EIGRP Summary and Comparisons with OSPF
EIGRP supports Novell’s IPX and Apple’s AppleTalk Layer 3 protocols. Routers can run EIGRP to learn IP routes, IPX routes, and AppleTalk routes, with the same performance and features.
| Feature | EIGRP | OSPF |
|---|---|---|
| Converges quickly | Yes | Yes |
| Built-in loop prevention | Yes | Yes |
| Sends partial routing updates, advertising only new or changed information | Yes | Yes |
| Classless; therefore, supports manual summarization and VLSM | Yes | Yes |
| Allows manual summarization at any router | Yes | No |
| Sends routing information using IP multicast on LANs | Yes | Yes |
| Uses the concept of a designated router on a LAN | No | Yes |
| Flexible network design with no need to create areas | Yes | No |
| Supports both equal-metric and unequal-metric load balancing | Yes | No |
| Robust metric based on bandwidth and delay | Yes | No |
| Can advertise IP, IPX, and AppleTalk routes | Yes | No |
| Public standard | No | Yes |