indicates the classful summary route. 'directly connected' means the network is directly attached. For learned routes, the metric is shown in brackets (e.g., [1]), followed by the next-hop IP, the time since last update (00:00:15), and the outgoing interface.
RIP database with a route that is not installed in routing table
show ip rip database10.0.0.0/8 auto-summary
10.2.0.0/16 auto-summary
10.2.1.0/24
[2] via 10.1.1.2, 00:00:22, Serial0/0/0
10.2.2.0/24
[1] via 10.1.1.2, 00:00:22, Serial0/0/0
[3] via 10.1.1.3, 00:00:18, Serial0/0/1This output shows two routes for 10.2.2.0/24 with different metrics and next hops. The route with metric 1 via 10.1.1.2 is the best and will be installed in the routing table. The route with metric 3 via 10.1.1.3 is a backup. The 'auto-summary' lines indicate that classful summarization is enabled.
Understanding the Output
The 'show ip rip database' command displays the RIP routing database, which contains all routes learned via RIP, including directly connected networks and routes received from neighbors. Each network entry shows the prefix and mask. 'auto-summary' lines indicate that RIP is summarizing to classful boundaries. For each route, the metric (hop count) is shown in brackets, followed by the next-hop IP address, the time since the last update (in hours:minutes:seconds), and the outgoing interface. Multiple entries for the same network indicate equal-cost or alternative paths. The route with the lowest metric is installed in the routing table. If a route is missing from the database, it may indicate a neighbor issue or that the route was not advertised. Watch for routes with high metrics (e.g., 16) which are considered unreachable.
CCNA Exam Tips
Remember that RIP uses hop count as metric, with a maximum of 15 hops; 16 means unreachable.
The 'auto-summary' keyword indicates that RIP is summarizing classful networks; disabling auto-summary with 'no auto-summary' is a common exam topic.
If a route appears in the RIP database but not in the routing table, check for a higher administrative distance or a more specific route from another protocol.
The timer shown (e.g., 00:00:15) is the time since the last update; if it exceeds 180 seconds, the route is marked as invalid.
Common Mistakes
Confusing the RIP database with the routing table; the database shows all learned routes, while the routing table shows only the best routes.
Assuming that a route in the RIP database is automatically installed; it may be a backup route with a higher metric.
Overlooking auto-summarization; if networks are not contiguous, auto-summary can cause routing issues.
Related Commands
show ip protocols
Displays the current state of all IP routing protocols running on the router, including timers, filters, and network advertisements.
show ip rip database
Displays the RIP routing database, showing all learned RIP routes and their metrics, used to verify RIP routing updates and troubleshoot routing issues.
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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