HSRP and VRRP both protocols provide redundancy and high availability in computer networks. Both HSRP and VRRP create a virtual gateway and prevent a single point of failure. The functionality of both protocols is almost similar.
In this tutorial, we will discuss the differences between HSRP and VRRP. Let’s get started!
What is HSRP?
HSRP (Hot Standby Routing Protocol) is a Cisco Prioperitry protocol that provides redundancy in computer networks. It creates a virtual gateway with a Virtual IP & MAC address. Hello packets ensure the availability of Active and Standby routers. Active Router actively forwards the network traffic. Both Active and Passive routers exchange the Hello Packets with each other.
HSRP comes in two different versions and offers a different number of groups. However, the functionality is almost similar.
What is VRRP?
VRRP (Virtual Router Redundancy Protocol) is an open-source protocol defined in rfc3768. Like HSRP, it provides redundancy and high availability in computer networks. It also uses Virtual IP and MAC addresses. After configuring VRRP, it goes through several stages and elects one Master router, and all other routers will be backup routers. The Master router is responsible for forwarding the network traffic. If the master fails, the backup router will take over and start forwarding the network traffic.
HSRP vs VRRP
The main difference between HSRP and VRRP is that the HSRP is a Cisco priority protocol that supports only Cisco devices. On the other hand, VRRP is an open-standard protocol that can be configured on Cisco and non-Cisco devices. Apart from this, the Multicast and MAC addresses differ in both of these protocols.
Below are the main differences between HSRP and VRRP:
HSRP | VRRP | |
Full Form | Hot Standby Routing Protocol | Virtual Router Redundancy Protocol |
Protocol | Cisco proprietary | Open Source, defined in RFC 3768. |
Multicast address# | 224.0.0.2 and 224.0.0.102 | 224.0.0.18 |
Virtual MAC Address* | 0000.0c07.acXX and 0000.0c9f.fXXX | 0000.5e00.01XX |
Default Timers | Hello - 3 seconds Hold - 10 seconds | Hello - 1 seconds Hold - 3 seconds |
Authentication | Plain Text and MD5 | Plain Text |
Virtual IP | Different from physical interface IP | Can different or same physical interface IP |
Router Termlogy | Active and Standby | Master and Backup |
Tracking | Support Interface and Object tracking | Support only Object tracking |
Preemption | Disabled by default | Enabled by default |
*: HSRP version 1 uses 224.0.0.2, and version 2 uses 224.0.0.102.#: XX, XXX is the group number of HSRP and VRRP.
Further Reading
- HSRP – Hot Standby Routing Protocol
- VRRP – Virtual Router Redundancy Protocol
- How to configure High Availability in Palo Alto Networks Firewall
- Cisco ASA Configuration Backup using SCP, TFTP, and ASDM
- Configure Cisco ASA Firewalls for ASDM Access
- Cisco ASA: Security Levels and Zones Explained
- Enable Telnet and SSH access to the Cisco ASA Firewall
Conclusion
HSRP and VRRP both protocols provide redundancy and High Availability in computer networks. HSRP is a Cisco Proprietary, and VRRP is an open-standard protocol. Both create a virtual router and avoid a single point of failure in computer networks.
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