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OSPF network types

OSPF network types
2.2.5 This page will introduce the three types of OSPF networks.
A neighbor relationship is required for OSPF routers to share routing information. A router will try to become adjacent, or neighbor, to at least one other router on each IP network to which it is connected. OSPF routers determine which routers to become adjacent to based on the type of network they are connected to. Some routers may try to become adjacent to all neighbor routers. Other routers may try to become adjacent to only one or two neighbor routers. Once an adjacency is formed between neighbors, link-state information is exchanged.
OSPF interfaces automatically recognize three types of networks:
  • Broadcast multi-access, such as Ethernet
  • Point-to-point networks
  • Nonbroadcast multi-access (NBMA), such as Frame Relay
A fourth type, point-to-multipoint, can be manually configured on an interface by an administrator. 
In a multi-access network, it is not known in advance how many routers will be connected. In point-to-point networks, only two routers can be connected.
In a broadcast multi-access network segment, many routers may be connected. If every router had to establish full adjacency with every other router and exchange link-state information with every neighbor, there would be too much overhead. If there are 5 routers, 10 adjacency relationships would be needed and 10 link-states sent. If there are 10 routers then 45 adjacencies would be needed. In general, for n routers, n*(n-1)/2 adjacencies would need to be formed.
The solution to this overhead is to hold an election for a designated router (DR). This router becomes adjacent to all other routers in the broadcast segment. All other routers on the segment send their link-state information to the DR. The DR in turn acts as the spokesperson for the segment. The DR sends link-state information to all other routers on the segment using the multicast address of 224.0.0.5 for all OSPF routers.
Despite the gain in efficiency that electing a DR provides, there is a disadvantage. The DR represents a single point of failure. A second router is elected as a backup designated router (BDR) to take over the duties of the DR if it should fail. To ensure that both the DR and the BDR see the link-states all routers send on the segment, the multicast address for all designated routers, 224.0.0.6, is used.
On point-to-point networks only two nodes exist and no DR or BDR is elected. Both routers become fully adjacent with each other.
The Interactive Media Activity will help students recognize the three types of OSPF networks.
The next page will describe the OSPF Hello protocol.

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