Related Topics
About Open Shortest Path First (OSPF and OSPFv3) Protocol
Support for this protocol is available only on Fireware XTM with a Pro upgrade.
OSPF (Open Shortest Path First) is an interior routing protocol used in larger networks. With OSPF, a router that sees a change to its routing table or that detects a change in the network immediately sends a multicast update to all other routers in the network. OSPF is different from RIP because:
- OSPF sends only the part of the routing table that has changed in its transmission. RIP sends the full routing table each time.
- OSPF sends a multicast only when its information has changed. RIP sends the routing table every 30 seconds.
Also, note the following about OSPF:
- If you have more than one OSPF area, one area must be area 0.0.0.0 (the backbone area).
- All areas must be adjacent to the backbone area. If they are not, you must configure a virtual link to the backbone area.
Fireware XTM supports OSPFv2 for IPv4 dynamic routing, and OSPFv3 for IPv6 dynamic routing.
For more information about IPv4 routing with OSPF v2, see:
For more information about IPv6 routing with OSPF v3, see: