Cisco Certified Network Professional Practice Test 2025 – Your All-in-One Guide to Exam Success!

EIGRP, or Enhanced Interior Gateway Routing Protocol, is a unique routing protocol developed by Cisco that incorporates features of both distance vector and link-state protocols. It is often considered to be an advanced distance vector protocol due to its mechanism of routing calculations and its ability to provide faster convergence than traditional distance vector protocols.

One of the standout characteristics of EIGRP is its use of triggered updates. Triggered updates allow the protocol to send out routes only when a change occurs, rather than on a regular timer basis. This means that network changes can propagate more rapidly, allowing for quicker adjustments and less disruption in the routing process.

While EIGRP is predominantly used in Cisco environments, it can be implemented in other systems with a compatible configuration. However, it is optimized for Cisco networking equipment, which is why it is often referred to in the context of being effectively Cisco-only.

The other potential answers mischaracterize EIGRP. It is not a purely distance vector protocol because it uses a hybrid approach, combining elements of both distance vector and link-state protocols for efficient route calculations. Saying EIGRP is a link-state protocol with slow convergence would also be misleading; EIGRP converges faster than traditional link-state protocols thanks to its advanced algorithms.