How do I get started with BGP basics?

BGP (Border Gateway Protocol) is the protocol that manages how packets are routed across the internet through the exchange of routing and reachability information among edge routers. It is essential for internet scalability and is a core component of the internet's routing system.

To get started with BGP basics, you need to understand the following components:

  • AS (Autonomous System): A collection of IP routing prefixes under the control of a single organization that presents a common routing policy to the internet.
  • BGP Peering: Establishing a BGP session between routers to share routing information.
  • Routes: Paths that data packets take based on policies and metrics provided by BGP.
  • Attributes: Information that BGP uses to select the best path to follow, such as AS Path, Next Hop, and Local Preference.

Here's a simple BGP configuration example:

# Configure BGP on a router router bgp 100 neighbor "192.0.2.1" remote-as 200 network "203.0.113.0/24"

BGP Border Gateway Protocol Routing Protocol Autonomous System BGP Peering Network Configuration