Two routing protocols, Same administrative distance?

What happens when a router has two routing protocols running and is receiving similar routes from each routing protocol?

Easy question, right? The routing protocol with the lower administrative distance has its routes installed in the routing table (routing information base – RIB).

However, an interesting question that comes up from time to time is this:

What if I configure the administrative distance to be the same for two routing protocols? Will the router install routes from each routing protocol and allow me to load balance traffic?

The answer is NO. A route for a specific prefix can only be installed in the routing table by one routing protocol. For example, you cannot have a route to the prefix /24 exist in the routing table from both EIGRP and eBGP.

So lets say you configured EIGRP to have the same administrative distance as eBGP (20). Which route to /24 will be installed? When there is a tie of configured administrative distance settings the router will use the default administrative distance to make the decision.

In this case, since eBGP has lower default administrative distance than EIGRP (20 vs. 90), only the route from eBGP will be installed in the routing table (RIB).


Default Distance Value Table


Route Source Default Distance Values
Connected interface 0
Static route 1
Enhanced Interior Gateway Routing Protocol (EIGRP) summary route 5
External Border Gateway Protocol (BGP) 20
Internal EIGRP 90
IGRP 100
OSPF 110
Routing Information Protocol (RIP) 120
Exterior Gateway Protocol (EGP) 140
On Demand Routing (ODR) 160
External EIGRP 170
Internal BGP 200
Unknown* 255


  1. says

    So if the same routing protocol has two or more equal cost routes, each route will be installed in the routing table and load balanced. Static routes can be considered a routing protocol in this context. Therefore two static routes with the same AD will result in both static routes being installed in the routing table and the router will perform equal cost load balancing.

    The point of this article was to address what happens if two different routing protocols have the same route with the same administrative distance. The router will never install a similar route from two different routing protocols.

    Thanks for the question.

  2. Dara says

    A very good practice,

    This blog is surely a great idea to share the knowledge wealth that the Author has, a nice idea to improve the overall knowledge of all the Engineers.

    Thanks a lot for the contribution,
    Good Luck

  3. Smitha says

    Hi Brad,
    This article was a great one but I still have a question,

    If we have routes to destination getting advertised
    1] by IGRP
    2] by RIP

    which one will be installed ? will it install IGRP as its AD is lower or RIP as it is more precise.
    What is the order(AD and precision) that the router will look for ?


    • says

      In your case both routes will be installed as they are different, not identical. Once both routes are installed in the routing table, traffic destined to will use the RIP route as it provides the more precise match.

      • Ajay Bhat says

        Thank you Brad. I have been trying to find the answer of this question for so long. you a a pure genius and thankyou you smitha for asking this question. regards

  4. mostafa ahdy says

    really, this is very confusing question,and i was thinking about an answer to it until my brain become like a platter of egg.
    so, thank you, Brad Hedlund about your information.
    And this site will be in my favorites.

  5. sandeep says

    If same routing protocols advertising same network with different AD, which route will be placed in routing table ?
    both or lesser AD one ?

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